It's not especially rare for a college football team to possess a dynamic pair of running backs. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones formed a nightmarish ground attack recently for Arkansas while, last week's shameful performance aside, Clemson's senior James Davis and junior C.J. Spiller may be the NCAA's most-feared current tandem. On a note more relevant to Wisconsin football, memories of Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber in Minnesota are still making Big Ten defensive coordinators scream in their sleep.
Even though there has recently been a wealth of prolific RB tandems around college football, it has been a long while since the Badgers boasted a truly dynamic duo. Wisconsin has mostly gone with the 'workhorse' approach, resulting in monster numbers from such recognizable names as Ron Dayne, Michael Bennett, Anthony Davis, and Brian Calhoun. You would have to go all the way back to 1993, when Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher combined for 2,633 yards and 25 touchdowns, to find the last time two Badgers ran rampant during the same campaign.
With that in mind, it's somewhat ironic that this year's squad seems to have something better than a dynamic duo. 'Three-headed monster' may be the favored term. Junior P.J. Hill has teamed up with sophomore Zach Brown and freshman John Clay to assemble a ruthless running back committee, piling up 368 yards and four touchdowns in the season opener against Akron. Hill has been a highly successful runner since arriving in Madison, and as running backs coach John Settle pointed out, the fact that Brown and Clay have made their way onto the field is indicative of their high level of play rather than any deficiency on Hill's part. The guys have performed well in camp, and we wanted to reward them,"" Settle said. ""John Clay is a very talented guy, we wanted to get him in early, break him in'¦and for Zach, he's the [top] backup, and the opportunity presented itself early'¦to get him in and get some reps. It's just fun to watch those guys.""
Thanks to Brown's performance last year as a true freshman, highlighted by his 250 yard, two touchdown outing against Minnesota, Wisconsin knew it was coming into 2008 with at least two skilled runners. The player who can provide the third dimension is Clay, whose 12 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown last week indicates he is entirely capable. Clay is one of the school's most prized recruits of recent years, so his abilities don't come as a surprise.
The main advantage of having three capable runners is the ability to keep all of them energized during games, even as the opposing defense wears down. Dividing the workload among three skilled players allows the running game to keep both its talent and stamina level at a relative constant. As demonstrated last week, the last thing an exhausted defense wants to see trotting onto the field is a well-rested John Clay. When asked if it's nice to have the mental edge of knowing the defense is demoralized, Brown laughed and said, ""Yes, yes it is'¦just knowing that one person will go in and have the same success as another'¦we can wear down the defense, and that's what we want.""
Splitting the workload not only keeps the runners energized during the game, but it keeps them healthier as the season goes on. While talking to reporters after Sunday's practice, Hill said, ""Usually after a game, from the physical contact, I'm in the training room [using ice treatment], but this time I was able to'¦just go home."" Hill has questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy, but giving the ball more to Brown and Clay could be just what he needs to avoid injuries over the course of the year.
Another way that having these running backs helps Wisconsin is the fact that the three are forced to push themselves to the limit in order to win playing time. Coach Settle agreed that having the three of them at once brings out the best of them all, and added ""The guys know that the guys that produce are the guys that are going to play. We're in a production business, and that's a big emphasis'¦I know no matter what, no matter which one of those three are on the field, we're going to get maximum effort.""
Three 'great' running backs on one team is certainly a lofty aspiration, but it isn't impossible. Perhaps the most accessible example of this is the 2003 Auburn backfield, where the carries were divided between Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Brandon Jacobs, each of whom has gone on to have 1,000 yard seasons in the NFL.
As pleased as he is with his running backs, Coach Settle warned that it's a bit hasty to expect the three runners to produce as they did against Akron throughout the rest of the season. ""Right now I think it's early. You'd love to have the opportunity to play all three of them week in and week out, but'¦how the game flows will dictate how many reps each guy gets,"" he said. With a chuckle he added, ""The only thing right now that we know for sure is that P.J. is the starter and we have two good guys backing him up.""
