Could Kelly Bryant's legs take Tigers to Championship?
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While most of the focus in discussion of the Clemson rushing game rightfully centers around the gaudy numbers and big-play abilities of Tavien Feaster and Travis Etienne, less often do we hear about Kelly Bryant's eye-popping numbers on the ground and how that opens the field for more yards from the other backs.
We've detailed the sensational numbers of Etienne and Feaster previously, so in this space I'll focus on the third, and perhaps most important, facet of the running game - Kelly Bryant.
For purposes of this discussion, and when writing about rushing numbers in general, I typically exclude yards lost on sacks because, well, it's dumb to include sack yardage in rushing totals (the NFL has this one right).
Given those parameters, Bryant stands:
- 1st in net yards gained
- 2nd in touchdowns
- 1st (barely) in percentage of 5+ yard gains,
- 2nd in explosive play percentage
- Has broken 30 tackles
- Has 251 yards after contact
Remarkable.
Rushing Metrics for top 5 Clemson rushers
| Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | 5+ % | Exp % | Stuff % | BT | YAC |
| Bryant | 151 | 789 | 5.2 | 11 | 45.7 | 11.3 | 17.9 | 30 | 251 |
| Etienne | 103 | 744 | 7.2 | 13 | 45.6 | 13.6 | 12.6 | 24 | 430 |
| Feaster | 103 | 659 | 6.4 | 7 | 37.9 | 8.7 | 11.7 | 15 | 302 |
| Choice | 62 | 312 | 5.0 | 6 | 41.9 | 4.8 | 9.7 | 7 | 31 |
| Fuller | 58 | 217 | 3.7 | 3 | 36.2 | 5.2 | 17.2 | 4 | 74 |
Etienne and Feaster are the headliners, but when Bryant is unable to run the ball effectively (see Syracuse game) the Clemson offense is not dynamic.
As the video above shows the defense has to respect Feaster and Etienne and when Bryant fakes the toss before taking off, it almost always means positive yardage and often 5 yards or more. A defender's half-step toward a back, combined with Bryant's speed, quickness, and power is all that's needed on most plays for a significant gain.
It's Catch-22 for the defense and provides Clemson with an extra body to block or make a defender irrelevant (if they follow the back and Bryant keeps the ball) on a play. It's a huge advantage for the offense and one that shouldn't be taken for granted. Those 3, 4 or 5-yard gains by Bryant may not look like much at the time, but they are often setting up a play for later in the game.
The ability of Bryant to be a threat on the ground, perhaps more than the accuracy of his arm, could determine the outcome in New Orleans.
Excluding sacks, Deshaun Watson had 17 carries for 99 yards - 5.8 yards per carry - and a touchdown in last year's National Championship, including a 15 yard run to the Alabama 1 on the play before Wayne Gallman gave the Tigers their first lead of the evening.
Though you can never be sure of the flow of a game and whether a certain metric will end up being meaningful, If Bryant approaches numbers similar to Watson's on the ground you can count me among those who believe the Tigers have an excellent shot at winning.
*Bryant's numbers do not include sack yardage
5+% - Percentage of rushes that go for 5 or more yards
Exp% - Percentage of explosive rushes which are rushes that go for 12 or more yards
Stuff% - Percentage of rushes that go for 0 or negative yards
BT - Broken Tackles
YAC - Yards after (significant) contact