Behind The Box Score

In a college football era where passing is starting to become king there are a select group of backs that know how to straight run and get it done. With my second installment here from Washington, D.C., I’m going into the top running backs in college football today, I will rate among all conferences in yards, touchdowns, and game breaking ability. I hope you enjoy the list and keep coming back for more!

1. Jahvid Best, California- Best is coming into his junior year fresh off a sophomore campaign where he rushed for 1,580 yards and 15 TD’s. With Cal not returning their starting quarterback, Best should only get more carries this season and improve on the yards and touchdowns he had last season. The best stat about Jahvid is, in his two years on campus, he has yet to fumble. With tough run defenses in USC and Oregon in the conference, Best will need to bring his A game for the Golden Bears to compete for a conference title. Look for Best to be among the Heisman candidates this season as no other running back in the country has as good explosiveness and game changing capability.

2. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State- Only standing at 5’9″, Hunter has a game much larger than his height. Being a major part of Oklahoma State’s prolific offense, Hunter rushed for over 1,500 yards and 16 TD’s. Hunter could become the top back in the season this year as the Cowboys struggle to find a second receiving option behind Dez Bryant. Getting over 200 carries a season ago, Hunter should only get more this year but don’t expect his stats to increase tremendously considering Hunter relatively went unnoticed last season, in the shadow of such Big 12 backs including Demarco Murray and Marlon Lucky. Putting up better stats, Hunter is the best back in the midwest and possibly all of America. With the Big 12 having weaker defenses, I have to put Best first and Hunter second. With teams in the south conference such as Baylor improving, the perception of the Big 12 defense may change. Look for 1,600 yards and at least ten touchdowns this season from Hunter.

3. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech- Dwyer is the centerpiece in coach Paul Johnson’s triple option attack, as the junior ran for 1,395 yards and 12 TD’s last season. Dwyer is a tough downhill runner that can make defenders miss very easily. His best performance came in the final regular season game against Georgia where #21 ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Splitting carries with fellow back Roddy Jones, Dwyer will likely put up the same stats this year if not better. Jones is another polished runner who can make guys miss and he is only a sophomore. With an improved ACC, it will be interesting to see just how good Dwyer is this year and if he can take the Yellow Jacket offense on his back yet again this year.

4. Evan Royster, Penn State- Royster is the feature back for Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions and last season effictively carried on the run oriented style that has been evident in Paterno’s 47 years on campus. As a sophomore, Royster carried the ball 191 times for 1,236 yards and 12 TD’s. Royster also split carries with then freshman Stafon Greene, who had over 100 carries and 500 yards. With Darryl Clark returning without a main target on the receiving spectrum, Royster should carry the ball more this season and cause problems for defenses all across the Big Ten.

5. Joe McKnight, USC- If McKnight wasn’t a piece in the deepest running backs corps in the history of college football, we might see his name higher on this list. Only receiving 89 carries a season ago, McKnight made use of it rushing for 659 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging an astonishing 7.8 yards per carry, McKnight was a great change of pace option for the Trojans offense. With Stafon Johnson ahead of him on the depth chart for whatever reason, McKnight will stay mid level on this list and will continue to do so until he gets more carries. For now, the home run threat will stay parked as the #5 back in the country, not bad for USC standards.

6. MiQuale Lewis, Ball State- Leading the MAC and most of the NCAA in yards last season, with 1,736, Lewis was one of the main reasons for Ball State jumping out to a record of 12-0. Running the ball into the endzone 22 times last season, Lewis was unknown in the world of college football. Not getting a Wikipedia page until after he ran all over Miami(Ohio) for 200+ yards, Lewis is starting to get recognition. At 5’6″ 184 lbs, MiQuale has a workhorse’s mentality, carrying the ball 322 times last season, third behind Javon Ringer and Donald Brown. The Cardinals once again have a soft schedule and with quarterback Nate Davis moving onto the NFL, Lewis, barring injury, will get even more carries and could reach 2,000 yards in 2009, a number that hasn’t been reached since Darren Sproles in 2003.

7. Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State- Rodgers, only a sophomore showcased his abilities on primetime in Oregon State’s 27-21 shocker over USC last season. Running for 1,253 yards and 11 TD’s as a true freshman is amazing, but the great thing about “Quizz” is that he is more than capable of doing it again. Oregon State returns several starters on offense including quarterback Lyle Moevao and Rodgers’ own brother, receiver James Rodgers. Hailing from Houston, Texas and standing at 5’7″, Rodgers was overlooked by the top schools in the region and most notably Texas, a team that didn’t have a player go over 1,000 yards last season. With speed compared to Jahvid Best and juke moves that make your jaw drop, Rodgers is well on his way to being the next great running back to come out of the Pac-10. If he can stay healthy and continue to hit the holes hard, there is no reason “Quizz” cant rush for over 1,500 yards in 2009.

8. Noel Devine, West Virginia- Coming from a school that produced studs Pat White and Steve Slaton, Devine is emerging as another one of the best. With a 40 yard dash time that has been clocked at 4.2, Devine adds another dimensional to the Mountaineer offense. In his sophomore season, Noel rushed for 1,289 yards, but he only accounted for 4 TD’s, something he needs to improve upon this season. In a college game where the top backs are no longer bruisers, Devine falls in that category at only 5’8″. Gaining 6.3 yards per carry, the bright side is that he should only improve this season as Bill Stewart’s club will run more this season as Pat White graduated after last season. With two consecutive bowl wins, this West Virginia club will rally around Devine and should be one of the best in the Big East this season.

9. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss- Starting every year on campus, Fletcher is another unknown back due to the school he plays for. Rushing for 4,287 yards and 36 TD’s in three seasons for the Falcons and should only improve this season. Fletcher hopes to get back to the level of his sophomore season where he rushed for 1,586 yards and 15 TD’s. If he can once again eclipse 1,000 yards, it’s more than likely Fletcher will go down as one of the best players in Southern Miss’ history right next to Brett Favre.

10. Chris Brown, Oklahoma- Overshadowed by Demarco Murray for whatever reason, Brown had the best season among Oklahoma backs, running for 1,220 yards and 20 TD’s. Last season, Brown showed toughness and received more carries due to the injuries of the prone Murray. Carrying the ball 217 times a year ago, Brown hopes to be involved as much as he was last season in a season where the Sooner offense set the all-time record for points scored in a season. If he can, Brown will move up this list and show he is more than a “system” running back.