UC Running Back Depth Opens Doors

Yes we are only one game into the season, but this group of running backs gives the Bearcats two major attributes that they just did not have last year. The first and most obvious one is depth. Last year, the injury bug left the team with Rod Moore and Mike Boone who did an absolutely admirable job in giving new life to the Bearcats. This year, however, Cincinnati has that depth along with the second major advantage: change of pace.

Like I said, Moore and Boone did a fantastic job, but both were relatively small, fast, and shifty running backs. Overall, the defenses did not have to adjust to a different running style during a game. It is a much different situation now. Mike Boone clearly showed that he is still the shifty dynamic back with some added muscle. Although I was worried about how big Tion Green had gotten, he showed that he spares no expense when trucking people. He still has some wheels though (17 carries for 127 yards last week). Hosey Williams seems to provide a combination of the two. While not as shifty as Boone or as strong as Green, he still provides a more balanced attack.

Speaking of balanced attacks, these three guys will provide just that for the Bearcats this season. Hopefully, Gunner won’t have to throw the ball forty-five times to squeak out a win. I would love to see us just run it down someone’s throats for sixty minutes and physically drain another team. The best example of this type of team would be when Stanford had Andrew Luck. I understand that we are not that Stanford team nor is Gunner Kiel Andrew Luck, but that team had a great system. They were a run-first team with a great offensive line and an exceptional quarterback which provided great balance and flexibility. We can be that type of team this year.