Auburn Football: 10 Reasons Why Michael Dyer Is Better Than Marcus Lattimore
Two years ago, the recruitment of the top three backs in the nation was taking an interesting turn. Auburn was at the top of the list for all three All-Star 5-star rated backs. Two of those backs were Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer.
Auburn ended the recruiting season signing only Dyer as Lattimore decided to stay in state and play for the Gamecocks. Lattimore took over the offense for the Gamecocks a year ago and changed the gameplan of one of the most pass-happy coaches in collegiate history, Steve Spurrier.
To be talented enough to change the face of and offense is worth every bit of praise that Lattimore receives but at the end of the day, Lattimore still takes a secondary role to Michael Dyer. Dyer may not have changed an offensive philosophy, but he too has changed the face of a program and has all the skills to be the best back in the SEC and possibly the country.
Looking around the corner to the beginning of the 2011 season, who will have the stronger sophomore campaign? Who will have the more impressive impact on the hearts and minds of the fans of South Eastern Conference football? Dyer will earn the edge and here are 10 reasons why his impact will be greater than Lattimore.
Yards per Carry
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Marcus Lattimore had one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in recent memory. Lattimore made and instant impact for the Gamecocks and filled out an offense that was lacking star power. Lattimore single-handily carried the weight early and often with his numerous touches.
Michael Dyer was eased into his role with the Auburn Tigers. One thing that inevitably helped his transition into a primary role was the talents of Cameron Newton. Newton possessed a unique ability to run, and this alleviated the need for a lot of called run plays.
With the ability of the Tigers to ease in Dyer, less carries early in the season set in place fresher legs and less wear and tear on the young freshman’s body. It also allowed Dyer to have some explosive games later in the season.
At the end of the season, there was a large disparity between attempts for these two backs, but there was only a 104-yard difference. Dyer was also able to average 1.2 yards more per carry. That doesn’t seem like a ton, but through the course of a season, that is approximately three more games worth of carries that Lattimore had than Dyer.
Initial Burst
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Explosion off the ball is a major factor in the success of a running back. Being able to hit the hole as fast and as hard as possible will eliminate short losses and arm tackles and will allow a back to make it into the second level faster than a defense expects.
Both Lattimore and Dyer are extremely explosive and strong backs, but Dyer has a quicker first step and seems much more explosive through the hole. Lattimore is a big body and can push a pile, but so can Dyer. Lattimore’s biggest area of concern was his intial burst out of high school and those struggles continued into his freshman year.
Dyer has a unique size as well which allows him to somewhat sneak into a hole behind his offensive line. The burst from the transition point however is a big advantage that Dyer possesses over Lattimore.
67 Less Carries
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As mentioned earlier, Lattimore carried the ball significantly more times than Dyer a year ago. Using the assumption that a feature back will carry the ball around 20 times a game, 67 carries would equal around three more full games.
Dyer will enter his sophomore year with less wear and tear on his body than Lattimore. Three games worth of carries doesn’t seem like a lot but the amount of weight and speed that these players collide with, it makes a huge difference.
The carries differential mixed in with only 100 yards worth of production difference also would suggest that Lattimore is working harder for his yards. A number of factors could play into the amount of carries and yards average but overall it means that Dyer is getting hit less and earning more yards. No matter how you cut that scenario it bodes well for Dyer.
Balance
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Dyer is a small back. Being smaller naturally sets his center of gravity lower than almost every player on the field. That allows Dyer to bounce around more and fit through tight spots. It also adds for a unique balance that most cannot compete with.
Lattimore made some incredible runs a year ago and has shown an ability to use his balance to make it through some tight and tough spots, but at the end of the day, he is still a long running back. At 6' even, he is four inches taller than Dyer.
Dyer can use his lower center of gravity to bounce through and around tackles where Lattimore could not. Lattimore has elite balance when compared to most backs in the country, but up against Dyer, there is no fair comparison as Dyer’s size leads to an inherent balance advantage.
Less “Feature” Responsibility
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Entering the 2011 season Auburn is without a doubt looking for leaders. Dyer is a player that will be looked upon as a leaning post in a lot of areas including the featured back role for the Tigers. Lattimore will be looked at as well for the same responsibility.
The difference between the two scenarios will again be touches. Being a feature back in the South Carolina offense is a great disparity to being a feature back for Auburn. For instance, the second-most productive back in the Carolina offense a year ago was Brian Maddox, and he earned 391 yards on the ground. In comparison, the second-most productive running back for the Tigers was Onterio McCalebb who finished the season with 810 rushing yards.
Auburn has more production from its secondary positions and will look to increase the role of “Wildcat” types and the slot receivers in the rushing game. Even with Dyer being listed as the primary and feature back, he will get a lot more breathers and relief week to week than Lattimore as Lattimore will be looked upon to carry the weight of the Gamecocks offense.
Pass Catching
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Dyer and Lattimore are two of the most talented running backs to play in the conference. Both have unique skills that set them apart, but the ability to catch a pass out of the backfield is where both exceed expectations.
Lattimore could easily line up at the slot receiver position and compete at any university in the country. Dyer would possibly be able to do the same, but from the backfield, both have shown excellent hands. This is not a category where Dyer will excel past Lattimore, and actually, it may be an edge that Lattimore has in the comparison.
At the end of the day however, both backs are excellent out of the backfield at catching the football. Both will give a defense fits in the future with short dump off catches and screens.
Less Blocking Wear and Tear
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Both Auburn and South Carolina will ask their backs to pass block in the backfield. South Carolina however institutes a more traditional backfield than Auburn. What that forces the Gamecocks to do is rely heavily on primary backs to pick up blitzes in the backfield.
Auburn has a fluid offense that will mix and match players to find mismatches not only in skill positions but also in blocking schemes. Yes, Michael Dyer will be asked to block, and he will pick up blitzes in his career. Lattimore however will have to do it a lot more often.
Running backs have to block, and it helps to build tenacity into a player. There also can be a limit to the amount of impact a body will take and the less impact the better when you already are getting struck upwards of 70 times in a ballgame already. The edge here goes to Dyer simply because of the lack of impact he will face over his four years compared to Lattimore.
Offensive Diversity
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Looking ahead to 2011, the future looks bright for both Michael Dyer and Marcus Lattimore. Dyer however will have more opportunity to find open space. Open space will lead to more yards and more production.
Lattimore finished last season with an impressive 17 touchdowns to Dyer’s five, but that was more due to Cameron Newton’s short yardage ability and Lattimore being the only short-yardage option for the Gamecocks. Look for the touchdown differential to tighten in 2011.
The offensive diversity that Auburn utilizes will also give more options to Dyer out of the backfield and allow for Auburn to get him away for the typical defensive key that could contain a back in a traditional offense. Auburn defended Lattimore extremely well a year ago while the Gamecocks struggled to slow down Dyer in both contests.
Top End Speed
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If a foot race would determine running back elitism, then there would be a much larger scope of elite running backs in college football. With that being said, there is something to be desired in a guy that can be a home run threat.
Lattimore has the ability to take it into the secondary and break away a long run, but there will be one or two players on an SEC defense that will be able to catch Lattimore despite his best breakaway efforts. Lattimore will make some runs last and will likely end his career with some long touchdowns, but day in and day out, he will never be considered a threat to breakaway.
Dyer has the ability to break out with ever carry. Not only is he explosive from the start but his small stature allows him to churn through some yards faster than most would expect. If he finds a seem in the defense, Dyer will leave the opposing team behind. It is not often that a back will need to be the fastest guy on the field, but when the time does come, Dyer leaves no questions to be asked.
Champion
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Of all the analysis that you can throw out at a head-to-head comparison, winning speaks louder than any other variable. Did Auburn win the national championship because of Michael Dyer? Of course not, but they wouldn’t have won it without his help.
Lattimore helped lead the Gamecocks to an Eastern Division Championship and to the SEC title game, but they simply couldn’t finish. No matter what gauge is being used, winning championships adds a level of credence to your performance.
Dyer is a champion at this point in his young career. Lattimore may eventually become a champion. No one knows what the future holds for these two competitors, but as it stands today, Dyer is a more complete back than Lattimore. All indications are that both of these guys will end up in the record books and comparing their talents is like splitting hairs at some points, but Dyer does take the edge.
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