Last year: Hester, Williams, Scott, Murphy. This year: Scott, Williams, Murphy. Simply put: The backfield is less crowded. Plus we have two new QB's, so I feel safe in saying that we'll be running more this year than last. I still feel that Les won't hesitate to go with the hot hand, though. If Scott starts and gets stuffed then Williams comes in and starts gashing the defense, Williams will probably end up with 15-20 carries by the end of the game.
I hate to keep baggin' on KW....but I'm gonna. I just watched the game for the third time. KW looked hesitant to deliver a hit. Half the time, he went down standing straight up and being thrown sideways or backwards. Scott never did that. Even Murph lowered the boom once or twice, and Ridley to me looks like the next Jacob Hester-style back. I see what you're getting at with fewer backs. I'm just not convinced yet. I think KW's saving grace in the end may be that the OL - particularly the left side - is brutal and eventually he will get a hole like CS had on the first offensive play. If that had been KW, there's a better chance he takes it to the house. If it had been Murph, I think it's six.
The thing that I don't like about KW is that he has what I call the "Reggie Bush Syndrome" where he rushes up the line and then jumps back and dances around...waiting for a hole to open up in front of him. CS would see the hole opening before it opened and then initiate the contact where the hole would be instead of rushing up and dancing around. Scott is the guy. Even so, I'm in agreement with whoever said KW and Murph would get more carries this year as the playbook opens up and we have more plays on the edges. Scott is our Hester. KW is still KW.
Scott looked great and hit the holes hard and fast. That gives the secondary and LB's less time to pursue and react. I like that a lot about him. I believe there is a chink in his armor though. Hopefully I'm proven wrong, but he runs too upright to get those 3rd and short yards, which may also open him up to fumbles. But he isn't careless with the ball and he seems to really cover it at impact. I think we will miss Hester on short yardage situations. But there are few RB's that can get those short yards like Hester. He leaned forward when he ran and got his shoulders lower than anybody and would always fall forward 3 yds. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Scott get lots of touches. I like spreading the carries to these guys. KW needs to learn to hit the holes hard. He has so much speed that if he hit those holes wide open he would do some damage.
Definitely think Scott belongs in the Heisman discussion, although it will be tough to beat out the QBs.
At the very least, he'll be a post-season all-american. It'd be great if he beats out Moreno and Foster for it and then laughs at the preseason pinheads that put those guys on their pedestals.
