re: Could Darrell Williams be the number 2 running back this season?

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0% chance Williams redshirts unless he gets injured. He will get plenty of carries this season.

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Why do you believe this? I don't believe we redshirt him either, but i wouldn't be opposed to it. If he does play, unless we are really stinking it up, he won't get more than 40 carries. OK let me show you guys something:


2006 - Murphy 4 star was actually RSed because he missed the whole offseason because of Clearinghouse
2007 - Ridley 4 star, redshirted
2009 - Ford 5 star, redshirted,
2010 - Blue 4 star 20 carries, Ware 5 star 24 carries (10 in the bowl game alone)
2011 - Hilliard 4 star 62 carries (all of 4 carries until Ware was suspended game 8) Magee 27 carries

If he doesn't redshirt he won't get carries unless there's an injury.

Nobody knows for sure that we don't need a fourth back.

I agree. We've seen it at LSU, guys who can make the league are leaving after 3 years. It's not just guys who will be high draft picks anymore(although Lael did stay).

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Hilliard Highlights

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Damn. I don't remember him being that fast.

I don't see Magee as a change of pace type back. The dude ran hard up the middle plenty.

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There is a way to control if he gets hurt. More carries = more chances of getting hurt. I said getting hurt instead of getting fatigued because he is still very young and has years ahead of him. They HAVE to hold Leonard back. They can't use him as a workhorse and run his body into the ground, it's just not how things are run at LSU.

ETA: Hill was as close as we've had in awhile to having a pure RB1 work horse, and he still split considerable time with the 3 guys behind him. There's going to be a lot more distribution of carries this year and it will be vital to not only winning games but also preserving the careers of the players.

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So much wrong with this post.

First off... you can say the injury thing about every single player. You play a guy less, you reduce the chance of injury. But if that guy is the best at his position, you also suffer from not having him on the field. Every player on the field risks injury every single snap. All it takes is 1 snap for them to get injured. What happens if they do all what you say and dont give him that many carries or limit his touches and playing time, and he still gets injured? Its all for nothing. And playing the best player at a position less to, hopefully, reduce his chance of injury could be the difference between winning and losing.

Secondly, no they do not have to hold LF back. If he is ready and can handle a full work load and is by far our best RB, you give him the touches. And thats not just with LF. Thats for any player. If 1 guy is clearly the best at his position, he plays and he plays a lot.

And your final point is just so off. Hill was not the closest we have had during Miles era of being a workhorse and a pure RB1, and he still dominated carries. For some reason, people tend to think that we strictly use a RBBC and all that, which is not true. When we have a RB that is clearly better than the others, that RB gets the touches. If LF is the clear cut RB1, he will get his touches.

Heres a breakdown of rushing attempts by RBs under Les(Does not include WR, QB, or FB carries.Strictly RBs) (rounded up %):

-2005- 392 total carries by RBs. Addai- 187 (47.7%); Justin Vincent - 121(30.8%); Shyrone Carey - 59 (15%); Hester - 25 (6.3%)

-2006- 348 total carries. Hester - 96 (27.5%); Keiland - 75 (21.5%); Alley Broussard - 74 (21.2%); Vincent - 57 (16.3%); Scott - 46 (13.2%)

-2007- 375 total carries. Hester - 225 (60%); Keiland - 70 (18.6%); Scott - 45 carries (12%); Murphy - 35 (9.3%)

-2008- 356 total carries. Scott - 217 (61%); Keiland - 83 carries (23.3%); Murphy - 44 (12.3%); Ridley - 12 (3.3%)

-2009- 233 total carries. Scott - 116 (49.8%); Keiland - 70 (30%); Ridley - 45 (19.3%); Murphy - 2 (0.8%)

-2010- 343 total carries. Ridley - 249 (72.5%); Ford - 45 (13.1%); Murphy - 25 (7.3%); Ware - 24 (7.0%)

-2011- 444 total carries. Ware - 177(40%); Ford - 127 (28.6%); Blue - 78 (17.5%); Hilliard - 62 (13.9%)

-2012- 389 total carries. Hill - 142 (36.5%); Ware - 94 (24.1%); Hilliard - 82 (21%); Ford - 71 (18.2%)

-2013- 428 total carries. Hill - 203 (47.4%); Magee - 86 (20.1%); Blue - 71 (16.6%); Hilliard - 68 (15.9%)

The 2006, 2011, and 2012 seasons are the years that we used a true "RBBC". Thats because there wasnt a clear cut lead RB1 for those years. Especially is the 2006 and 2011 seasons. The 2012 season was Hill's first year at LSU, and he was suspended the first 2 games of the year. He had 142 total carries on the year with only 13 carries the first half of the season. In the 2nd half he had 129 carries over 7 games (18 carries per game) and was the clear cut RB1. Just took him a little bit to gain the coaches confidence for PT / get the playbook down / etc.

If you are getting 45+% of the carries and the 2nd RB with the most is at 30% or below, you are pretty much dominating the carries. The only time we had a true RBBC would be the 2006 season. We had 3 guys in between 20%-30%, and 2 more guys that had between 13% and 17% of the carries. Thats a true RBBC.

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The 2006, 2011, and 2012 seasons are the years that we used a true "RBBC". Thats because there wasnt a clear cut lead RB1 for those years. Especially is the 2006 and 2011 seasons.

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2011 did not start, and 2012 did not end as RBBC.


2011 - Ware was averaging (18.3 carries) a game before the suspension. The second leading rusher was Ford with (9.6 carries) a game before Ware's suspension. Miles had intended all along to use Ware as his #1 battering ram as he was the most complete back. Ware getting in trouble allowed Hilliard to get real snaps and show what he could do, JJ also was playing a lot more until he was finally starting which stretched carries even more.

2011 Recap - was intended to be Ware as the battering ram, Ford as the backup, Blue as the change of pace, and Hilliard as depth.

2012 - Miles intended it to be Blue and Hilliard as the co starters because of Ware's injury and had Blue not gotten injured, and Hilliard fumbled away the starting position, Hill possibly would not have had the amount of carries he did. Ford was the change of pace back then. After Hill strutted his stuff against USCe, he was without question, ahead of the pack as he averaged (18.4 carries) a game in the second half of the season. The second leading rusher in the second half was Ware with (7.7 carries) a game.

2012 Recap - Blue and Hilliard were co starting until Ware got back healthy, but Blue got injured and Hilliard turned the ball over twice against Auburn. It then became RBBC until Hill emerged as the big hoss.


TL;DR
2011
-Ware before suspension (18.3 carry avg)
-Ford as 2nd leading rusher before Ware suspension (9.6 carry avg)

2012
-Hill after emerging (18.4 carry avg)
-Ware as 2nd leading rusher after Hill's emergence (7.7 carry avg)

For the most part, RBBC is only used if somebody doesn't stand head and shoulders above the pack. It is not an identity of how Miles uses the RB position.

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KG5989 & Datbayoubengal

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Thank you guys for breaking down the numbers and showing that MIles will let the most talented guy become the lead horse. Yes, we always give carries to multiple running backs. That's just smart football philosophy. But there's a myth, and especially within our fanbase, that Miles' offense does not allow a back to become a true #1. The numbers tell a different story. I think LF will be that guy at some point this year. Magee and Hilliard are very good and will have a great impact on this team, I just don't see either as a "true" #1. Williams will get chances, but I see him mostly busting skulls on special teams coverage this season. Think of what Blue did last year.

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Also, we need to put a year between Williams and the '15 guys to make sure Brossette and Guice still come. There is zero chance Williams redshirt save injury. And he absolutely shouldnt.

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I don't believe he redshirts either. He'll play special teams mostly and may get 30-40 carries.