Auburn OC: Multiple 1,000-yard rushers is ‘realistic’

One of the first questions that Auburn offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham fielded from a crowd of AU fans was about who the most improved player was of the running backs and wide receivers.

There was little hesitation from Dillingham, standing behind a podium at Eagle Ranch just outside Atlanta. He said it was JaTarvious Whitlow.

Keep in mind that Dillingham only started on the job in December, and the improvement question related to the offseason and spring practices. And Whitlow was already pretty good last season to begin with.

Last season, Whitlow was the go-to guy among a host of go-to players. Four players carried for at least 236 yards, and no one carried for more than 827 yards — which was Whitlow.

So the question is, with a new OC, and a new running backs coach in Cadillac Williams, will Auburn look for one guy? Or will it stick with using a host of running backs?

“I think when you’re a team that wants to be able to run the ball, throw vertical play-action, you’re going to have to have multiple ‘backs and your’e going to have to have multiple ‘backs who can do various things,” Dillingham told reporters. “Because when you have different players who can line up on the same spot on the field, defenses have to play those players differently. The more people you can put in different spots, the more things defenses have to prepare for.”

It’s not a super clear-cut answer. Basically just that they could utilize different backs in different offensive situations and points in the game.

Head coach Gus Malzahn demoted the last running backs coach, Tim Horton, in all likelihood because he didn’t like the output from his running backs in last-year’s offense. The real question for Auburn is if they’ll rely on a workhorse.

At Memphis last season, the school where Dillingham was previously the OC, there were two 1,000-yard rushers. Darrell Henderson had an astounding 1,966 yards and, and Patrick Taylor Jr. had 1,189 yards. Auburn would sign up for that output any season.

But what might not translate over to AU from Memphis is the number of run plays. When asked what the run-pass ratio might be next season, Dillingham told fans that it would hopefully be 50-50 — and at Memphis there were 202 more running plays.

For Auburn, the competition this season will come down to Whitlow, Shaun Shivers and Kam Martin. In addition, WR Anthony Schwartz will get carries in certain offensive situations.

Whitlow is the proven up-and-comer. Shivers is the intriguing speedster, currently honing his skills on the track team. Martin is the elder statesman, a senior who’s greatest asset at this point might just be leadership.

In Dillingham’s eyes, though, all three could rush for 1,000 yards.

“Your goals should be to a point where it’s, good luck, people laugh at you,” Dillingham said. “Every year I would hope we would have multiple backs that my goal is to run for 1,000 yards and I would hope every ‘back on our roster that was his goal. And that’s not going to happen but hopefully for two of them it does. Three of them, who knows?”

Christopher Hanewinckel