Carries for Miami Hurricanes RBs evolving for Independence Bowl
Injuries at running back for the Miami Hurricanes have shuffled the depth chart in the backfield. Miami is healthier in the backfield for their Independence Bowl game against Lousiana Tech than they were at the end of the season.
The Miami Hurricanes lost running back DeeJay Dallas in the penultimate game of the 2019 season against Florida International. Sophomore RB Cam’Ron Harris is expected to return to the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech after he was knocked out of the season finale against Duke with an injury.
Dallas leads the Miami Hurricanes with 694 yards rushing and eight touchdowns this season. With a big game against Louisiana Tech, Harris can eclipse those numbers. We saw how important Harris is for Miami when he went out against Duke. Harris had eight carries for 48 yards before the injury.
Harris replaced Dallas for four games this season when he was out with injuries. Dallas went out with an injury against Georgia Tech and missed the following week against Pittsburgh. Harris ran for 196 yards on 36 carries and a touchdown and added four receptions for 35 yards and another TD against the Yellow Jackets and Panthers.
A dislocated elbow against Florida International is what sidelined Dallas for the remainder of 2019. Against the team formerly known as the Golden Panthers and the next week against Duke, Harris ran for 130 yards on 19 carries with two TDs and added three receptions for 29 yards. Harris has performed better as the lead back.
Over 60 percent of the yards Harris has accumulated this season and three of his five TDs have occurred in the games that Dallas went out with an injury or missed.
ran for 31 yards on four carries against FIU but was stuffed by Duke for 48 yards on 18 carries. Miami needs a healthy Harris against Louisiana Tech.
The wildcard in the Independence Bowl is redshirt freshman RB Lorenzo Lingard. Lingard was impressive as a freshman in 2018 before he was lost for the season with a torn ACL in October. Lingard made his season debut against Virginia Tech on special teams and also played against Duke.
Lorenzo Lingard was on the field with Robert Burns on the first play of Miami's second series of the second half.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) November 30, 2019
In six games in 2018 before suffering the torn ACL, Lingard ran for 136 yards on 17 carries with two TDs. The eight yards per carry average led Miami RBs in 2019. If he is healthy and can play against Louisiana Tech it is time for Diaz and offensive coordinator Dan Enos to give Lingard some carries and see if he is healed.
Next. Miami will get chance to see DEs of future vs. Louisiana Tech. dark
The Miami brain trust has seen what Burns can do. Burns is good for a few carries per game and on the goal line. Miami is going to have a deep backfield next season with the addition of four-star freshmen Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton. The time to see if Lingard is still the breakaway back he was before the torn ACL is now.