‘It’s like thunder and lightning all over again.’ New duo compared to Clemson greats
Dabo Swinney hesitated to make the comparison, knowing that it would create lofty expectations for his new running back duo. But Clemson’s head coach had to be honest.
After watching freshman running backs Demarkcus Bowman and Kobe Pace practice during fall camp, Swinney couldn’t help but think about another running back tandem that used to make plays on the Tigers practice field.
“I hate to say it, but it’s just kind of what you think about .... for Clemson people it’s the best way to describe it. It’s like thunder and lightning all over again,” Swinney said.
James Davis and C.J. Spiller earned that nickname while establishing themselves as the best running back duo in school history when they played together from 2005-08. Davis (thunder) was a bigger back at 210 pounds, who did most of his damage between the tackles. He finished his career with 3,881 rushing yards, which ranks third all-time at Clemson.
Spiller (lightning) was a smaller back who preferred running around defenders or juking them as opposed to running between the tackles. He finished his career with 3,547 rushing yards, which ranks fourth all-time in school history.
It remains to be seen if the new duo of Pace (thunder) and Bowman (lightning) can create a similar kind of lethal backfield, but Swinney loves their potential.
“You’ve got Kobe Pace who is this big, strong, physical powerful runner. And then you’ve got Bowman who can just absolutely fly,” Swinney said. “They’re complete polar opposites but both really, really, really good football players. So I’m excited about what they both bring to the table.”
Bowman was the higher-rated of the two coming out of high school.
The Florida native was ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 3 running back in the nation for the class of 2020 by the 247Sports Composite rankings. Bowman rushed for 5,081 yards in his high school career while averaging more than 11 yards per carry. He also ran track at Lakeland High, with his fastest time in the 100 meter being 10.41 seconds.
“Any time you run track and you run a 10.4 you know you have speed. Also, he’s a Florida boy. Come on, now. Florida connection,” said Spiller, who is also a Florida native. “The biggest thing is just getting into that playbook and trying to learn as much as possible, learn the protections and all that stuff. But I’m pretty sure he’s going to be a very unique talent when it’s all said and done.”
Pace was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of Cedartown High in Cedartown, Georgia. He rushed for 1,471 yards as a senior while averaging 7 yards per carry. Even though Pace wasn’t highly rated coming out of high school, Clemson running backs coach and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott believes he will prove that he’s more than a three-star talent.
“He’s a big guy, but he’s very, very smooth. That’s probably why he gets some of the comparisons to a James Davis. Very, very soft hands,” Elliott said. “For a big guy, he’s not your typical big guy. He’s very light on his feet, has the ability to make all of the cuts.”
It is unlikely that Bowman and Pace will be a big part of Clemson’s offense this fall with two-time ACC Player of the Year Travis Etienne back for his senior season.
Etienne, Clemson’s all-time leading rusher, will get the majority of the carries as long as he stays healthy, and there are plenty of other backs battling for carries, including Lyn-J Dixon, Darien Rencher, Chez Mellusi and Michel Dukes.
But when Bowman and Pace do get their opportunities, Etienne expects them to impress.
“Demarkcus and Kobe, they are both great running backs. They’re just two all-around great guys and great backs,” Etienne said. “It’s up to them to determine their future because they can go as far as they want to.”
