360 rushing yards. Georgia’s Nick Chubb and LSU’s Leonard Fournette combined to heavily bruise the opposition in Week 1, turning in impressive performances against North Carolina (222 yards) and Wisconsin (138 yards), respectively. While the cards are aligned for both to weave together boastful numbers in 2016, which SEC tailback will possess a royal flush at season’s end? Let’s examine.
Beginning with Chubb, one would assume that the junior compiled a jaw-dropping stat line due to a few long runs. Yet, instead, he wore down the Tar Heels’ defense, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. His vision played a huge role in his success, too.
Take a look one his brilliant runs from over the weekend via Campus Insiders (:15 seconds). At first, Chubb was stuffed at the line of scrimmage but then saw a gaping hole towards the left side. Even though the Bulldogs failed to produce points on the drive, missing a 42-yard field goal, his ability to identify an opening within seconds creates some separation between him and Fournette in that area.
https://youtu.be/J-56LKVz1TU
Considering the 5-10, 228-pounder underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee last October, his rapid recovery is fairly remarkable. Back in April, head coach Kirby Smart was hesitant to say when he’d return to the field. On his 55-yard touchdown gallop (:29 seconds), though, Chubb showed off his fresh leg, blowing by a few would-be tacklers. Hence, his speed remains an underrated asset.
Prior to the injury a campaign ago, Chubb accumulated 747 yards (8.1 YPC) and seven touchdowns in five games. Plus, he was on pace to finish with 1,937 yards, just 16 yards less than Fournette.
Beyond Greg Pyke and Brandon Kublanow, Georgia’s offensive line is questionable, but the extremely patient running back negates most of those concerns. Additionally, no in-conference foe on the Bulldogs’ schedule finished with a top-20 rushing defense in 2015, proving that Chubb will continue to dominate.
Shifting towards Fournette, even in the 16-14 loss to the Badgers, the New Orleans, La. product manufactured 176 all-purpose yards (6.0 YPC) versus a well-oiled front-seven. Although the group lost a few members up front, Wisconsin’s still retained much of its core that ranked No. 4 among FBS schools in rushing defense last season.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound machine utilized what many defenses fail to exhibit versus Fournette: physicality. Rather than elude the opposition, he smashed through the Badgers’ defense, evident on this 19-yard scamper. Moreover, he started and finished the run by displaying his quickness.
https://vine.co/v/5i9T6d65Bpb
On top of that, he demonstrates his speed and size through the passing game. Bursting out of the backfield, Fournette essentially represents a hefty receiver, and very few linebackers can stay stride-for-stride with a weapon like that.
And then LF gets involved. /blinks pic.twitter.com/s9edqQBby8
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) September 3, 2016
Unfortunately, the Tigers’ faithful received a scare when Fournette went down on their final drive, walking gingerly off the field. Still, head coach Les Miles stated he would’ve returned if LSU collected another possession.
In 2015, Fournette posted the third-highest rushing total in Division I (1,953 yards), behind only Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. With another offseason to improve his vision in the open field, he should reach at least 2,000 yards on the ground, along with building off his 253 yards through the air from ’15.
Nonetheless, his kryptonite appears on the schedule once again. In the previous campaign, Fournette rushed for just 31 yards on 19 carries (1.6 YPC) against a stout Alabama defense. The game didn’t resemble a massive blemish on his final stats, yet he’ll need to improve upon those numbers versus a front-seven, loaded with NFL prospects once again, such as linebackers Tim Williams, Reuben Foster and defensive end Jonathan Allen.
Overall, neither running back owns a glaring weakness. However, unlike Adrian Peterson, who Fournette tends to be compared to, he often commits to one gap too soon, leaving extra yards on the field. Therefore, in the toughest decision known to mankind, Chubb’s composure awards him with the forecast of a superior campaign.
