Despite missteps, Isaiah Crowell on pace to run down 1,000 yards
When Isaiah Crowell has stayed on the field, he has proven extremely effective. He has 821 yards rushing despite missing five quarters of play for disciplinary reasons. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS — There has been a lot to complain about in Isaiah Crowell’s first season with the Bulldogs. The freshman tailback has been suspended twice for disciplinary reasons, has had some fumbling issues and has frustrated many with his inability to remain in games. But as Georgia prepares to face Kentucky in a game that could clinch the SEC East on Saturday, it is evident that Crowell is also pretty darn good at what he does on the football field.
Crowell (5-foot-11, 215 pounds) is on pace to become the Bulldogs’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Knowshon Moreno had, 1,400 yards in 2008. With 821 yards rushing, he has already surpassed Washaun Ealey’s production from a year ago (811). He is currently third in the SEC with an average of 91.2 yards per contest.
Getting to the 1,000-yard mark is something Crowell is determined to do.
“I want to get over 1,000 pretty bad,” said Crowell, who would be the only Bulldog other than Herschel Walker to do it as a true freshman. “My goal was to be a freshman All-American. I don’t know if that’s going to happen or whatever, but I definitely want to get a thousand. That was my goal at the beginning of the season and I want to be able to reach my goal.”
If the Bulldogs can keep him on the field, it’s likely Crowell will do that and then some. He’ll have four more chances to do so if Georgia can get past Kentucky this Saturday. If he averages 71 yards rushing in those games, he’ll move past Frank Sinkwich (1,103 yards in 1941) into Georgia’s top 10 for rushing yards in a season. An average of 145 yards moves him past Moreno (1,400, ‘08) into the top five of all time.
To run down any such marks, Crowell must prove more resilient than he has been the last half of the season. After recording 104 yards on 22 carries against Mississippi State on Oct. 1, Crowell has averaged 58 yards on 15 carries in the three games he played before Auburn last week. He had 17 carries in the second half alone and finished with 132 yards on 24 attempts as Georgia salted away victory last Saturday.
But once again, Crowell spent a significant period of time on the sideline when he got dinged up in the first half against Auburn. He hobbled out of the game at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the half. Coach Mark Richt said this week Crowell is dealing with a minor knee injury.
Crowell’s penchant for coming out of games has called into question his durability and toughness. So far this season he has dealt with rib, wrist, elbow, thigh, knee and ankle injuries. None of them have been serious enough to keep him out of practices or games, however.
“I have always stayed pretty healthy,” said Crowell, who came to Georgia as the No. 1-rated running back prospect in America. “I’ve had, you know, small stuff, but it wasn’t back-to-back like this. … Something hurts all the time, but I’m getting used to it. It’s mostly aches and bruises.”
Crowell said Georgia’s coaches give him the option of removing himself from games, which he has done quite often. “I just wave and make sure Coach McClendon sees me,” he said.
“If I’m gassed or I’m hurt I want to come out because I want to be able to give 100 percent for my team,” Crowell explained. “If I’m not able to do my best I’d rather somebody else come in and do their best. When I get ready and think I can do my best then I’ll go back.”
Nonetheless, Crowell insisted he’s in good shape and that conditioning is not an issue. At this point in the season, he said he feels stronger than he has all year.
“I think I’m good and conditioned,” he said. “Doing it the whole season has helped me a lot. In practice they make me stay in a lot and do multiple plays and I think that has helped.”
Crowell’s 24 carries against Auburn were his most since getting 30 against Ole Miss on Spet. 24.
“It’s all about preparation during the week,” he said. “Me and Carlton did a lot during that week we were out and I think we both did well. I think my legs were fresh. You just have to be prepared to work during the week so I can be ready for the game.”
Of course, Crowell would be closer to 1,000 if not past it already had he not missed five quarters of play for disciplinary reasons. The suspensions coupled with Georgia’s SEC championship pursuits seem to have reinvigorated Crowell.
“Our team worked hard for this,” he said. “There were a lot of negative things people were saying at the beginning of the season. I think we got through it, we ignored the noise and, you know, just kept pushing and fighting and kept working hard. Now that people are saying positive things we’ve still got to ignore the noise. When we were doing bad everybody was on our back about that, now they’re on our back about doing good. That’s just how people are. So you have to ignore it and keep working hard.”
If Crowell can stay the course, major accomplishments could await.
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554 comments Add your comment
thousand yards of cronic
November 18th, 2011
11:36 am
best since walker…
zulu as kono
November 18th, 2011
11:37 am
#1 is actually #2…
oscar, oscar, ahaha
November 18th, 2011
11:39 am
bong blower…
lamont cranston
November 18th, 2011
11:41 am
high ic = low iq…
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
11:43 am
GTBob
November 17th, 2011
1:31 pm
Crowell will get to pad his stats at the tech game just like every uga tail back since hmm…………..
1894 I think
Knowshon never got 100 yards against us. He even had 45 one year on 17 carries. It was pretty humorous to watch.
————————-
Hopefully as humorous as the final scores were to us.
GTBob
November 18th, 2011
11:45 am
My mommy is calling
Tech Sucks
November 18th, 2011
11:45 am
He’s only a Freshman….. He’s going to hang 2 bills on Tech’s sorry defense.
GTBob
November 18th, 2011
11:48 am
Hopefully as humorous as the final scores were to us.
Even more humorous then that. It was like watching a bird fly into a window over and over again, except normally I would feel somewhat sorry for the bird. Isn’t it about time for you to change names and come over to the GT blog?
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
11:50 am
Now it’s time for this weeks episode of “How Funny Is That?” …
Georgia Tech lost to a weak Virginia team
That weak Virginia team lost to Southern Miss,
who some point out was a great team and ranked in the BCS despite losing to awful Marshall
Despite that, Southern Miss continued to climb the BCS ranks despite playing no one making Virginia’s loss look, well, not so bad.
until,
SOUTHERN MISS LOSES TO UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM!!!!
Congrats Southern Miss aaaaand,
HOW FUNNY IS THAT?
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
11:52 am
GT Bob, “except normally I would feel somewhat sorry for the bird. Isn’t it about time for you to change names and come over to the GT blog?”
I do chat on the GT blogs sometimes, but you have me mistaken for someone else because I never change my name to do so. You don’t need to change your name or worry about much when you go over to another blog being respectful, having some class and talking football.
The new Shave
November 18th, 2011
11:52 am
My name is GTBob
I am just a lonely bee
Who would give my job
If everyone would quit picking on me
The new Shave
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
11:57 am
@ Tampa
What do you think of that new commit Batau (sp)? I don’t see him bein a QB as some say, more like a ILB…
TampaShave
November 18th, 2011
11:58 am
The Beez may lose to Duke
Every game is in doubt
Since they should have beaten UVA
But they were left to cry and pout
TAMPASHAVE
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:02 pm
Spaceman, I watched a lot of video. They are calling him “the next Tim Tebow” which has to be more unfair to a kid than about anything next to “the next Herschel Walker”. The thing is, after watching as much as I did, I think the kid, if he has the work ethic his coach says he has, he could play wherever he wants. He has great ball skills but isn’t overly fast (every Murray basher picked on his 4.7 speed, but this kid is coming in slower than that). It’s hard to tell but it may be a case where he is used on offense in an h-back situation or wildcat formation. I don’t think he fits what Grantham is trying to do on D honestly. He needs his LBs to be a little faster.
Joemac
November 18th, 2011
12:03 pm
Crowell has performed at a higher level as the level of competition has gotten worse. After he gets decked a couple times by the defense of LSU, he will raise his hand to come out and will let someone else take the punishment. He is nothing more than a talented prima dona.
GTBob
November 18th, 2011
12:03 pm
Really TampaDawg, because here is a post from Ken on the GT Blogs yesterday at 1:41:
TampaDawg, GT Rocks – same guy. clever.
He called you out on it. If you want to come over and troll our blogs that is fine, but don’t be a coward and switch names to do it.
Barry
November 18th, 2011
12:05 pm
1,000 yards rushing for any back is quite an accomplishment…even more so for a true freshman. I have been, and still are, a bit critical of Crowell for the things mentioned in this article – lack of – conditioning, toughness, fumbling and off the field stupidity. However, I do think he has a real talent for running the football, things you can’t coach. I hope he has his best game and most carries (like 25 each game) against Kentucky and GA. Tech – and reaches the 1,000 yard mark. Then, lets hope he will stay out of trouble from now on.
Congratulations to coach Richt and his staff for the fabulous 8 game recovery so far and best wishes for 2 more…….. and a great bowl.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:06 pm
@ GTBob
Thats because he also is a thin skinned techie…hey if being picked on hurts your feelings, then maybe all boards should be closed to comments
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:07 pm
@ Tampa
I thought I read somewhere that his speed was 4.54…I may be wrong, though
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:12 pm
Oh, you mean Ken, who makes a half hearted effort to rid your blog of the jAson Marcu$ clown who keeps spouting off his perverted sick rants? That one? Yeah, I know, he checked that out on me and proved he was more after Dawg fans than worrying about the filth on his own boards. GTBob, congrats buddy, you’re part of that. But did you notice the MANY times I post as myself? No, don’t care to mention that do ya. Point proven. It’s not about cleaning up blogs, it’s about calling out Dawgs.
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:15 pm
In fact, maybe you missed the first post I did as that name which called out the garbage poster on there. Did that get called out? Nope. Did Ken pull the posts? Nope. That crap is still on there. Proud? I bet you are.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:17 pm
@ Tampa
Wait, don’t associate me with that Marcu$ dude. Calling out the Dawgs? More like the nazi police over there. Just another pathetic technerd…guess one can only talk favorable of GT over there, ’cause we all know they are world-beaters (go ask UVA). But whatever…
The new Shave
November 18th, 2011
12:19 pm
The trolls deserve birds
But there’s nothing you can do
So why do you nerds
Let it get to you
The new Shave
GTBob
November 18th, 2011
12:22 pm
Thats because he also is a thin skinned techie…hey if being picked on hurts your feelings, then maybe all boards should be closed to comments
Nah, i’m pretty thick skinned. That should be obvious by now. If you don’t want to be called out then quit posting as multiple people. It really does make you look like a coward.
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:22 pm
Not at all Spaceman .. not even close to associating you with that piece of trash. That guy can’t be more than 15 with the crap he thinks is funny. I posted 2 posts with a GT name because I got one response to an email from Ken regarding this guy’s keyboard vomit. They guy is still doing it after Ken cleaned it up once and has never bothered again. Funny though, Ken went through the trouble to check my email address and IP but who cares about cleaning up the trash on there.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:23 pm
@ Tampa
What do you know of this? Have heard that brice ramsey is upset with the bauta – esp. because because Richt said that there wouldn’t be any QBs signed in ‘12?
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:24 pm
@ GTBob
Who have I posted as?
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:27 pm
2 comments GTBob .. that’s it, I accomplished my mission and through email Ken knows it. Get over yourself tech sleuth.
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:29 pm
Brice was already wavering. Then came news that he wasn’t being looked at by as many schools as he wanted or something like that (I always take comments like that with a grain of salt). Either way, he has been a mystery.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:29 pm
@ Tampa
What rating does ramsey have?
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:31 pm
That’s ok buddy, you be proud of your xJason Marcu$ clown and his immature perversion. Own it GT fan, OWN IT! And your boy let’s him run wild on your blogs too. Good stuff.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:33 pm
Love our defensive stats this year:
• #2 in 3rd Down Conversions – 27.94%
• #4 in Total Defense – 273.3 yards per game
• #5 in Rush Defense – 87.10 yards per game
• #6 in Forced Fumbles – 1.5 per game
• #8 in Tackles for Loss – 7.6 per game
• #9 in Turnover Margin – +0.9 per game
• #12 in Scoring Defense – 18.6 points per game
• #14 in Passes Defended – 5.6 per game
• #15 in Interceptions – 1.3 per game
• #15 in Passing Defense – 186.2 yards per game
• #21 in Sacks – 2.5 per game
Especially the improvements from 2010:
• 1st Downs Per Game – 13.50 vs. 17.77 per game last year
• 3rd Down Efficiency – 28% to 42% last year
• Rush Yards – 87.30 to 147.23 yards per game last year
• Points Per Game – 18.60 to 21.85 per game last year
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:34 pm
Hard to find actual ratings more than a year out of their class Spaceman. I am more interested in the RB that they have committed. Derrick Henry has tremendous size. He and Ramsey both visited Alabama though for the LSU game. Both say they are still good on their committment.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:34 pm
@ Tampa
GTBob may complain that you are picking on him..
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:38 pm
I wish he would. They would kick a guy over there for actually talking football, but talk about $ex and r ape and other disgraceful stuff and I guess that’s ok if you do it more than once.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:42 pm
@ Tampa
Seems like they don’t want anyone p!ss’n in their yellow fizz…and they call us delusional…
You like Henry over Marshall and the other NC dude?
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:44 pm
Not necessarily over Marshall, but Henry is like 6′3″ and 220 plus. Big backs with speed are always a great find. Like finding a big bodied center in basketball at 7′ plus who can shoot.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:46 pm
Oh, here is another tidbit for those who say the Dawgs play no one:
UGA, LSU, ALA’s SEC opponents records: UGA – 16-32; LSU – 15-25; Alabama 17-31.
Just saying..
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:46 pm
Derrick Henry …
Sophomore: First Team All-First Coast RB by Florida Times-Union. Ran for 2,788 yards and 39 TDs.
Freshmen: Henry ran for 2,475 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:47 pm
That is pretty good size – kind like our non-existent malcome who is now fighting for 3rd string.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:48 pm
Dang those are impressive numbers…Don’t know if IC would still be here by that time, but hopefully Marshall will be here – sounds like a great tandem
TampaDawg
November 18th, 2011
12:54 pm
Who you telling? Like a Dyer/McCalebb combo. Those two together would rush for 200 a game .. EVERY GAME! Run off tackle with Theus and all will be well.
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:57 pm
By that time, Murray would be a senior I believe. I for one think the next few years show possibility…of course there are those who will jump on that statement faster than a nerd on a Dawg’s statement…
Spaceman Spiff
November 18th, 2011
12:59 pm
One thing for sure, they need to keep CTG – pay him whatever, but they need to keep him. I have no problem w/ Bobo calling things (for all the critics, look at our offensive production)…
KB
November 18th, 2011
1:31 pm
Hang in there IC and continue to grow. We’re all proud of the way the Dawgs persevered this year.
Tech Sucks
November 18th, 2011
3:53 pm
God I can’t wait to play the Nerds. I may have to go to that game and rub it in their Nerd faces. If any of them show up and stay past 5 minutes into the third quarter.
Dragon Con isn’t that weekend is it?
Tech Sucks
November 18th, 2011
3:54 pm
who cares you will lost that bet. How much you putting down?
Joemac
November 18th, 2011
4:34 pm
Spiff, if you are still out there, I have a question for you. LSU has 2 marquee wins this season, Oregon and Alabama. What game would you say is the marquee win for the pups this season??? Whom have they beaten that is any good?? Tennessee? How about Coastal Carolina or Ole Miss? Auburn? At least they were ranked. Would it be the crippled Florida team that they squeaked by? You know, the same team that LSU beat by 30 points. Who have they beaten this season that would qualify as a marquee win??
Joemac
November 18th, 2011
5:18 pm
Paul Finebaum said earlier in the week that UGA has taken advantage of their easy schedule. He also said that everyone knows that had they gone to Arkansas, they would have lost; had they gone to Baton Rouge they would have lost and had they gone to Tuscaloosa, they would have lost. Mark Schlabach said something similar on TV, and he is a UGA grad. He said that while they have improved during the season, alot of the improvement could be attributed to the easy schedule after the South Carolina game. Bottom line, they have not played and BEATEN anyone of any merit all season, just a bunch of bad teams or teams having a bad season. Just think, if you beat Ga. Tech, you will have finally beaten a team that has at least 8 wins this season. Aaron Murray has not seen a pass rush and pressure like LSU will bring. And Crowell will not finish the game without getting hurt…AGAIN.
Fuddmann
November 18th, 2011
8:13 pm
Sure is nice not to read anything from the Ritch haters. Patience is rare in Athens-ville now they are on Crowell. Chill out.