Will UL’s running back committee reconvene?

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, March 15, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Louisville Cardinals
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A camel, someone once said, is a horse designed by committee.

Committees, in general, don't have a very good name. But when All-American running back Michael Bush broke his leg in the first game of the 2006 season, it was a committee that then-University of Louisville coach Bobby Petrino turned to.

And this committee, unlike a lot of others, rose to the occasion. If Kolby Smith, George Stripling and Anthony Allen had been one person, he (they) would have rushed for over 1,500 yards and scored 25 touchdowns -- Heisman numbers, for sure.

Instead, they split the job quite nicely. Smith, now gone, had the most carries (154) and the most yardage (862). Stripling had the best average per carry (5.7 yards), and Allen had the most touchdowns (13).

This wasn't Petrino's plan going in, of course. In Bush, he had one of the top five backs in the country, a 260-pounder so dominant at the position that his backups hadn't really established a pecking order.

Now, Steve Kragthorpe is the man in charge, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to push one of the two remaining committee members to the forefront when the Cardinals begin spring drills March 30.

Actually, Allen and Stripling could both play. Allen, a 6-foot-1, 232-pounder, is a Bush type, capable of playing fullback and being a force in the red zone. Stripling is no scatback at 6-0, 192, but he's more about mobility in the open field. So it's not inconceivable that the pair could be in the backfield together at times.

Given Kragthorpe's love of the passing game, another factor in who gets the most playing time next season might be who shows the most skill catching passes out of the backfield this spring. Stripling led Allen in that department in 2006, 13 catches to four. Each caught a touchdown pass.

Complicating matters, however, is the fact that two of the top members of a light UL recruiting class happen to be the best two running backs in Louisville -- and, in Kentucky. Doug Beaumont rushed for 1,169 yards and scored 24 touchdowns for Male High School, Victor Anderson produced similar numbers for St. Xavier. Then there's Dale Martin out of Bolingbroke, Ill., an All-Stater with over 3,000 career rushing yards.

True, Beaumont and Anderson are a bit light at 175 and 180 pounds, respectively, but they've yet to gain the benefits of a college weight room and training table. Beaumont, Mr. Football in Kentucky, was also recruited by Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame and South Carolina.

Could this committee take on some junior partners?

Original college football insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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