Tra Carson was patient. The transfer from Oregon waited his turn and kept improving during his sophomore and junior years at Texas A&M. By his senior season, he was ready to answer the call.
And it’s a good thing, too, because he didn’t know it yet, but the Aggies would lean on him, heavily, as a usually reliable passing game struggled.
Carson became Texas A&M’s go-to back this season in what turned out to be a respectable season for the running game. The pass-heavy program finished in the middle of the pack in rushing among SEC teams. Still, that’s an improvement for Texas A&M by an average of 21 rushing yards per game over last season.
The catalyst was Carson. He became just the 11th Aggie in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He finished the 2015 regular season seventh in the SEC in rushing with 1,059 yards.
He’s the first 1,000-yard rusher at Texas A&M since QB Johnny Manziel rolled up 1,410 in 2012, and the first Aggies running back to do so since Cyrus Gray ran for 1,045 yards in 2011.
Handed the keys to the running game by coach Kevin Sumlin after Trey Williams opted to enter the NFL early and Brandon Williams was shifted to defense, Carson responded. He’s the first 1,000-yard rusher in the Sumlin era at Texas A&M.
“He’s a workhorse,” Sumlin said. “He’s 230 to 235 pounds, a big back, great blocker, trustworthy. He can do everything for us and he’s a leader.”
Carson will lead the team into a bowl game needing just 31 rushing yards to become the 19th Aggie in program history to rush for 2,000 career yards.
He played a huge role in helping the 8-4 Aggies get to bowl eligibility. While the passing game tapered off by more than 50 yards per game over last season, Carson picked up the slack. He rushed for more than 100 yards in six games this season, including four straight before being held to 69 yards on 19 carries by LSU in the regular season finale.
It became quite clear early on that Carson could handle the role he would be asked to play. In the 2015 opener against Arizona State he carried a career-high 29 times (96 yards) and was on the field for a total of 80 plays. Two games later he rushed for a season-best 137 yards on 22 carries in a 44-27 victory over Nevada.
In four SEC games, Carson rushed for more than 100 yards; Auburn (109), Mississippi State (110), South Carolina (122), and Vanderbilt (126).
In a system that leans far more towards the passing game, Carson made the Aggies’ running game work and work effectively this season.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
