Clemson Football: Why have Travis Etienne’s rushing numbers fallen?
Travis Etienne isn’t averaging over 10 yards per carry for Clemson football anymore. In our mailbag, we take a look at why that is.
We received this question earlier this week from a Clemson football fan:
-Why have the rushing numbers for Travis Etienne fallen over the past few games compared to earlier in the season?-
It’s an interesting question and something that I don’t think there is a clear answer to. I found it intriguing, though, so I wanted to explore it a bit and just see if there was any reasoning as to why that may be or if it was even true.
Here’s a look at Etienne’s game-by-game stats since October:
- @ Wake Forest: 10 carries, 167 yards and 3 TDs. (16.7 YPC)
- vs. NC State: 15 carries, 39 yards and 3 TDs. (2.6 YPC)
- @ Florida State: 10 carries, 45 yards. (4.5 YPC)
- vs. Louisville: 8 carries, 153 yards, 1 TD (19.1 YPC)
- @ Boston College: 11 carries, 78 yards (7.1 YPC)
Thoughts:
After looking at these stats, I think the answer to the question, really, is that the numbers haven’t really dropped significantly.
Yes, he’s not rushing for 10+ yards per carry recently- except against Louisville- but he’s still getting the job done.
In the two games where he averaged less than five yards per carry (NC State, Florida State), the opponents stacked the box and forced Clemson to beat them through the air. I think it’s safe to say that opponents have enough film on Etienne now to know that they need to stack the box and send extra guys to slow him down.
In the end, that’s the reason I think you’re seeing his numbers no longer look like they’re coming straight out of a video game. It’s not due to anything he’s done, it’s about the adjustments that defenses have made to try and slow him down.
It also has to do with the fact that he is sharing time with other guys.
I mean, think about this: Etienne only had 11 carries against Boston College. If he had 20, we’re probably seeing him rush for about 150 or more.
He is still averaging 8.5 yards per carry and has rushed for 1,076 yards on the season with 15 touchdowns. That yards per carry number is still good enough for third in the nation.
Why is he not getting more carries?
Many are wondering why Etienne is not getting more carries. That is an interesting question in and of itself.
The short answer, in my opinion, is probably two-fold:
- He doesn’t need to
- He’s being saved for the postseason
Clemson hasn’t need Etienne to rush the ball 25 times. The Tigers have a consistent passing game and have plenty of backs behind Etienne that can get the job done.
With that being done, the coaching staff is saving Etienne’s legs and body for the postseason when they may need him to be fresh and rush the ball 20-plus times.
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In the end, I think we just have become a bit spoiled. We think that a guy isn’t performing well because he’s suddenly not rushing for what could only be done in a video game at a consistent level. You have to realize that running backs are going to have breakout days and days where they have to fight to get their yardage.
Travis Etienne is still the most explosive running back, in my opinion, in the country and I believe that you’ll continue to see him pile on the stat sheet and get the job done.