ASU offense will be led by talented stable of running backs

CAMP TONTOZONA - His tenure and titles give Dennis Erickson the status of college football rocket scientist, but the Arizona State coach did not need to be one to recognize the strength of his offense.

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“We’ve got all of those backs that are awfully good,” Erickson said. “Our offensive front is good and blocks well, so I’m thinking, maybe we should run the football a lot.”

Then, tongue firmly in cheek, he added, “It took me a while, but I got to that point.”

So, Erickson has his main objective for the ASU offense. And he possesses a stampede of talented running backs, led by 1,000-yard rusher Ryan Torain, to execute the plan. Torain, a 6-foot-1, 213-pound workhorse, will receive most of the carries.

When Torain needs a rest or the Sun Devils desire a change of pace in the backfield, Erickson has at least four viable options to choose from.

Keegan Herring is explosive and shifty. Dimitri Nance is the rare finesse runner who is also not afraid to go between the tackles. Shaun DeWitty moves well for a guy with a tall frame and is an effective receiver. Junior-college transfer Jarrell Woods has impressed with his speed and vision.

However, there is only one football.

“I think we’ll find one or two guys,” Erickson said. “We’ll let Ryan do his thing, but behind him, you have four that are quite different that we can throw at people. Obviously, you can’t play all five backs.”

Make it six. At the bottom of the depth chart, Preston Jones has a lot of experience and tenacity.

ASU offensive coordinator Rich Olson — who began his coaching career at Southern California (“Tailback U.”), was at Southern Methodist with the Pony Express and worked under Erickson at Miami (Fla.), where there is never a shortage of runners — said this is the deepest backfield he has been around.

“The vibe is excellent,” said Herring, who has rushed for 1,419 yards in two seasons at ASU. “The running backs push each other and try to give much better than we get. We want to be best group of running backs in the Pac-10, if not the nation.”

During camp, Erickson is determining how the non-Torain carries will be distributed. Herring and Nance are the front-runners, Erickson said, primarily because of their experience.

“Ryan is clearly the guy, Keegan looks good at times, and Dimitri, too,” Erickson said. “We have three guys that have proven themselves, and we are going to use those guys in the right situations and go from there. Those are the three we are going to use.”

Nance ran for 229 yards (averaging 4.1 yards a carry) as a true freshman last year, earning more work as the season progressed.

“I caught up to the speed of the game,” Nance said. “I’m doing things by second-nature now, not thinking about it. I’m trying to get more repetitions to get better. That’s what I need every day.”

Herring and Nance as the first two options off the bench leaves DeWitty and Woods out of the loop. Woods — who attended Utah, then West Los Angeles College — has three years to play three, but a lack of regular playing time could lead to a redshirt for DeWitty, though Erickson has not gone that far.

DeWitty, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound junior, emerged as a third-down back last season, running 23 times for 95 yards and catching nine balls for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He battled back pain last year and during the spring and said that he is about caught up.

“I’m still working back to regain the physical side of it I need since I haven’t played in a while,” DeWitty said. “But in a few days, I think I’ll be fine. The coaches tell us to push each other. We’re all in the mix. They try to make it as much of a competition as possible.”

Woods, a strong and swift runner, was recruited by California, Michigan State and UCLA. ASU’s abundance of backs did not affect the decision of Woods, who said he would have faced an uphill depth-chart battle regardless of the school he chose.

“You’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to start,” said Woods, who ran for 754 yards and 11 TDs for West Los Angeles last year.

“Just to get an opportunity to compete — none of us have ever been behind someone. All of us were starters where we came from. It’s different coming off the bench, but it gives you a different perspective, and that helps you grow as a player.”

With Torain fully entrenched as the No. 1 back, it could be said that the competition for other runners could be for 2008 as much as today.

However, Herring is not looking ahead.

“We’re all getting more focused,” Herring said. “We are all shooting for the first position. If any of us can improve enough where we start taking some of (Torain’s carries), that will make our confidence grow. And that will make the offense better.”

ASU’s backfield; emphasis on ‘back’

It is the statistic of the preseason for Arizona State football: All nine players who had a rushing attempt in 2006 return this season.

That includes six running backs, two quarterbacks and even punter Jonathan Johnson. The Sun Devil running backs are one of the most deep and talented groups in the nation, yet Ryan Torain remains the unquestioned first-stringer. Why?

“He’s physical and always has a chance to break tackles,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “He gets the tough yardage. He’s a good blocker who understands what’s going on and doesn’t break down on his assignments. Ryan is the kind of guy you always want to have on your football team.”