College Football Resource had a post this week about one of the game's endangered species: the 25-carry back. Apparently seeing a back carry the ball 25 times in a game is much rarer that many of us might think, and the "workhorse" back, for all we hear about him, is all but extinct.
It's further evidence of a topic we discussed here earlier this week, the specialization of players that started when two-platoon football was developed. I wonder, what would Craig Stolze, the writer whom I quoted as fearing the game's attendance would decline due to over-specialization, think about third-down backs?
The reasons CFR gives for the decline of the 25-carry back all make sense, but there's one factor he didn't mention that I wonder about: Is the premier back getting less carries because coaches want to keep the 2nd and 3rd guys happy? And if so, does it have anything to do with promises made during the recruiting process?
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I don't remember if we've shared this with you or not, but here's a little YouTube vid featuring Robert Meachem. It's intended to be a draft-preview film, but it really just reminds me of how much we'll miss Meach in the fall.