RBs Have Something to Prove

[aubiefifty 18,201]

Cadillac Williams: Auburn’s running backs have something to prove in 2019

Posted Jul 25, 6:21 PM

4-5 minutes

Auburn’s running backs have heard the chatter, and they know the reality of the situation: The Tigers’ run game was at a Gus Malzahn era low last season.

They also know they have something to prove this fall.

“The room does have a chip on its shoulder,” running backs coach Cadillac Williams said Thursday before speaking to the Greater Birmingham Auburn Club. “You know, I’m sure just like everybody else, them guys, they kind of read or saw what was Auburn’s weak spot (last season) — and, you know, most times it points back to the running back room. So, I think guys individually, collectively have took that as a challenge and ran with it.”

Auburn’s run game struggled in 2018. The Tigers averaged just 167.5 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked 10th in the SEC and 68th nationally, making it the worst rushing offense of Malzahn’s tenure as head coach.

In each of Malzahn’s first five seasons, Auburn finished no worse than 35th nationally (and fifth in the SEC) and only averaged fewer than 200 yards on the ground once during that span (2015, when it averaged 196.4 rushing yards per game).

The Tigers also saw their SEC-record streak of nine straight years with at least one 1,000-yard rusher come to an end, as leading rusher Boobee Whitlow finished the season with just 787 yards and six touchdowns on 150 carries.

This year, Auburn returns each of its top-four running backs — Whitlow, Kam Martin, Shaun Shivers and Malik Miller — while introducing freshmen D.J. Williams and Mark-Antony Richards into the fold and incorporating redshirt freshman Harold Joiner. The Tigers will also be breaking in a new offensive coordinator in Kenny Dillingham, though Malzahn will handle play-calling, as well as a new position coach in former program great Cadillac Williams.

“Coach ‘Lac,” as the players refer to him, is excited about the outlook of his position group despite the running back room’s shortcomings in 2018.

“Man, they had a fantastic spring, so having a good offseason,” he said. “I honestly think that we’re going to play a lot better than last year.”

Although the run game should get a boost from the team returning five senior starters along an offensive line that is expected to be much-improved compared to the 2018 iteration, Williams knows there’s still work to be done among his running backs. That work began in the spring when he arrived, continued through offseason player-run practices and will pick back up next week when Auburn opens fall camp ahead of the Aug. 31 season opener against Oregon in Arlington, Texas.

Williams, after all, knows better than most what it takes to be an effective running back not just in the SEC, but at Auburn. He rushed for 3,831 yards and 45 touchdowns during his four-year career, which included back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a junior in 2003 and a senior in 2004.

“I always stress to those guys, if we can learn how to take care of the little things, the big things are going to take care of themselves,” Williams said. “You know, just with us, good practice habits, developing those good habits and really stressing and straining those guys and making practice harder than games. You know, when I was playing ball, I was always accustomed to, man, I’m going to work hard doing it, I’m going to strain myself, make practice just as hard as the game, where once the game comes, just settle down, man, have fun and play football.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 18,201]

Cadillac Williams: Boobee Whitlow 'left so many yards on field'

By Brandon Marcello13 hrs

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HOOVER, Alabama — Cadillac Williams watched film of Boobee Whitlow in the offseason, and he grew frustrated.

He wasn’t mad. He just saw so much untapped potential. The Auburn legend and newly-hired running backs coach knew so much more was possible for Whitlow to achieve on the field in 2018. The first-year player at running back wasn’t patient as a runner and he didn’t quite utilize the correct technique.

“He was so fast on zone-read, gap-reads where he didn’t let the blocking scheme up front develop,” Williams said Thursday before a speaking engagement at the Greater Birmingham Auburn Club. “This spring I feel like Boobee, from watching him from last year to me being able to coach him in spring ball, think he’s grown as an individual, as a player and I think he better understands our offense and what it takes to be a successful running back.”

Whitlow finished with 787 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, including six rushing scores, after moving from receiver to running back. The nearby LaFayette native played quarterback in high school, so playing running back in the SEC was the ultimate crash course in learning the position.

So, when a man like Williams, an Auburn legend and former first-round draft pick at running back, watches the film and sees the potential of what Williams can provide, it’s easy to understand the frustration.

“A guy who has never played the running position, his ceiling is so high,” Williams said. “I see so much growth. From watching his film, he left so many yards on the field last year and that’s just him not knowing any better — just hitting it and going off pure talent. Once he understands the position — and he had a heck of a spring slowing himself down and patient — and being dependable and taking care of the little things, I think Boobee can be one of the better ‘backs around the country.”

An Auburn tailback failed to record a 1,000-yard season for the first time in 10 years in 2018. The meeting room at Auburn is motivated to start a new streak. The man most likely to hit that mark is Whitlow, who finished the 2018 season as the primary tailback, though Kam Martin, D.J. Williams and Shaun Shivers will play, too.

[Barnacle 9,107]

This is exactly what I've been saying about Whitlow. He has an opportunity to make a big jump this year. People have been down on him, but he was so raw last year - we still haven't seen what he is capable of.

[Sizzle 3,948]

I agree with what Caddy is saying. If you watch that Ole Miss game there were a few plays where he actually did be patient and let everything set up so he has the ability to do it. He just didn’t do it every game

[McLoofus 35,182]

7 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

This is exactly what I've been saying about Whitlow. He has an opportunity to make a big jump this year. People have been down on him, but he was so raw last year - we still haven't seen what he is capable of.

I have been pro Worm and Williams, but not at Boobee's expense. 

Our stable right now looks far better than anything since 2015, and I suspect that, top to bottom, it's better than that group. We already know that none of KMart, Worm or Whitlow are going to be the next Jovon Robinson or Roc Thomas. And neither of those fates seem very likely at all for DJ Williams. And Jovon Robinson's fate just isn't very likely to happen to another RB anytime soon. 

Sorry. Whitlow has everything you want in your RB1 physically. And Cadillac Williams is his position coach. And our OL should start the season in much better shape than they did last year. And QB1 should be able to open things up a lot more for the run game. And a more complete RB corps, if used properly, should lead to an "all boats rise" scenario. 

Dammit, Loof. It's not even August yet and you're starting in with this optimism crap. Get a grip.

[aubiefifty 18,201]

people blamed gus for losing roc but i read where he was caught with a big bag of smoke and weapons. i wonder now if roc did not screw himeslf over? and i love roc as he is from gadsden where i was raised.......

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

people blamed gus for losing roc but i read where he was caught with a big bag of smoke and weapons. i wonder now if roc did not screw himeslf over? and i love roc as he is from gadsden where i was raised.......

I don't remember too many people blaming Gus for Roc. Gus and Horton wanted to move Roc to more of a slot/sweep role- think OMac, Grant, Stove, Worm last year- but he didn't want to accept that role. He wanted to be lead dog. So he checked out and went to be a big fish in the little Jax St pond. Worked out for him in the end. 

He'll serve a suspension for the drug bust at the beginning of the season and be done with it, assuming he stays clean. 

 

[aubiefifty 18,201]

1 minute ago, McLoofus said:

I don't remember too many people blaming Gus for Roc. Gus and Horton wanted to move Roc to more of a slot/sweep role- think OMac, Grant, Stove, Worm last year- but he didn't want to accept that role. He wanted to be lead dog. So he checked out and went to be a big fish in the little Jax St pond. Worked out for him in the end. 

He'll serve a suspension for the drug bust at the beginning of the season and be done with it, assuming he stays clean. 

 

i wish him well of course!

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

Gus probably has more good options at RB than he's had his entire tenure, though I'm not sure if any of them are another Cadillac or Mason.  I hope he finds a way to utilize many of them without constant subbing.

[I_M4_AU 8,915]

4 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Gus probably has more good options at RB than he's had his entire tenure, though I'm not sure if any of them are another Cadillac or Mason.  I hope he finds a way to utilize many of them without constant subbing.

Here is where Cadillac comes in, if Gus will listen to Caddy and Caddy remembers how he was used with R Brown, things can be special as the season wears on.  If Gus is all about getting someone to 1000 yds (or having an AU RB lead the league in rushing),  come he!! Or high water, we could wear down one back and not have an experienced option at the end of the season.

It’s all on Gus and the luck of not having injuries during the season.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

I don't remember too many people blaming Gus for Roc. Gus and Horton wanted to move Roc to more of a slot/sweep role- think OMac, Grant, Stove, Worm last year- but he didn't want to accept that role. He wanted to be lead dog. So he checked out and went to be a big fish in the little Jax St pond. Worked out for him in the end. 

He'll serve a suspension for the drug bust at the beginning of the season and be done with it, assuming he stays clean. 

 

I think I saw Roc got cut. So he’s gotta find a new team. 

I actually think it’s kinda crazy Whitlow didn’t have more than 150 or so carries. In terms of rotating backs, I would like to see them rotate on 1a/1b on a two possessions for 1a then 1 possession for 1b unless we run some 2 back sets (Gus ran several 2 back sets at Tulsa). 

I’m getting the feel of us sleeping on Whitlow like we slept on Mason when CAP signed in 2013. Most thought CAP would be the guy but Mason took over after a few weeks. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, BigWhiskey91 said:

I think I saw Roc got cut. So he’s gotta find a new team.  

Makes sense. Man. Mike Zimmer is seriously never going to consider an Auburn player ever again.

Quote

I actually think it’s kinda crazy Whitlow didn’t have more than 150 or so carries. In terms of rotating backs, I would like to see them rotate on 1a/1b on a two possessions for 1a then 1 possession for 1b unless we run some 2 back sets (Gus ran several 2 back sets at Tulsa). 

Something like that would make sense to me, too, depending on the defenses we face. Definitely try to leave a RB in for at least 4-5 plays and not sub in the middle of a single set of downs. Sub after a 25+ yd run maybe. ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE DIVE ON EVERY FIRST DOWN THING THIS SEASON, RIGHT, COACH?!?! Stuff like that. 

We'll just have to see how the talent emerges. I think we could be very successful with 2 RBs averaging 13-17 carries each. But then we'll also have to see how many carries Joey takes. 

In 2014, we had ~550 carries split up between CAP, Nick, Grant and Roc. In 2010, it was ~580 (one more game played) split up between Cam, Dyer, OMac and Fannin. I would love to 1) see us able to run the ball 42 times a game again and 2) be able to split all those carries up between at least 5 guys instead of just 4. Between Joey, KMart, Boobee, Worm, DJ and Joiner, it seems very doable.

All of this leaves out the sweeps from the WRs and cleanup carries from the RBs further down the depth chart from those seasons, which we will also get this season. Stove and Schwartz are going to give us some huge plays. 

[BigWhiskey91 632]

6 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Makes sense. Man. Mike Zimmer is seriously never going to consider an Auburn player ever again.

Something like that would make sense to me, too, depending on the defenses we face. Definitely try to leave a RB in for at least 4-5 plays and not sub in the middle of a single set of downs. Sub after a 25+ yd run maybe. ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE DIVE ON EVERY FIRST DOWN THING THIS SEASON, RIGHT, COACH?!?! Stuff like that. 

We'll just have to see how the talent emerges. I think we could be very successful with 2 RBs averaging 13-17 carries each. But then we'll also have to see how many carries Joey takes. 

In 2014, we had ~550 carries split up between CAP, Nick, Grant and Roc. In 2010, it was ~580 (one more game played) split up between Cam, Dyer, OMac and Fannin. I would love to 1) see us able to run the ball 42 times a game again and 2) be able to split all those carries up between at least 5 guys instead of just 4. Between Joey, KMart, Boobee, Worm, DJ and Joiner, it seems very doable.

All of this leaves out the sweeps from the WRs and cleanup carries from the RBs further down the depth chart from those seasons, which we will also get this season. Stove and Schwartz are going to give us some huge plays. 

Yeah I want to see how Worm is used. He really needs 8-10 touches per game even if some of those are special teams. Guy has big play ability. Wouldn’t mind seeing us run the inverted Veer with gatewood and worm back there!

[McLoofus 35,182]

30 minutes ago, BigWhiskey91 said:

I’m getting the feel of us sleeping on Whitlow like we slept on Mason when CAP signed in 2013. Most thought CAP would be the guy but Mason took over after a few weeks.

Oh, this. It's interesting, because I've thought that Worm has been getting the Tre treatment simply because everybody says he's too small just like everybody- except me and a very few others who didn't sleep on him at all- said Tre was too small. But I hadn't considered the similarities between Boobee coming into this season after 2018 and Tre going into 2013 after 2012, and people looking at what else is in the cupboard. There's also the matter of what filters down from the inside to us outsiders, but ignoring all of that kind of stuff, I see what you're saying. 

[bigbird 60,939]

7 minutes ago, BigWhiskey91 said:

Yeah I want to see how Worm is used. He really needs 8-10 touches per game even if some of those are special teams. 

IMO, He needs about 13-16 true run plays.

[McLoofus 35,182]

4 minutes ago, BigWhiskey91 said:

Yeah I want to see how Worm is used. He really needs 8-10 touches per game even if some of those are special teams. Guy has big play ability. Wouldn’t mind seeing us run the inverted Veer with gatewood and worm back there!

Hell yes. 

 

 

[Barnacle 9,107]

5 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Oh, this. It's interesting, because I've thought that Worm has been getting the Tre treatment simply because everybody says he's too small just like everybody- except me and a very few others who didn't sleep on him at all- said Tre was too small. But I hadn't considered the similarities between Boobee coming into this season after 2018 and Tre going into 2013 after 2012, and people looking at what else is in the cupboard. There's also the matter of what filters down from the inside to us outsiders, but ignoring all of that kind of stuff, I see what you're saying. 

Even though people have naturally questioned Worm's size, I think the feeling on this board has been mostly super positive. I would say those who don't want to see him in an expanded role, or see him as a gadget player are in the minority here, and not the other way around.

I have also felt like people have been looking past Boobie, but mostly I think that's because of genuine and deserved hype for other backs. We now have several guys who can be huge difference makers, and that certainly seems worthy of excitement.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

IMO, He needs about 13-16 true run plays.

One thing that seems almost certain to me is that he's the kind of guy who will get stronger as a game goes on, especially as defenses slow down.

 

Sony Michel and Nick Chubb went in the 1st and 2nd round of the same draft after running 10 and 15 times a game, respectively. It was 18 and 12 for Caddy and Ronnie. (Caddy and Ronnie, though, didn't have Deandre Swift or Joey Gatewood. Or DJ Williams, for that matter. They had Jason Campbell and Carl Stewart...)

So 10-12 carries a game can make you a first round draft pick. That was the case 15 years ago and the it was the case 2 years ago. Oh, and those 2 teams went 26-2. In the SEC.

I'm just rambling now. This wasn't supposed to be a split-the-carries thread, probably. 

 

 

 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Even though people have naturally questioned Worm's size, I think the feeling on this board has been mostly super positive. I would say those who don't want to see him in an expanded role, or see him as a gadget player are in the minority here, and not the other way around.

I have also felt like people have been looking past Boobie, but mostly I think that's because of genuine and deserved hype for other backs. We now have several guys who can be huge difference makers, and that certainly seems worthy of excitement.

I see it a slightly different way on Worm, and so does his mom, lol. But it's not as bad as I expected it would be at this point. 

And I think you're right about Boobie. I don't know if anyone is "down" on him, per se. 

Good problems. Good problems. 

[Barnacle 9,107]

4 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I see it a slightly different way on Worm, and so does his mom, lol. But it's not as bad as I expected it would be at this point. 

And I think you're right about Boobie. I don't know if anyone is "down" on him, per se. 

Good problems. Good problems. 

Well of course his mom does, that's what momma bears do!

Good problems indeed!

[BigWhiskey91 632]

28 minutes ago, bigbird said:

IMO, He needs about 13-16 true run plays.

Agreed. I meant to say “at least”. Most only bring up his size as only being a negative for him. I watched a breakdown of his film where a HS coach pointed out how opposing linebackers struggled tracking him in the backfield. Dude is going to be LETHAL on counter plays and wheel routes. I love his style between the tackles too. Dude hits holes like he’s 6’ 2” 225lb lol.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Just now, BigWhiskey91 said:

Agreed. I meant to say “at least”. Most only bring up his size as only being a negative for him. I watched a breakdown of his film where a HS coach pointed out how opposing linebackers struggled tracking him in the backfield. Dude is going to be LETHAL on counter plays and wheel routes. I love his style between the tackles too. Dude hits holes like he’s 6’ 2” 225lb lol.

Yup! Lower center of gravity, lower pad level... the advantages are there. 

 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Think we need to give Worm more carries than he had last year. Change of pace guy that can deliver a knockout blow against a tired team. Think CAP in the SEC Champ game in 2013. Tre was on fire but CAP delivered one of those knockout runs late in the game. Worm's a great back. Need to figure out how to get him the ball. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, tigerbrotha12 said:

Think we need to give Worm more carries than he had last year. Change of pace guy that can deliver a knockout blow against a tired team. Think CAP in the SEC Champ game in 2013. Tre was on fire but CAP delivered one of those knockout runs late in the game. Worm's a great back. Need to figure out how to get him the ball. 

I vote for handing it off to him.

 

 

 

[ttott 18]

Some of the most important characteristics of a great back, which are hard to measure, are their vision, ability to feel where the defensive players are coming from, and innate ability to process this quickly and run to day light, make a cut avoiding the tacklers or taking on the tackler (hopefully stunning them) and making the best out of what is there.  These characteristics are developed from lots of experience, but the great ones just have an uncanny ability to make the best decision.   The Worm has these characteristics and has developed them as a result of always being a tailback.  

As pointed out in the article, Boobie is now just learning to follow his blockers.

This being Worm's second year in the system, I think his natural talents are going to be recognized more fully this year and he is going to get his fair share of carries, both inside and outside the box.