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Morris: Running-game mind-set needs altering
Marcus Lattimore was the center of attention all evening Tuesday.
C. Aluka Berry/caberry@thestate.com
Posted on 02.04.10
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HERE'S HOPING MARCUS Lattimore becomes one the great running backs in South Carolina football history, right up there with George Rogers and Steve Wadiak. How refreshing it would be for a top-level, instate recruit to live up to his billing at a South Carolina school.
Unfortunately, I am skeptical, and it has nothing to do with Lattimore and his immense talents. Rather, it has everything to do with not believing Steve Spurrier and his staff are committed to establishing a solid running game.
Even on the day Spurrier announced the signing of Lattimore among his class of 24 recruits, he deflected a question about the running game. Instead, he talked about the importance of quarterback Stephen Garcia learning to avoid sacks.
"We tried to run the ball a little bit last year," Spurrier said. "Our game was hurt a lot by sacks, a snap over the quarterback's head. Kenny Miles actually averaged 5.4 a carry. So it wasn't quite as terrible as the stats ended up."
Actually, it was pretty terrible.
Even if you subtract the 229 yards USC lost via sacks and the 51 it lost due to poor center snaps and such, the Gamecocks still were a pitiful rushing team. Adjusting the numbers still would leave USC with the worst running game in the SEC.
There is a reason for that.
A mind-set has to be established for a team to effectively run the ball, and that has not happened in Spurrier's five seasons at USC. To be fair, offensive line coach Eric Wolford made great strides this past season in establishing more run-blocking schemes.
No one was more proud of the offensive line and running backs following USC's victory against Clemson than Wolford. USC lined up and pushed Clemson off the ball.
With Miles rushing for 114 yards and the running backs carrying the ball 36 times, USC's offensive line was dominant. For one game, USC's approach was to establish a strong running game to set up the passing attack.
Then USC reverted to form in the Papajohns.com Bowl. Its running backs carried the ball 10 times for 29 yards. Don't blame the running backs, though, or the offensive line.
Spurrier simply gave up on the running game early against Connecticut and never returned to it. It was representative of how Spurrier has approached the running game every season at USC.
It has become a ritual of Spurrier's each preseason to talk about the necessity of USC establishing a strong rushing attack. The plan usually works during the nonconference schedule then goes up in flames once USC begins league play.
Look at this past season. USC finished last in the SEC in rushing for the third consecutive season, with 125 yards per game. The numbers were worse in conference games, in which USC averaged a paltry 84 yards a game rushing.
Even more glaring in conference games was the widening gap between rushing attempts and pass attempts. In league games, USC attempted an average of 38 passes a game. Its running backs carried the ball an average of 19 times a game.
Those numbers show not only poor balance, but also that USC was not committed to running the ball.
Here are the number of rushes by USC running backs in conference games: 19, 21, 22, 17, 24, 14, 17 and 19. Then came the crash-and-burn offensive showing against Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl, when running backs ran the ball three times in the first half. The number jumped to a whopping seven in the second half.
Only four times all season did the running backs carry the ball more times than USC attempted passes. Of course, USC won all of those games: against N.C. State, Florida Atlantic, South Carolina State and Clemson.
Maybe Spurrier will change the mind-set of the offense this season. There are signs that change is on the way. Shawn Elliott is on board to replace Wolford as the offensive line coach. Among the signees Wednesday were six offensive linemen, four of whom could play this season.
There also is the addition of Lattimore, considered by some recruiting folks to be the best in the country at his trade.
"We've got some new (offensive linemen) on the way, a new coach on the way and a new running back on the way," Spurrier said. "So, yes, we're going to try to emphasize the running game."
USC fans only can hope Spurrier stays true to his word, and that Lattimore is the answer to five seasons of running back woes.
Me? I'll believe it when I see it.
Watch commentaries by Morris Mondays at 6 and 11 p.m. on ABC Columbia News (WOLO-TV)
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