Getting Back To The Ground Game
August 17, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – The times they are a-changin' at Mississippi State.
For the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have ranked at or near the bottom of the country in rushing offense due to the pass-heavy requirements of the Air Raid scheme. But under new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, MSU is expected to become more balanced this fall and will utilize its loaded running back stable on the ground.
"I need to feed those guys," Barbay said. "That's complimentary football. Those guys are hard, powerful, downhill runners and we added guys like Keyvone Lee and Jeffery Pittman. Some of those guys are more outside runners that can stick their foot in and get vertical for explosives like (Jo'Quavious Marks), Simeon Price and Seth Davis. I think all of them can compliment each other."
Barbay knows plenty about getting the running game going. While serving as offensive coordinator at Central Michigan in 2021, Barbay called plays for the nation's leading rusher, Lew Nicholls III. Nicholls averaged 142.2 yards per game, nearly six yards more than any other player that season.
The returning MSU running backs have welcomed the change in scheme with open arms and are looking forward to showcasing their full repertoire this season.
"I think the group likes it a lot because we get the ball and can show what we can do between the tackles and are still getting the ball in the passing game," Marks said. "It shows that you're a complete back."
Barbay inherits a veteran back in Marks, who returns as a three-year starter in the backfield. The senior has averaged over 4.5 yards per carry during the course of his career, including a career-best 5.2 last season.
Marks has accumulated 2,304 yards of offense and 21 touchdowns as the primary back in the Air Raid over the past three seasons. Barbay believes Marks has the perfect package to feature in his playbook.
"I think 'Woody' is a phenomenal back," Barbay said. "I think he does a great job of just stretching it on outside zone stuff and banging it back up inside. I think he can hit the edge really well. He's got nice patience and exceptional burst, which I think is so important at the running back position."
But perhaps the quality Barbay likes best about his new running back is his work ethic.
"From the moment I got here and I saw 'Woody' working out at 5 a.m. during our winter workouts, it was evident that he was that guy," Barbay said. "He's a worker and only knows one speed. He's not a big talker or a big, flashy guy. But man, the kid is a worker and I'm so excited to have him and see what he does this fall."
Behind Marks, MSU has a variety of backs with varying levels of experience. Redshirt sophomore Simeon Price is entering his third year in the Bulldogs' backfield and is joined this season by Lee (a Penn State transfer), a junior college addition in Pittman as well as Davis – a high school signee that enrolled in January.
"I really like our depth," said running backs coach Tony Hughes. "It creates competition in practice every day and in the meeting rooms. Everybody has to pay attention to details because everybody wants to play and have the opportunities. It cuts down on mistakes, increases the mental focus and requires them to be tough every single day they come to work."
Price has appeared in 15 games during his tenure in Starkville and played a vital role in the Bulldogs' victory over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl back in January. The 6-foot, 215-pounder broke off a 28-yard run down to the Illini 2-yard line to setup State's go-ahead field goal with four seconds remaining.
"Confidence is key so anything you can take from last year and roll it into this year gives you confidence to keep stacking days," Price said.
Lee rushed for over 1,000 yards during his three previous seasons at Penn State. He rushed for a career-high 134 yards and one touchdown at Michigan as a true freshman, the most by a Nittany Lion freshman since Saquan Barkley. That performance garnered him Big Ten Freshman of the Week Honors.
Lee, a redshirt junior, brings 27 games of experience and seven starts with him from Happy Valley but did not enroll at Mississippi State until June. The 6-foot, 225-pounder has been working hard to pick up the Bulldogs' offensive scheme ever since his arrival.
"You're kind of like a freshman learning all over again," Lee said. "Coming from Penn State, things are kind of different. The offense is kind of the same, but most of the plays and the terms that they use are all different. So it's just like a freshman, you have to learn everything over from Day 1 from the drills to what they do in the weight room to how everybody goes about things."
However, the process of teaching Lee the new terminology and playbook has been expedited tremendously thanks to the help of his new backfield teammates.
"Really all the running backs rallied around me and helped me learn my plays," Lee said. "They really pushed me, even on off days. They'd come in with me and we'd sit down and learn the offense, going over the signals and all of that."
Pittman was the top junior college running back recruit in the country coming out last season. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder accumulated 1,865 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground during his 18-game career at Hinds Community College. He also led Taylorsville High School to back-to-back Class 2A state titles and was the MVP of both championship games.
"Pittman kind of fits the mold here," said head coach Zach Arnett. "He's really jumped out on special teams…He's obviously going to get a ton of snaps for us there and get carries too."
Davis earned Class 6A first team All-State honors by the Texas Sportswriters Association last season. The 5-foot-7, 185-pounder churned out 2,570 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior for Katy High School averaging an astounding 10.7 yards per carry. He tallied 6,785 rushing yards and 80 TDs during his prep career before graduating this past December.
Davis has already shown promise during his short stint in Starkville. The 5-foot-7, 185-pounder led the White team with 49 yards rushing during MSU's spring game back in April and finished that scrimmage with 77 yards of total offense.
"He's gotten bigger and bulked up," Marks said of Davis. "He works out across from me in the weight room and I see how he works. He's a hard worker and is not going to let anything bring him down."
In addition to the five scholarship backs the Bulldogs have, there are also three walk-ons that are helping provide depth at the position in junior Wykece Johnson, sophomore Javaris Bufford and redshirt freshman Brinston Williams.
Bufford appeared in the Bulldogs' win over East Tennessee State last season, rushing twice for 18 yards. Johnson joins the program this year after two seasons at Holmes Community College and Williams enters his second season in Starkville after redshirting last year.
"It helps me a lot knowing that I've got people behind me that I can trust that I know will go in and do the job well," Marks said. "They're guys I know that will go in and not mess up a play, drop the ball or put the ball on the ground because the ball is the program. I think we've got eight running backs who can do everything right and know the plays."
