After it was known that Aldreakis Allen may miss some of the 2013 season, a lot of questions were asked about the running back position. While Desmond Rice impressed us in spring practice, it seemed unlikely that the LCA standout would have what it takes to carry the load, especially with former four star recruit Clifton Richardson transferring in.
Rice fights for extra yardage before scoring his first touchdown on Saturday
Though Clifton Richardson and D.J. Abnar have both found a place in the Flames’ offense, Rice has recently set himself apart as the feature runner due to some impressive performances. “I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to show what I can do out there” Rice told us Tuesday after practice. He is definitely making the most of his opportunity, averaging 109 rushing yards over his last five games.
Filling the void left by an absent Aldreakis Allen will be a challenge for Desmond, but he has shown some very convincing play thus far. Behind a mostly inexperienced O-line, Rice is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, ranking 2nd in the Big South among runners with 50+ carries and keeping up with Allen’s 6.4 yard average in 2012. He possesses a nice blend of patience and downhill running, picking his moments to dance around defenders and knowing when to get vertical. Rice displayed this Saturday, ripping off chunks of yards while making the Chanticleers look hopeless as they tried to tackle him en route to his 170 yard 3 touchdown performance.
Rice said the Flames have to get back to business after a tough loss to Coastal. “We have to get past that, if we don’t get past it we are going to see a couple more losses pile up, we are going to have to get over this.” It will be interesting to see how the Flames bounce back against Gardner-Webb this weekend.
Since Des isn’t extremely fast and lacks the size of an every down back, I asked him what his key to success has been this year. His response was gold. “Its all about your attitude” he told me, “I’m not the fastest, and I’m not the biggest guy out there, but you’ve got to want it more. That’s what my success comes from, just wanting to get the extra yard, just wanting it.”
“I’m not the fastest and I’m not the biggest guy out there, but you have to want it more.”
His drive to get the extra yard is definitely very evident every time he touches the ball, and while one would think his running style would be tough to sustain throughout the course of a season, Rice seems to be gaining even more steam as the season progresses. He also attributed his improvements to film study, and getting to practice with the first team as he develops a feel for the game.
We’d like to thank Desmond for giving us some of his time, and congratulate him on the career high game Saturday.
Desmond Rice has been a breath of fresh air to a Flames team who is hesitate about trying to dominate a game situation with the run. What could he do if a game plan was centered around his running and back field pass catching?