Deep and Versatile -- Running Backs Aim to Play to Standard
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Christian Turner contemplates Indiana running back truth from a seat in Memorial Stadium’s Team Room.
The Wake Forest transfer has just wrapped up a practice in which the offense thrived and run-game potential once again surfaced.
Turner joins Jaylin Lucas and Josh Henderson atop the depth chart, although the order remains a work in progress.
“In this offense, the best players will play,” Turner says. “However we get to that, the best players will be out there.”
Running backs coach Craig Johnson will determine who is best. His approach to playing time -- honed from 39 coaching seasons, 21 at the college level -- is simple.
“Do what you do and do it well,” he says. “Trust your preparation and fundamentals, and play hard for as long as you can.”
Fumbles will get you benched. So will lack of awareness.
“If you want to get in Coach Johnson’s doghouse,” Johnson says, “act like you don’t know what you’re doing. That won’t make me very happy.”
Hoosier happiness starts with Lucas, who generates the most hype given his All-America freshman season, when he averaged 28.1 yards per kickoff return with two touchdowns (a long of 93 yards), rushed for 271 yards (a long of 71), and caught 16 passes for 82 more yards (a long of 25) in a limited role.
Limits are off this season.
“The early game jitters when he was a freshman was a lot for him,” Johnson says. “Now, he plays like a second-year player. He understands the game, the pace of the game, what he’s got to do.
“He works on his craft hard. Football is important to him. I like what I’ve seen, but I’m never in love with what I’ve seen. There’s always room to grow.”
Turner rushed for 1,022 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons at Wake Forest. He added 270 rushing yards in three years at Michigan.
In his first Hoosier season after three years at North Carolina, Henderson ran for 398 yards and four touchdowns, and caught 24 passes for 274 yards and four TDs.
The result -- a running back room well equipped to handle the versatile roles crucial to college success.
“We pull from each other things to use,” Turner says. “Each of us has his own style. We’ve made each other a more diverse (running backs) room.
“We don’t have many guys who come near to Jaylin’s speed. He’s super fast. Josh is in between the tackles. He’s hard to take down. I’m more of a balanced back.”
IU’s running back skill and depth provide offensive coordinator Walt Bell with intriguing options. One to three backs could play at the same time.
“We’ll determine who, how, what, when,” Johnson says as far as a rotation.
Johnson wants all his backs preparing as if they were No. 1.
“You’d better be ready like a starter,” he says. “You don’t get do overs.
“Don’t tell me I need to warm up. Don’t tell me I need to get the feel of the game. You’re talking to the wrong coach.”
Johnson wants backs who play to their skill sets, who push but don’t press.
“Don’t try to make highlight plays,” he says. “Do what you do, do it well, do it consistently. Be a physical player who can give us tough runs. The explosive runs will come. Pass protect. Block your guy. Catch the ball.”
It’s a message he delivered to NFL standouts such as Saquon Barkley and Chris Johnson during his 18 pro coaching seasons, as well as college backs.
“Think like a starter -- practice, study, prepare,” he says. “You only get one chance to impress the head coach.”
A better running game is crucial. Redshirt freshmen Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson remain locked in a quarterback battle in preparation for the Sept. 2 season-opening game against Ohio State. They each have completed only three college passes.
Johnson has seen the necessary running back play for much of August camp. He did not see it during last Saturday’s scrimmage. Turner sat it out.
“We were very sluggish,” Johnson says. “Our whole room was. We played at a high level though most of the preseason. I didn’t see a lot of that. I let them know.
“I’m blunt. If they play at a high level, I praise them. If they don’t, I tell them it’s not acceptable. I’m not there to be their friend. They were not happy when they walked out of that meeting (after the scrimmage). That’s the only time I’ve had to get after them. They responded. That’s what I look for.”
IU has a couple more weeks to get it right.
“His message was he was not satisfied with how we did,” Henderson says. “We hold each other to a high standard. None of us were satisfied. We know we can play better. He coaches us to be better than that. Being better moving forward was his message."