Be honest. When Auburn opened this season by running for 87 yards on 41 carries in its 19-13 loss at home to Clemson, did you think that the Tigers would eventually end up leading the SEC in rushing yards per game?
Well, that’s where they sit entering Saturday’s visit by Vanderbilt, rushing for nearly 40 yards more than Alabama has per game. And looking at the rest of its schedule, Auburn has a very good shot of staying No. 1 — at least until the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26.
The Tigers’ next order of business is vanquishing Vanderbilt, which is seventh in the SEC against the run, allowing nearly 158 rushing yards per game. The Commodores have surrendered at least 121 rushing yards in a game five times – and Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky and Kentucky all torched it for at least 205.
That’s a good sign for Auburn, which like Mark Stoops’ Wildcats team, boasts two outstanding running backs. Kerryon Johnson (116 carries, 580 yards, 8 TDs) has been a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, teammate Kamryn Pettway (148 carries, SEC-leading 933 yards, 7 TDs) has been the biggest revelation in the SEC.
As an H-back last season, Pettway didn’t carry the ball once. But behind him and Johnson, Auburn could carry an eight-game winning streak into its annual matchup with Alabama.
“You know I tell you, we did know after spring that he (Pettway) had a chance to be a good running back in this league,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said Wednesday at his weekly SEC teleconference. “It’s just a matter of getting out there and doing it, and the way that he’s responded, you get more and more confidence and more and more comfortable each week. He’s getting used to our offensive line.
“Of course, our offensive line has done an excellent job, too. We’re very pleased with Kamryn Pettway right now.”
Malzahn is also pleased with Johnson, who rushed 11 times for 42 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week’s 40-29 win over Ole Miss. The sophomore, who injured his ankle against Mississippi State last month, had been held out of Auburn’s 56-3 rout of Arkansas before returning against the Rebels.
Meanwhile, against Ole Miss, Pettway ran 30 times for 236 yards and a score. The game marked the third straight time Pettway had set his career-high for rushing yards.
Pettway has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. As a matter of fact, on his weekly SEC teleconference, Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason compared Pettway to the “Nigerian Nightmare,” 1989 NFL rushing yards leader and two-time Pro Bowler Christian Okoye, who weighed more than 250 pounds in his prime with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“You know, he (Mason) may know that better than me,” Malzahn said. “But I just think that he’s a big guy that can run. He loves contact, the physical part. And right now, you know, every time we give it to him, I think he’s getting more confidence.”
“Definitely he’s worn on some teams. There’s no doubt about that. He does get stronger as the game gets going on. And, you know, he loves the physical part of the game, but he has worn some people down.”
While opposing defenses try to recover from Auburn’s punishing rushing attack, Johnson is getting healthier and Pettway seems to be getting stronger. After facing Vanderbilt, Auburn visits Georgia, which at first glance, has done a decent job against the run, allowing just under 110 rushing yards per game to rank fourth in the SEC.
Georgia has jumped into the top five in that category on the strength of its last two games, when it held South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Florida to just 192 combined yards on 106 carries. But the Bulldogs have been mostly solid in that department all season under first-year coordinator Mel Tucker.
Alabama A&M, Auburn’s opponent the week before the Iron Bowl, is allowing just over 212 rushing yards per game, which it has yielded mostly against fellow FCS schools.
AU ran for a season-high 543 yards against the Razorbacks, so it would not be a surprise if the Tigers happened to shatter that total against the visiting Bulldogs on Nov. 19.
If Auburn’s running game kicks it into an even higher gear in the coming weeks, that’ll certainly say something based on how it’s performed to this point.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
