Starting RB Next Season

[Brasco]

Who do you feel will get the starting nod at Running Back next season? Keylon Kincaid? Shanderrick Charles? Anthony Barnett? Someone else?

[PerunaPunch]

Dunno, but it should be one hell of a competition this spring! After all Kincade's success the past year, he'll be hard to displace as #1.

But we all know SDC has amazing talent. If he's healthy I imagine he'll split game time with Keylon. If not, we'll be seeing a lot of Barnett.

[JasonB]

ShanD is the most talented, when healthy. I think he will start if healthy, with Kincaid backing him up. It really depends on how our QB situation is; Kincaid can handle a bigger load, whereas if we can spread the field, ShanD is the obviou choice.

I think Barnett will split time between operating as a third down back and possibly a slot reciever.

[MustangFan]

Barring an injury, Keylon Kincade is the starter. Coach Bennett loves him, always has. ShanD and Barnett will get their share, though. I don't think you'll see KK rack up the carries he had this year, and we won't have a guy sitting on the bench while KK gets tired, like we did in 2002 with Briggs.

[PerunaPunch]

JasonB,

You realy think SDC is more talented than Barnett? I have great respect for the insights and opinions you have shared over the years and would like you to elaborate on why you think this.

Certainly SDC is a proven commodity, but if you're talking raw talent...

Just interested in your opinion. Thanks.

[PonyTales]

Are I missing something here?

Keylon Kincade ran for 1,279 yards (the third-highest season total in school history) and 7 touchdowns. He set a single-season record with 327 rushing attempts and totaled eight 100-yard rushing games, the third-highest single-season total in SMU history.

And you guys want to bench him?

[Charleston Pony]

It sure would be nice to have a "playing time" controversy because we actually have real depth at a skill position! The key, of course, is whether ShanDerrick returns to the level he was his frosh year. Having Barnett (and let's not forget about massey coming in) just gives Bennett one of those "good problems" to have at RB.

[Stallion]

.....get Barnett on the field-some of you guys got a lot of confidence in a bunch of receivers who have produced zilch in their SMU careers. From the comments of Bennett and the focus on players who project at receiver in the recruiting class I think Bennett is going to get some new kids on the field. Start Kincade, rotate Charles and give Massey an early a look as possible-he is the higheat rated runningback we have had in years. He is probably the strongest HS runningback in the entire nation-see if he can help you at FB to add a new dimension to the running and passing game. Move Fred Turner to IR and get him on the field as soon as humanly possible. There needs to be a sense of urgency brought to this program. This is not the year to redshirt the entire freshman class when they have more talent than the kids on the field. What did we average last year 12 points a game. We need to play the most talent kids regardless of classification.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 01-04-2003).]

[Charleston Pony]

I agree we need to identify some "playmakers" and get them on the field...now! We can only hope Comet comes back as strong as ever as he's been one of our few consistent playmakers the last several years. We lose Hampton, so need to hope one of the young TEs can produce. James Elliott was another WR with size. I haven't heard much about him and whether he might be a guy who can go over the middle and make plays. No question we've got some speed coming in next year. I agree the best player should be on the field regardless of his age and I assume after a 3 win season Bennett will feel the same way.

[Dement-ed]

Is there any truth to the rumors that ShanD didn't tell the coaches early about his back injury, and therefore found himself in Bennett's doghouse? Sure hope not - the kid can really run.

[Troup32]

Let's don't give up on Keylon just yet. He had one of the great seasons in SMU history. He's still the man, until someone takes it from him.

[FloridaMustang]

ShanD definitely hid his back injury, but not to fool anyone...he seriously felt fine at times...the pain would come and go. He told me once he was thinking of quitting the pain was so bad, but by then Cash knew about it. I think ShanD and Bennett could shred some of these WAC defenses. As much as I appreciate what Keylon has done, he was brought in to replace and inhured Shanderrick Charles. KK is a workhorse. He's not the most talented back, but he plays HARD. Short yardage situations is where I see him. Barnett can be used as slot reciever as well or simply to dump the ball to avoid a coverage sack (like Rex Grossman did so effectively with Robert Gillespie last year). Barnett has much better hands than ShanD so look for him to also start returning kicks or punts. Also, any word on Comet? GO Mustangs!

[50's PONY]

Excuse me but what happened to Matt Young? The coaches were raving about him all year on the scout team!

[JasonB]

Don't get me wrong in my post above. I love what Keylon did this year, and he worked incredibly hard.

However, ShanD in his frosh year was a GREAT running back. He doesn't have the size to play an entire game, so someone will have to rotate with him. But he was the BEST runningback in a ponies uniform since the death penalty. We have not had a guy that hit the hole that quick. Nor who cut that well. Hitting the hole quick is really important. The guy is a gamebreaker and a playmaker, and you need those guys on the field.

Barnett was highly recruited and will probably be a great player. I agree with Stallion that the kid needs to be on the field. If Massey stays with his commitment with the Ponies, I would strongly consider moving Barnett to slot reciever to get him on the field. Kincaid rotates in with Charles at RB, and Derron Brown/Morris at FB with Massey at FB and HB more progressively as the season moves on. Or possibly move Kincaid to FB so that Massey is the number 2 runner by the end of the season.

ShanD is a great player, and a proven commodity at RB when he is healthy. He made every one of those yards count his freshman year, because the Line didn't do anything for anyone else when he wasn't in the game. You cannot take that guy off the field when he is healthy. The same goes with Barnett, and the same will be true about Massey. If two of them are going to play HB, you have got to move a third to reciever or FB to get him the touches and get all three in the game.

[Vitale]

ShanD had a really good freshman year, but I'll take Kincade over him, and fron what I've seen of Barnett, I'll take him over ShanD, too.

And Massey (god I hope we hang on to him) might be the best of all of them. He's as fast as Barnett, and bigger (and a whole lot stronger) than Kris Briggs.

Morning News named Massey the Offensive Player of the Year for his district - which is incredible, considering he missed a lot of games with his injury.