SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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RUNNING BACKS
Then:
Sean Tucker is the team’s big star. He’s the best running back we’ve had since at least Walter Reyes two decades ago and maybe since Joe Morris four decades ago. Or even Little and Csonka six decades ago. Here is a list of Syracuse running backs who have averaged 100 yards per game in a season:
124.7 Joe Morris 1979 and Sean Tucker 2021
123.3 Jim Brown 1956
112.7 Larry Csonka 1967
112.3 Walter Reyes 2003
108.5 Joe Morris 1981
106.5 Floyd Little 1965
101.2 Larry Csonka 1966
100.1 Joe Morris 1978
Sean’s 1,496 yards broke Joe’s SU single season rushing record of 1,372 yards in 1979. His 6.1 yards per carry were the most for an SU rushing leader since Ernie Davis averaged 7.8 in 1960. He had a dozen rushing touchdowns, which was actually second on the team to Garrett Shrader’s 14, (the fake to the running back and walk-in by the quarterback was a very effective play for us last year). Reyes still holds the record there with 20, (including an incredible 5 vs. Notre Dame). Sean also caught 20 passes for 255 yards and more scores. The NFL likes backs who can catch passes and Sean can. He’s got good size, (5-10 205), great speed, (a hand-timed 4.29 in the 40 in high school and he ran track here last spring, trying to get even faster). He sees the whole field. Coach Babers, who was a running back in the old days at Hawaii, likes to line up behind the play in practice and, after the play, point out to the back what holes he missed. He recently said that last year, he could always point out something that Sean had missed. In practice this year, Sean is pointing out what Dino missed.
He’s a threat to go all the way any time he gets the ball and Babers and Anae will make sure he gets the ball as much as possible. He’s a quiet leader and has been loyal. Under the current rules he could have decided to see how much he could have gained running behind Clemson’s line but he’s still here. It’s assumed he’ll move onto the pros after this season but we’ll see. There’s no ‘downside’ with Sean but there are two concerns: injury, (he missed a couple games as a freshmen and running backs always have people diving at their legs), and the difficulty of a great running back carrying a team in this era. Jim Brown led Syracuse to a 7-2 record in 1956, losing the Cotton Bowl to Texas Christian by a single point. Sean had a similar season last year and we wound up 5-7.
Now:
Sean, on the surface had a disappointing season, at least based on the standards of his sophomore year. But he still had a very productive year: 1,060 years rushing on 206 carries (5.1) for 11TDs and 36 catches for 254 yards (7.1) and 2 scores. The team improved to a 7-5 record and went to a bowl game but Sean’s loyalty didn’t extend to playing in it as he had already decided to declare for the draft, (nobody blamed him). The explosive “I-can-score-from-anywhere” runs were absent, largely because the defenses were geared to prevent them. Typically, Sean might get to a hole but then be swarmed over by a second line of defenders. Shrader’s improved passing game did not result making the defense more honest: they still viewed Tucker as the primary threat and wouldn’t give him an opening, which made the yards he did gain all the more remarkable, although they were padded by his 23c/232y/3td performance in one half against “Why-did-we-even-schedule-them?” Wagner, who asked for 10 minute quarters in the second half.
Many people felt that Sean must have been hurt. He had to be helped off the field three different times during the year but came back each time and was still productive, so I’m not sure if he had a debilitating injury. Coach Anae used him as a pass receiver more, trying to find a way for him to get around the defense but he never had a long pass and run. Still, the pros will want him to both run and catch passes, so it probably helped him get to the next level to prove he could do that. The lack of the two-man-game between Tucker and Shrader running the ball on the zone read limited them both from being able to run the ball as they did the previous year. In the pros, Sean will just be a ‘piece’ to put around the quarterback, who is the focus of the defense in any NFL game. Sean may thrive again when the defense isn’t so geared to stop him. The question is: how can we replace Sean?
Then:
Juwaun Price came here from New Mexico State where, as a redshirt freshman last year he carried the ball 135 times for 692 yards (5.1) and 10 touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 181 yards, (7.0), and returned 20 kicks for 358 yards (17.9). 247 rated him 2 stars and the #172 running back. He’s about the same size as Tucker (5-10 202) and has some speed, elusiveness and the ability to catch the ball. His former roommate at NMS, Jason Simmons, transferred here last year and is a defensive back. Nunes: “The addition of Price might give Tucker a break every few possessions. Price is most likely the No. 2 running back on the depth chart and given his numbers at New Mexico State, he’ll probably get some valuable playing time.” Price played well in the spring game, running for 64 yards on just 6 carries. He’s athletic and quick and should be a good back-up for Tucker.
The other new face is LeQuint Allen, a freshman out of New Jersey rated by 247 at #913/69. He’s got good size at 6-0 195. He enrolled in January and played in the spring game, running 41 yards for a touchdown. He was coming off a senior season where he ran for 1,903 yards on 229 carries (8.3 avg.) and 26 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He was also a standout DB. Nunes: “I expect a redshirt season. Even with his raw speed, the RB room is pretty crowded, and Allen could use the time to continue to bulk up and prepare for a serious positional competition next year. His best bet to see the field would be very late in the Wagner game.” I find that an amazing statement. We’ve got three scholarship running backs and he’s one of them.
Now:
I don’t know what roster Nunes was looking at about Allen and Price were the only guys behind Tucker, which made me nervous all season. Fortunately Sean was a workhorse and Allen a revelation and Price hardly played. Allen was a freshman and Price still a sophomore. The people behind them were all walk-ons.
Allen put up Tucker like numbers when given a shot to show what he could do: 41 carries for 274 yards (6.7) and one score with 17r 117 (6.9) and another score. On his longest run, he didn’t score, (90 yards -Wagner, again). He averaged 4.6 on his other carries. He performed well against Minnesota, who was supposed to be a strong defensive team, in the bowl game: 94 yards on 15 carries and 11 catches for 60 yards. But he didn’t score, (and we could have used one). Still, it looked like the position was in good hands, even if Sean Tuckers don’t suit up for you every year. The issue will be depth. So far we’ve got one recruit listed as an ‘RB’: a 3-star named Ike Daniels, (but then all our recruits are labelled 3 stars – because they went to Syracuse, not Penn State, Notre Dame or Clemson). We like Ike but I think we need more than him. Sean Tucker was 5th string when he came here.
Then:
Chris Elmore has played fullback, (where he is listed), tight end, offensive and defensive line but his position is basically ‘lead blocker’. 247 had him way back then as #1,390/#88 but as a defensive lineman. Chris has been here since 2017 and carried the ball 28 times, (23 in that first year) for 65 yards and three scores and caught 3 passes for 21 yards with no TDs. He’s all football player and a popular, inspiration guy but the numbers he helps to provide are mostly on the record of the people running behind him.
Now: Oops. Chris tore his ACL in the first quarter of the first game and that ended his career here. We never effectively replaced him, or even came close and Sean Tucker sure missed him.
Then:
Matthew Bergeron has arguably been our best offensive lineman since he came here. He was thrust into the starting line-up midway through his true freshman season, when he helped to stabilize what had been a mess of a line. He’s now taking a leadership role, mentoring the young linemen. I remember when Doug Marrone came here, the old All-East tackle made sure we have a good offensive line and we always had 2-3 stalwarts from the previous years line to help coach up the new guys and Bergeron is that type of guy. (That era ended when Scott Shafer’s offensive lines got wiped out by injuries).
Now:
Yes, he was. Now he’s going to be a high pro draft choice and have a long career there. Who is ready to replace him?
Then:
Carlos Vettorello was pressed into starting as a freshman at tackle and has alternated between tackle and center since. He’s the subject of most of the debates about the make up at line. As a freshman he was a disaster at tackle but things improved when he moved to center, (and Servais replaced him at tackle). Last year, he started two games at center and, according to some, was being “blown off the ball”. He switched back to tackle and our offense began to pick up, (this was also when Garrett Shrader took over from DeVito). I don’t know where he’ll play but he’s done a lot of growing up and is now a veteran. He’s played in 31 games and started 28. He was injured in the Virginia Tech game last year and didn’t return. Our offense faltered after that but that also may have had more to do with Shrader and his weak passing than Carlos’ absence.
Now:
If someone jumped offside on 3rd or 4th and 1, you knew it was Carlos.
Then:
Kalan Ellis is a recruit from Coach Babers’ home state, Hawaii and the state lost a lot of poundage when he left. His potential is enormous and so is his body, maybe too enormous. He played at 365 pounds last year and was reported to be up to 388 in the spring. Now he’s down to 375. I suspect Babers has another number in mind for him. Watching him last year, most of it seemed to be in his lower body, so he should be hard to move. But it’s his job to move out others. Nunes: “Last year we mentioned he may redshirt. This year, he’s vying for a starting nod or a major contributor at a minimum. He’s bulked up another 23 pounds, which one would hope is from the weight room, not the cafeteria.”
Now:
He played as if it was the cafeteria.
Then:
Enrique Cruz was a highly recruited freshman last year who didn’t play in any games but who Matthew Bergeron has taken under his wing. 247 had him at #528/45 as a tackle, so a lot is expected of him. Nunes: “An athlete, Cruz brings a highly touted big body to another year of collegiate level weight training. He’s likely on the two-deep somewhere and could be a big portion of the depth Mike Schmidt is trying to build. A former four sport guy, playing basketball and wrestling in high school as well as track (shotput), he’s got the tools to make an impact.” Bergeron: “(He) has lots of talent,” and added, “I think he’s definitely going to be an NFL type dude down the stretch.”
Now:
Cruz got some chances at the end of the year and showed great promise. Maybe he will be the new anchor for the line in the way Bergeron was. And our own Finemess tailgate group is helping him realize his dreams! Fine Mess NIL Collective: How You Can Help
Then:
Sean Tucker is the team’s big star. He’s the best running back we’ve had since at least Walter Reyes two decades ago and maybe since Joe Morris four decades ago. Or even Little and Csonka six decades ago. Here is a list of Syracuse running backs who have averaged 100 yards per game in a season:
124.7 Joe Morris 1979 and Sean Tucker 2021
123.3 Jim Brown 1956
112.7 Larry Csonka 1967
112.3 Walter Reyes 2003
108.5 Joe Morris 1981
106.5 Floyd Little 1965
101.2 Larry Csonka 1966
100.1 Joe Morris 1978
Sean’s 1,496 yards broke Joe’s SU single season rushing record of 1,372 yards in 1979. His 6.1 yards per carry were the most for an SU rushing leader since Ernie Davis averaged 7.8 in 1960. He had a dozen rushing touchdowns, which was actually second on the team to Garrett Shrader’s 14, (the fake to the running back and walk-in by the quarterback was a very effective play for us last year). Reyes still holds the record there with 20, (including an incredible 5 vs. Notre Dame). Sean also caught 20 passes for 255 yards and more scores. The NFL likes backs who can catch passes and Sean can. He’s got good size, (5-10 205), great speed, (a hand-timed 4.29 in the 40 in high school and he ran track here last spring, trying to get even faster). He sees the whole field. Coach Babers, who was a running back in the old days at Hawaii, likes to line up behind the play in practice and, after the play, point out to the back what holes he missed. He recently said that last year, he could always point out something that Sean had missed. In practice this year, Sean is pointing out what Dino missed.
He’s a threat to go all the way any time he gets the ball and Babers and Anae will make sure he gets the ball as much as possible. He’s a quiet leader and has been loyal. Under the current rules he could have decided to see how much he could have gained running behind Clemson’s line but he’s still here. It’s assumed he’ll move onto the pros after this season but we’ll see. There’s no ‘downside’ with Sean but there are two concerns: injury, (he missed a couple games as a freshmen and running backs always have people diving at their legs), and the difficulty of a great running back carrying a team in this era. Jim Brown led Syracuse to a 7-2 record in 1956, losing the Cotton Bowl to Texas Christian by a single point. Sean had a similar season last year and we wound up 5-7.
Now:
Sean, on the surface had a disappointing season, at least based on the standards of his sophomore year. But he still had a very productive year: 1,060 years rushing on 206 carries (5.1) for 11TDs and 36 catches for 254 yards (7.1) and 2 scores. The team improved to a 7-5 record and went to a bowl game but Sean’s loyalty didn’t extend to playing in it as he had already decided to declare for the draft, (nobody blamed him). The explosive “I-can-score-from-anywhere” runs were absent, largely because the defenses were geared to prevent them. Typically, Sean might get to a hole but then be swarmed over by a second line of defenders. Shrader’s improved passing game did not result making the defense more honest: they still viewed Tucker as the primary threat and wouldn’t give him an opening, which made the yards he did gain all the more remarkable, although they were padded by his 23c/232y/3td performance in one half against “Why-did-we-even-schedule-them?” Wagner, who asked for 10 minute quarters in the second half.
Many people felt that Sean must have been hurt. He had to be helped off the field three different times during the year but came back each time and was still productive, so I’m not sure if he had a debilitating injury. Coach Anae used him as a pass receiver more, trying to find a way for him to get around the defense but he never had a long pass and run. Still, the pros will want him to both run and catch passes, so it probably helped him get to the next level to prove he could do that. The lack of the two-man-game between Tucker and Shrader running the ball on the zone read limited them both from being able to run the ball as they did the previous year. In the pros, Sean will just be a ‘piece’ to put around the quarterback, who is the focus of the defense in any NFL game. Sean may thrive again when the defense isn’t so geared to stop him. The question is: how can we replace Sean?
Then:
Juwaun Price came here from New Mexico State where, as a redshirt freshman last year he carried the ball 135 times for 692 yards (5.1) and 10 touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 181 yards, (7.0), and returned 20 kicks for 358 yards (17.9). 247 rated him 2 stars and the #172 running back. He’s about the same size as Tucker (5-10 202) and has some speed, elusiveness and the ability to catch the ball. His former roommate at NMS, Jason Simmons, transferred here last year and is a defensive back. Nunes: “The addition of Price might give Tucker a break every few possessions. Price is most likely the No. 2 running back on the depth chart and given his numbers at New Mexico State, he’ll probably get some valuable playing time.” Price played well in the spring game, running for 64 yards on just 6 carries. He’s athletic and quick and should be a good back-up for Tucker.
The other new face is LeQuint Allen, a freshman out of New Jersey rated by 247 at #913/69. He’s got good size at 6-0 195. He enrolled in January and played in the spring game, running 41 yards for a touchdown. He was coming off a senior season where he ran for 1,903 yards on 229 carries (8.3 avg.) and 26 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He was also a standout DB. Nunes: “I expect a redshirt season. Even with his raw speed, the RB room is pretty crowded, and Allen could use the time to continue to bulk up and prepare for a serious positional competition next year. His best bet to see the field would be very late in the Wagner game.” I find that an amazing statement. We’ve got three scholarship running backs and he’s one of them.
Now:
I don’t know what roster Nunes was looking at about Allen and Price were the only guys behind Tucker, which made me nervous all season. Fortunately Sean was a workhorse and Allen a revelation and Price hardly played. Allen was a freshman and Price still a sophomore. The people behind them were all walk-ons.
Allen put up Tucker like numbers when given a shot to show what he could do: 41 carries for 274 yards (6.7) and one score with 17r 117 (6.9) and another score. On his longest run, he didn’t score, (90 yards -Wagner, again). He averaged 4.6 on his other carries. He performed well against Minnesota, who was supposed to be a strong defensive team, in the bowl game: 94 yards on 15 carries and 11 catches for 60 yards. But he didn’t score, (and we could have used one). Still, it looked like the position was in good hands, even if Sean Tuckers don’t suit up for you every year. The issue will be depth. So far we’ve got one recruit listed as an ‘RB’: a 3-star named Ike Daniels, (but then all our recruits are labelled 3 stars – because they went to Syracuse, not Penn State, Notre Dame or Clemson). We like Ike but I think we need more than him. Sean Tucker was 5th string when he came here.
Then:
Chris Elmore has played fullback, (where he is listed), tight end, offensive and defensive line but his position is basically ‘lead blocker’. 247 had him way back then as #1,390/#88 but as a defensive lineman. Chris has been here since 2017 and carried the ball 28 times, (23 in that first year) for 65 yards and three scores and caught 3 passes for 21 yards with no TDs. He’s all football player and a popular, inspiration guy but the numbers he helps to provide are mostly on the record of the people running behind him.
Now: Oops. Chris tore his ACL in the first quarter of the first game and that ended his career here. We never effectively replaced him, or even came close and Sean Tucker sure missed him.
Then:
Matthew Bergeron has arguably been our best offensive lineman since he came here. He was thrust into the starting line-up midway through his true freshman season, when he helped to stabilize what had been a mess of a line. He’s now taking a leadership role, mentoring the young linemen. I remember when Doug Marrone came here, the old All-East tackle made sure we have a good offensive line and we always had 2-3 stalwarts from the previous years line to help coach up the new guys and Bergeron is that type of guy. (That era ended when Scott Shafer’s offensive lines got wiped out by injuries).
Now:
Yes, he was. Now he’s going to be a high pro draft choice and have a long career there. Who is ready to replace him?
Then:
Carlos Vettorello was pressed into starting as a freshman at tackle and has alternated between tackle and center since. He’s the subject of most of the debates about the make up at line. As a freshman he was a disaster at tackle but things improved when he moved to center, (and Servais replaced him at tackle). Last year, he started two games at center and, according to some, was being “blown off the ball”. He switched back to tackle and our offense began to pick up, (this was also when Garrett Shrader took over from DeVito). I don’t know where he’ll play but he’s done a lot of growing up and is now a veteran. He’s played in 31 games and started 28. He was injured in the Virginia Tech game last year and didn’t return. Our offense faltered after that but that also may have had more to do with Shrader and his weak passing than Carlos’ absence.
Now:
If someone jumped offside on 3rd or 4th and 1, you knew it was Carlos.
Then:
Kalan Ellis is a recruit from Coach Babers’ home state, Hawaii and the state lost a lot of poundage when he left. His potential is enormous and so is his body, maybe too enormous. He played at 365 pounds last year and was reported to be up to 388 in the spring. Now he’s down to 375. I suspect Babers has another number in mind for him. Watching him last year, most of it seemed to be in his lower body, so he should be hard to move. But it’s his job to move out others. Nunes: “Last year we mentioned he may redshirt. This year, he’s vying for a starting nod or a major contributor at a minimum. He’s bulked up another 23 pounds, which one would hope is from the weight room, not the cafeteria.”
Now:
He played as if it was the cafeteria.
Then:
Enrique Cruz was a highly recruited freshman last year who didn’t play in any games but who Matthew Bergeron has taken under his wing. 247 had him at #528/45 as a tackle, so a lot is expected of him. Nunes: “An athlete, Cruz brings a highly touted big body to another year of collegiate level weight training. He’s likely on the two-deep somewhere and could be a big portion of the depth Mike Schmidt is trying to build. A former four sport guy, playing basketball and wrestling in high school as well as track (shotput), he’s got the tools to make an impact.” Bergeron: “(He) has lots of talent,” and added, “I think he’s definitely going to be an NFL type dude down the stretch.”
Now:
Cruz got some chances at the end of the year and showed great promise. Maybe he will be the new anchor for the line in the way Bergeron was. And our own Finemess tailgate group is helping him realize his dreams! Fine Mess NIL Collective: How You Can Help
