[Quack Attack]

Woelk: Plenty of room for two backs in Buff attack



By Neill Woelk (Contact)
Sunday, July 20, 2008

While Colorado football fans breathlessly await any and all news concerning freshman running back Darrell Scott, a little history lesson might be in order. The general consensus seems to be that Scott will step in and become CU's feature back from Day One. Given Scott's hype -- he was generally regarded as one of the nation's top two running backs during the last recruiting cycle -- the expectations are understandable.

This much is certain: Dan Hawkins didn't recruit Scott to watch from the sidelines. But if history is any guide, Scott may not be the only Buff back to make an impact this year. Rather, there could be plenty of touches to go around, with another newcomer, Ray Polk, as well as returnees Demetrius Sumler and Brian Lockridge vying for some meaningful time on the field.

Fact is, it's hard for any one back to shoulder the load of an entire season, particularly a freshman. While a few first-year players have managed the feat (Herschel Walker comes to mind, and more recently Adrian Peterson), such a season is far from the norm.
But CU football annals are peppered with years in which two -- or even three -- backs combined to give the Buffs a terrific one-two punch. The guess here is that the upcoming season could provide another entry in that category.

Some of those years came when CU employed a conventional tailback-fullback attack. For instance, in 1971, when Eddie Crowder's Buffs finished third in the nation,tailback Charlie Davis racked up 1,481 yards while fullback John Tarver added 677. There have also been seasons in which Buff quarterbacks have contributed greatly to the rushing totals.
But there are also instances in which the Buffs found enough carries for two tailbacks, with good results. For example:

In 1988, Eric Bieniemy ran for 1,290 yards and J.J. Flannigan added 539. A year later, Flannigan ran for 1,217 and Bieniemy pitched in 575 (that's also the season Buff QB Darian Hagan rushed for 1,132).
In 1993, Lamont Warren ran for 939 yards and Rashaan Salaam added 885. A year later, Salaam carried the load and the Heisman Trophy with 2,074 yards at season's end -- and even then, Buff QB Kordell Stewart ran for 818 yards.

But maybe the best example of spreading the wealth among tailbacks came in 2001, CU's last conference title season. That's the year that Chris Brown ran for 956 yards, Bobby Purify added 953 and Cortlen Johnson chipped in 583. All were tailbacks, and then-coach Gary Barnett did an outstanding job of going with the hot hand as the season progressed.
Example: In Game 10 that season, Johnson ran for 172 yards in a win over Iowa State while Brown didn't get a single carry. In Game 11, Brown reeled off 198 yards and six touchdowns in CU's 62-36 win over Nebraska. Purify, meanwhile, ran for 64 against Iowa State and 154 against the Huskers.
That's balance.

Speaking of Purify, it's also worth remembering that he came to CU in the huge shadow of another highly regarded recruit. But while Marcus Houston's stay at CU was derailed by injuries, Purify proved to be a consistent performer throughout his career.

This is by no means to suggest that the highly touted Scott will be anything but the player his reputation suggests he will be. He has the size, speed and ability to become the latest in a long line of great CU running backs. The guess here is that he will live up to the already sizable expectations that will accompany him the first time he sets foot on the field in a CU uniform. But if history has taught us anything, it's that you can't have enough good running backs. Good coaches and good systems produce enough opportunities for more than one standout back.

The fact that CU appears to be loading up in that category bodes well not only for this season, but for years down the line.