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Run Adam Run: Gators get major contribution from unexpected source
By Drew Laing
Published:
Eight carries.
That’s all Adam Lane had coming into Saturday’s Birmingham Bowl.
Placed behind more experienced players like Matt Jones, Kelvin Taylor and Mack Brown all season, Lane didn’t ever get much of an opportunity to prove what he can do.
At 5-foot-7, 222-pounds, Lane is unlike any other running back on the Gators’ roster. Resembling more of a bowling ball, Lane is low to the ground, but packs a huge punch between the tackles.
He finally got his first major chance to play this season as a redshirt freshman against the ECU Pirates. Thanks to a mysterious shoulder injury that forced Matt Jones to sit out his final game as a Gator as well as surprisignly few carries for Taylor, Lane received the bulk of the carries.
Florida was in an awkward situation anyway. Will Muschamp had moved on to his new job after being dismissed, new head coach Jim McElwain is waiting patiently to take over the team himself and defensive coordinato DJ Durkin was tasked with getting the Gators ready for ECU as the interim head coach.
Durkin’s experience as a head coach was limited, but there’s one thing he knew right away — Lane would play and he would play a lot.
During exit meetings after the regular season, D.J. Durkin told Adam Lane he should have played more this year. #Gators
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) January 3, 2015
And Lane didn’t disappoint. He finished the game with 16 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown, good enough to be named the MVP following Florida’s 28-20 victory.
“You saw it, there were young guys all over the place,” Durkin said in his post-game press conference. “Adam Lane, who we haven’t seen that much throughout the year, he stepped up and showed what he can do. He’s a great football player.”
Fortunately for Lane, the timing couldn’t be better. With Jones on his way to the NFL and Taylor having an inconsistent season at best, Lane’s performance on Saturday helped him emerge as a viable option in the running game for next season.
Florida’s offense had been struggling all season to find playmakers, but Lane sure looked like one against ECU, and with McElwain looking on, the timining couldn’t have been better for the redshirt freshman.
Sure, it’s just one game, but Lane brought some toughness and excitement to the running back position in his lone game.
No one knows how this will translate over the course of an entire season, but Lane made a great first impression on the new Florida head coach.
And sometimes, first impressions are the ones that last.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
