THE HEADLINER
There were questions as to who the featured back would be for UTC entering the 2015 season. Derrick Craine silenced those quickly, exploding for 169 yards and three scores in his second game and finishing with a school-record 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first season as a full-time starter. His tough, hard-nosed running style resulted in six 100-yard games and three multiscore rushing performances. He's been ranked as one of the top 10 players in the Southern Conference, as well as one of the top 10 running backs in the Football Championship Subdivision, and will enter this season around 300 yards away from the top 10 on UTC's career rushing leader chart.
PLENTY OF HELP
Richardre Bagley had about six or seven carries last season in which he was one broken tackle away from a touchdown. He finally broke free in the first round of the FCS playoffs with a 38-yard run against Fordham, and he finished with 531 yards of total offense as a threat rushing and receiving the ball. Alex Trotter and Kyle Nalls showed some flashes as true freshmen seasons and have continued their progress entering their second seasons. Nalls was the offensive most valuable player of the spring game. He and Nalls complement each other on the field in that Trotter is a back to get out in space while Nalls is a powerful, downfield runner who can be used in between the tackles. A year from now, it will be their turn.
STRENGTHS
It starts with Craine. He is a powerful runner who gets a lot of his yards after contact but is also a breakaway threat. He knows how to use his linemen, and with his 5-foot-10 frame he does well getting behind them and following their blocks.
Last season, the team used a lot of Craine, mixed in some Bagley and sprinkled in a little of Nalls and Trotter. That led to an average of 241.9 yards rushing per game, a school record.
Not broke? Don't try to fix it.
WEAKNESSES
The one-two punch the Mocs benefited from in 2015 was Craine and quarterback Jacob Huesman, who had 1,244 yards a season ago. While new signal-caller Alejandro Bennifield is an athletic quarterback with above-average speed, he prefers the pocket and doesn't present quite the running threat of his predecessor, meaning early in the season opponents will key on Craine in running situations.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/gene henleytfp.