Who Should Be the 2010 Back

Who should be the #1 back for UGA’s 2010 squad?

Washaun Ealey

Bad games -

1. (UT) 10-18/0 td’s – (1.8 per carry) This was really no worse than any other player that stumbled and bumbled through this crapfest (excluding Boykin). This game was so painful to watch, I don’t even remember my impression of Ealey and I won’t be viewing it again anytime soon to decide.

2. Kentucky- 19-77/0 td’s ( 4.1 per carry) It is tough to call this a bad game with same yards per carry as two in the solid category, but the confusion on the potential game-tying touchdown drops it a notch.

Solid games-

1. (Vandy)13-71/0 td’s (5.46 per carry)-This was a good game though it was against the 12th ranked rushing defense in the SEC. He could have had more, but we put in Dontavious Jackson & Carlton Thomas (deservedly so).

2. (UF)17-70/0 td’s (4.11 per carry) It is hard to call this good since it is the same avg. per carry as the LSU game, but some of the carries were big and this was against the 2^nd ranked Rush D, so I’ll give him the benefit of those factors. Add in a 20 yard catch and it puts him over the edge. Plus, he took the eye gouge like a man, so there’s that…

3. Auburn18-98/ 1 td’s (5.4 per carry)This was a very good game against a poor D that ranked 10^th in the SEC in rushing defense. Ealey had a19 yarder and several tough runs in the second half.

4. Texas A&M 13-78/ 0 td’s (6.0 per carry)After a decidedly slow start, the wheels started rolling in a big way in this game. This game was highlighted by a 27 yarder that essentially let the Aggies know it was time to roll over. Maybe this game should go in the great games. I don’t know. He just didn’t get enough carries due to Fullback circus at the end of the game. He could have easily finished with over 100 and a TD, but we had to bovine boys a treat.

Great games-

1. Tech 20-183/0 td’s( 9.2 per carry) I still laugh to myself when I think of this game.This was one of the most dominant rushing games I can remember by anyone. He looked like a grown man running through a 1^st grade game of red rover. It seemed like every time he touched it he was 8 yards up the field and then he’d smash through for another yard or two. There were so many great runs it is impossible to remember them. The only thing missing was a TD, which he should have gotten on the 35 yard shredder where he went out at the 3 or so.

Overall: Ealey had a very good season. Given an entire season it is safe to assume that he will get at least close to the 1000 yard barrier. He showed that he will usually break one for 20-30 yards if you keep feeding him the ball. Ealey never really was much of a threat as a receiver last year and he had a stunningly low amount of touchdowns as it compares to his overall production. Hopefully that was more of a coincidence and the fact that we have another capable back in King.

Caleb King

Bad Games-

1. LSU 8-7/0 td’s (.8 per carry) What can you say? This was horrible rushing performance. King had his worst game, but so did the OL. He did have 3 catches for 30 yards, but it still adds up to an embarrassing performance.

2. Vandy 5-14 1 td (2.8 per carry) Caleb had an awesome catch for a TD too, but I still can’t call it a good game when you don’t punish Vandy’s poor D (#12 SEC Rush).

3. UF 5-19/0 td’s (3.8 per carry) Bad game. Enough said. I can’t remember any run from this game and the performance was high lighted by a 6 yarder

Solid Games-

1. Ark 11-59/0 td’s (5.36 per carry) This game was Caleb’s first game of the year and it was a solid performance. It got overlooked because of the deceptively good performance by Joe Cox .Couple that with the fact that the defense looked like someone had spiked the Powerade® with Everclear®, and you get what amounted to an improved King garnering little notice. It didn’t help that Arky ended the season with the 9^th best SEC rushing D.

2. ASU 11-55/0 td’s (5 per carry) Despite losing a fumble, this game was actually an adequate performance against what turned out to be the #1 PAC 10 rushing defense. Before you scoff at the oxymoron of “PAC 10 rushing defense” - know that ASU only allowed 108 yards per game and that is good in any conference. Obviously there was a reason we kept going up top to A.J. in that game.

3. TTU 12-71/0 td’s (5.9 per carry) This game was too easy. Their defense was the worst. Period. I didn’t even look the number up. They sucked. King didn’t get a TD because Ealey was never stopped, Branden Smith “went yard” and the score got out of hand so easily that the 3^rd and 4^th string TB’s (depending on what you call DJAX or Kalvin Daniels 4^th) and even the 3^rd string FB (Justin Fields) were in the game running the ball.

4. Kentucky 14-77/0 td’s (4.3 per carry) He added a 13 yard catch in what was a solid though not spectacular performance. Still, he was near the 100 yard total offense mark and that is good despite the fact that UK had the # 11 rushing defense.

5. Texas A&M 16-60/2 td’s (3.8 per carry) He added a 32 yard reception that was his longest of the year. He really got it going in the second half after a slow start had me worried.

Great Games

1.Auburn- 10-66/2 td’s (6.6 per carry) This game is not going to get the Heisman voters wet (with sweat that is) but getting over 6 yards per carry and the attitude with which he got the second, 24 yard TD puts this one over the edge. He showed attitude, uncanny confidence and a predilection for finding the cutback( more like a mini-dead leg move) to take every available yard.

2. Tech 18-166/2 td’s ( 9.2 per carry) The only bad thing he did in this game was catch an ill-advised pass for -3 yards. Other than that, it was by far his best career game. It is like saying Different Strokes was Gary Coleman’s best work. The 75 yard haymaker TD answered Bebe Thomas’ installment of Willie Martinez’s patented 3^rd quarter “give-the–other-team-all-momentum” fiasco(though truthfully the blame falls squarely on fell Moultrie native Vance Cuff) Caleb’s run pretty much helped ensure about 1000 nerds would not lose their virginity that November night.

Analysis -King had a very good year. He improved immensely on finishing runs, generally not dancing around like a toddler a la Caleb 2008, and showed that he can block quite well when motivated. Add to that the propensity to make catches out of the backfield and you have a guy who is really going places if he continues to improve.

Who Should Start!

Well, from the numbers you have to go with a 60/40 type of split in favor of Ealey. Out of the 8 games in which they both played, Ealey surpassed King’s effort in 7. Some of those games are a “chicken vs. egg” situation because Ealey was given more carries.