Running Back Stephen Carr named Week 1 Starter for Indiana

Written by Evan Orris

Indiana’s running back battle has finally come to an end.

Head coach Tom Allen announced Stephen Carr as his winner on Monday. The transfer from USC arrived at Bloomington in June and impressed the coaching staff from the first time he hit the practice field.

“But he will be the starter for game one,” Allen announced. “And I feel like it was really, from day one he came here with zero entitlement at all, knowing he had to earn the spot, be ready to work, be a total team guy.”

This season, Carr will be the lead back for the Hoosiers and provide an elusive run game as well as a downhill runner as he claimed. In four seasons with the Trojans, the former four-star recruit ran for 1,329 yards on 264 carries (5.0 ypc), with 12 touchdowns. He also managed to add 57 catches for 421 yards and a touchdown.

During his time in Southern California, Carr struggled with injuries as he tore his plantar fascia his freshman year. Due to the injuries, he was never able to gain a lead-back role. However, he transferred to IU and eventually landed the role that he once desired.

Aside from on the field, Carr should offer plenty of veteran leadership and teach the underclass how to carry themselves like a winning program. It was evident to everyone that he was transferring from a football powerhouse simply by the way he carried himself around the field and in the locker room, which impressed the coaching staff. 

“Not just in his words, his words definitely were that way, but his actions, and that's what I look for and just body language and how hard does he practice, how hard does he work on special teams and during those drills and those things that we ask him to do in those areas.” Allen said.

Carr is looking to fill the void left by Stevie Scott III—who is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Scott led the team with 561 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Sampson James, Tim Baldwin Jr., and David Ellis were competing for the job but none of them seemed primed for a lead role, which led James to transfer to rivals, Purdue.  

Despite Carr being named the starter, coach Allen hinted that the two backups, Ellis and Baldwin, will appear in the game. However, it is hard for Allen to deny Carr the starting nod as he proved it this summer.

“But, yeah, we're excited for him and feel like that he is a guy that even in that [running backs] room, and guys on the opposite side of the football, would agree that he's earned it.” Allen added.