He’s emerged as USC’s backup running back. How he keeps an ‘attacking mindset’
Through five games, the talk of South Carolina football’s backfield has been sophomore Kevin Harris, and for good reason. The burly 5-foot-10 tailback has been a revelation for the Gamecocks early this year, ranking second in the SEC in rushing yards and touchdowns and taking control of the starting job.
Behind Harris, though, redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick has also carved out a solid role for himself — as the team’s clear backup.
In five games, Fenwick has already established new career highs in carries (36) and yards (208), with his average of 5.78 yards per attempt ranking fourth in the SEC. And after not catching a single pass in seven games through his first two seasons, he’s also had 11 receptions for 88 yards already this year, both top-six marks on the team.
All told, Fenwick currently ranks third on the team in all-purpose yards behind Harris and senior wide receiver Shi Smith.
Still, his workload has been far lighter than Harris’ — and at a position where a month ago, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was suggesting a committee approach might be necessary. But for a guy who admitted early on that he struggled with immaturity, the adjustment to the new role hasn’t been that big, Fenwick said.
“It’s kind of the same approach, go with the mindset to try to score the ball or whatever the situation may be, get the first down,” Fenwick said. “Just the same attacking mindset, you know, just run the football, give me the ball, all that stuff, catch the ball, run physical.”
For Bobo and coach Will Muschamp, the adjustment between Harris and Fenwick on the field has been pretty minimal as well.
“I do think both runners are similar, from the standpoint of the way they are running right now,” Muschamp said. “I mean they’re getting behind their pads, they’re very difficult guys, they’re creating a lot of yards after contact. They’re running through contact very well. So right now, I mean I think our staff feels very comfortable with where they are.”
Fenwick also said he didn’t see a ton of differences between himself and Harris.
“I believe we’re similar in many ways,” he said. “We both run physical, both can catch balls out of the backfield. And we feel like we can both make guys miss out of the backfield. So we’re similar but, I mean, when you watch the film, the tape it’s a little different, you know, just because of the size that we are. I wouldn’t say he’s a smaller back but he’s a little shorter versus me being a lot taller so it’s a little different.”
The biggest difference in the ground game’s success so far may be Bobo’s system — Fenwick noted during the preseason that the new OC gives his running backs lots of work, in rushing, pass-catching and blocking. Now four weeks into the season, Fenwick said he and Harris are well-settled in that system.
“We’ve been practicing for so long, we’ve been running these plays. It’s nothing new for us,” Fenwick said. “We might go out there and line up different, but I mean, we’ve had these new blocking schemes in for a while and I think me and Kevin are starting to get really comfortable running this stuff, you know, starting to understand ... gap responsibility for the defense. And I’m starting to understand that and I’m starting to understand double teams and make plays.”
