Young Running Backs Breath Life Back in to IU's Ground Attack
/
Stevie Scott is on his way to a 1,000-yard campaign in 2018 Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle
Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)
The Indiana Hoosiers approached the 2018 season with a remarkably deep backfield. 2017’s freshman standout Morgan Ellison was to team up with the elusive Cole Gest. Behind them, a steady mix of veterans and youth. Seniors Ricky Brookins and Mike Majette figured to provide depth, rounding out a healthy running back corps. Three weeks into the season, none of this has come to fruition. Ellison has since been suspended from the team and Cole Gest tore his ACL in the first game against Florida International after just five carries. One might have thought Indiana’s rushing attack would be dead in the water without those two guys.
On top of all that, Mike Majette has only recorded six carries for 16 yards and Ricky Brookins hasn’t had a carry yet, contributing primarily on special teams. Instead, a pair of talented freshmen have swooped in and saved the offense. It must be noted that none of this would be possible if not for outstanding offensive line play. The big boys up front have been vital to the Hoosiers’ success. IU’s offensive line has only given up one sack this season and they’ve paved the way for the young backs to run free.
Stevie Scott from Syracuse, New York is a 6-foot-2 power runner who nearly weights 240-pounds. Ronnie Walker was a four-star recruit out of Hopewell, Virginia, standing 5-foot-11, 206-pounds. Scott’s technique resembles that of former IU running back Jordan Howard. If he can’t run around you, he’ll run through you. Walker’s running style is more similar to Hoosier legend Tevin Coleman. He’s shifty and explosive, capable of bouncing it outside or finding the crease. The idea of having a dynamic freshman combo at running back is now a reality.
Spearheaded by Stevie Scott, the Hoosiers are averaging over five yards-per-carry and 235 yards-per-game. When Cole Gest went down against Florida International, Scott stepped up to the plate with 70 yards on 20 carries. Running backs coach Mike Hart had a lot to say about the talented, young duo. “He’s a big back that’s patient,” Hart said of Scott, “You really have to hit him to bring him down and wrap him up or he’s going to run through some guys.” Hart recognizes the importance of Indiana’s experienced offensive line, but he knows Scott’s ability is obvious. “The O-line is doing a great job. When they give him a crease, he’s hitting that crease,” Hart explains. “Then it comes down to, again, winning one-on-one battles.”
Scott has a knack for shedding tacklers and as someone who played a ton of linebacker in high school, he loves to hit. “He’s been breaking a lot of those tackles which allows him to get 10 to 15 extra yards on the play,” coach Hart said. Scott had a touchdown run against Ball State where he drove a defender backward with force. “That got a lot of us hyped up. That was a big run,” Scott said with a smile. His 114-yard, two touchdown performance against Ball State earned Stevie Scott Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight time. “It’s a blessing, you know, but again, I wouldn’t have gotten it without my offensive line, so I always have to shout them out.” Scott, too, knows the importance of Indiana’s formidable O-line.
After two games of inactivity, Ronnie Walker Jr. burst on the scene Saturday. Walker scored on an impressive 18-yard touchdown run the very first time he carried the ball in college. He was more than ready, explaining, “I just had that feeling in my gut. I wasn’t nervous at all when coach put me in. Just follow my O-line and I knew when to cut.” Coach Hart was proud on the sidelines. “He scored on his first carry, so that was obviously pretty good,” Hart said with a laugh, “That was impressive.” Hart detailed Walker’s work ethic, “He does a great job; he’s working hard. He’s a kid that you can continually gain trust and he’s a smart player.”
Walker demonstrated his smarts when asked about his touchdown run. Not only did he credit his offensive line, he also acknowledged a key block downfield. “I want to give a big shout out to (Nick) Westbrook because he’s the one that set up the block on the goal line that allowed me to break that tackle and get into the end zone.” Hart added, “He’s a little bit faster of a player which helps us out. He did a good job. I was proud.” Walker arrived in Bloomington as an early-enrollee. “Coming here in January was a big step for me,” Walker said, “I was molding myself to understand the game in college so in summer I was well-prepared.”
Two bright young players with extraordinarily bright futures. Accountability is evident throughout this Hoosier locker room. Tom Allen, Mike Hart, and the entire IU staff seem to have done a fantastic job implementing a healthy and productive culture. “If you’re a freshman, if you’re a senior, it doesn’t matter,” Hart said, “I always tell the guys, ‘whoever is performing the best is going to play.” That mentality has allowed Indiana to make sure their freshman and sophomores are getting snaps regardless of age.
The only blemish on Indiana’s running backs’ record is a goal line fumble by Stevie Scott against Ball State. Instead of dwelling on it, coach Hart wisely used it as a teaching moment. “No one fumbles on purpose,” the former star running back explained, “So it’s like, when coaches start yelling and screaming that makes no sense to me.” Hart’s philosophy is to encourage his players to keep their head up and remain confident. “The number one thing is, you got to keep him calm and let him know he’s got to finish the game.” Speaking from experience, Hart added, “As a coach with a young kid, he’s going to be more disappointed than anyone, so the big thing is just keep him going.”
Rather than screaming at his guys, Hart prefers to diagnose the problem and work to avoid it. “What is the reason he fumbled? It’s because he was spinning, and his arm was out, and it got punched out,” Hart described the play. “So, you fix your technique, you fix the way you were holding the ball, and don’t let it happen again.” Stevie Scott took his coach’s advice to heart. “I wasn’t really mad,” Scott said, “I know it was my fault, so I had to come back and make a play to fix the problem.” If anything, the fumble made Scott more conscious of ball security. “Now I’m really focused on improving. I’m definitely going to go hard and work on my ball security. No more fumbles the rest of the season,” Scott proclaimed.
As IU’s coaches like to say, the biggest game of the season is the next game. Michigan State comes to town Saturday night and Indiana will have a ripe opportunity to go 4-0. “I had a chance to watch their two games this year and they returned a lot of starters from last year,” coach Hart said. Hart has a lot of respect for Spartan head coach Mike Dantonio. “He’s been bringing that defense for 10 years now, you know, and it doesn’t change much year-to-year. They add little wrinkles to it, but at the end of the day it comes down to your players,” Hart said. The two freshmen running backs are excited to play their first Big Ten game.
“Playing in the Big Ten is an honor, so I can’t wait,” Ronnie Walker said. Scott said he’s ready to compete. Despite logging 69 carries on the season, Scott said he feels fine. “I feel good, my body feels good, I’m ready to compete.” The game against Michigan State will serve as the most telling test for this Hoosier running game. If Indiana is able to run the ball on the Spartans, their odds of a victory increase ten-fold. Regardless of the result this weekend, IU clearly has some exciting pieces in the backfield to build on. The dominance Hoosier fans enjoyed from Jordan Howard and Tevin Coleman are back. With Stevie Scott and Ronnie Walker, Indiana has a truly dynamic rushing attack.