Clemson football RB Travis Etienne is considered by many to be in a two-man battle for the top running back spot in the nation.
Clemson football RB Travis Etienne is ranked as the No. 1 running back in the nation by many publications.
If he’s not ranked No. 1, he’s ranked No. 2 behind Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor.
As we get closer to the start of the 2019 Clemson football season, let’s take a look at a statistical analysis and comparison of Etienne and Taylor since these two will likely be the two running backs battling it out for the top spot in the nation.
2018 Statistical Comparison:
Travis Etienne: 204 attempts for 1,658 yards and 24 TDs. (8.1 YPC). 12 receptions for 78 yards and 2 TDs.
Jonathan Taylor: 307 attempts for 2,194 yards and 16 TDs. (7.5 YPC). 8 receptions for 60 yards.
When you look at the two running backs, it’s clear to see that Etienne was the more efficient. Etienne had 103 less attempts, but still had almost a full yard better in the yards per carry category. He also scored eight more touchdowns than Taylor.
When looking at these stats, though, you’re going to see a trend.
Etienne will continue to get a nice yards per carry number and will likely score more touchdowns and have more explosive plays.
Taylor, on the other hand, will be a workhorse back that carries the ball a ton of times and rushes for more than 2,000 yards. That’s going to impress a lot of analysts, as it should.
Etienne will likely get more carries this season than last, but it still won’t rival the amount of touches that Taylor is going to get in that Wisconsin offense.
In the end, the nation will likely end up looking more favorably upon Taylor just because of his stats, but Etienne will still be the country’s most efficient and explosive running back.