Auburn’s Cam Newton throws a pass during NCAA college football practice, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Auburn is scheduled to play Oregon in the BCS Championship on Monday, Jan. 10, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Mike Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are the other guys in Auburn’s rushing attack.
They complement Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton with their decidedly different styles and keep defenses from going wholesale into just-stop-Cam mode. Oh yeah, they also accumulate a fair number of yards along the way.
Dyer, a compact, powerful freshman, and the wispy-thin but speedy McCalebb have combined for 1,713 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns for the nation’s No. 6 rushing attack.
Along with senior Mario Fannin, they don’t seem to mind conceding the headlines and camera time to Newton, who has run for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“Cam is our quarterback. He’s the face of the team,” Fannin said. “We know that he’s going to get that attention and we want him to get that attention. That’s a positive outlook on the team. But we understand as running backs that we can get the job done, too. And he understands that as well. And the coaches do, too. So everything balances out for us.”