2009 Kentucky Football Positional Outlook: Running Backs

Entering the 2008 season, the perceived strength of the Kentucky offense was its running game.

Sure, they lost Rafael Little to the Tennessee Titans, but Derrick Locke had showed signs of brilliance during his freshman campaign and the team was also returning Tony Dixon and Alphonso Smith.

To be successful, Kentucky needed the ground game to step up because of its unproven air attack. That running game never really emerged.

The Wildcats went the entire season without a 100-yard rusher, the season-high being a 96-yard performance by Locke against Norfolk State.

At times, the best running threat was a true freshman wide receiver (Randall Cobb) who was forced to play quarterback simply because they couldn’t get the ball moving on the ground or through the air.

Then, just seven games into the season against Arkansas, Locke went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Will Kentucky be able to rely on a rehabbing Locke or the speedy Smith in 2009?

The Favorite: Alphonso Smith

Smith, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound redshirt senior out of Waggener High School, has fought through position battles and injuries throughout his career in Lexington. Now in his senior season, it looks as if he will be the feature back, at least early on.

Last season—despite dealing with nagging injuries—marked the first time he appeared in every game. He finished the season with 313 rushing yards and 204 receiving yards, while spending most of his time as a backup to Locke and Tony Dixon.

His 204 receiving yards were second on the team on only 16 catches. When he caught the ball out of the backfield, he averaged an impressive 12 yards a pop.

In his senior season, he has not only taken over the comedic duties of the departing Dicky Lyons Jr., but he is also showing a more mature, team-oriented side. He realizes that for the team to have success, he must be successful as well.

He has also realized the importance of teaching everything he has learned to the incoming backs, as Little and Dixon did.

Smith has always had the speed to be a dynamic back but his desire to initiate contact at the end of runs often leads him to the sideline. He realizes he needs to stay healthy and on the field, but will he be able to alter his running style to do so?

The Contender I: Derrick Locke

If not for the knee injury last season, Locke, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior, would probably be the feature back for the Cats and a 1,000-yard rushing season would be a possibility. Rafael Little is the only player to have a 1,000-yard season in Rich Brooks’ tenure, and he did it in 2005 and 2007.

After missing action in spring practice, he returned to workouts in early June and proclaimed he would be ready for the opener against Miami (OH) on Sept. 5. Despite this, expect the Kentucky coaching staff to be careful with Locke, as he is just now expected to start making cuts this week.

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