Oregon Strategy Session: Blount Is Thunder, Who Will Be Lightning?

Since 2001, Oregon has thrived on the two running back system.  Back then, it was former NFL-er Onterrio Smith and current Detroit Lion Maurice Morris. They tore through the Pac-10, each rushing for more than 1,000 yards. 

In 2009, the Ducks have one proven star at running back in LaGarrette Blount, but the lightning to Blount’s thunder is still up for grabs since senior Jeremiah Johnson’s graduation. 

With Oregon’s offense being based on pace and running the ball, having a powerful star at the backup running back position takes a good team to the level of a great team.  There are a couple players poised to take the spot and run with it, literally.

Senior Andre Crenshaw has seen a large amount of action in his first three years for the Ducks, even spending some time at the quarterback position in 2007.  Crenshaw is a running back in the mold of Johnson. He is smaller than Blount, at 5’11” and 195 pounds, but in almost every other way seems like Johnson. 

His awareness and vision probably make him the early favorite to back up Blount, but it is yet to be seen if he has the playmaking ability that the Ducks are looking for.

In 2009, he will bring experience and a high football IQ to a backup role.

Redshirt freshman LaMichael James is the popular choice to get the backup role this fall.  The Texarkana, Texas, native had offseason shoulder surgery that kept him out of contact drills in the spring. 

James is similar to the aforementioned Onterrio Smith, whose lateral foot speed was exceedingly quick.  A three-star recruit in the 2008 class, James is also often compared to Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers. Similar size and speed, as well as the ability to break tackles, lends itself to these comparisons.

The shoulder is a big concern because of the beating that running backs take. James will get a large amount of carries early in the year, and if he makes the most of the carries, he could be Oregon’s premier running back of the future.

Remene Alston Jr. is a 5’8”, 200 pound junior out of Greensboro, N.C. He has seen limited action in his two years at Oregon, most coming in garbage time.

People around the program are not convinced that he has the zip to hit the tiny hole that closes in a split second. He is a talented back and will be in the mix for carries. 

Alston has the most to prove heading into the fall.

Based on all the information available to us, Crenshaw will get the secondary amount of carries, but expect James to get more and more as the year goes along. The Ducks have been lucky in recent years with their running backs staying healthy the majority of the time.

This will be one year where the Ducks cannot afford a major injury at the running back position, because after Alston, there isn’t much there. 

From Smith and Morris to Johnson and Jonathan Stewart, Duck fans have seen some of the best running backs to ever pass through Oregon in the last decade.  Let’s hope the Ducks offensive trends continue.

Check back next week for a look at the top reasons why Oregon will unseat USC as the Pac-10 Conference champion for the first time in eight years.