Scoring six touchdowns in one game is not an accomplishment many players can boast about. Neither is receiving the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week Award three weeks in a row. But Auburn running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams lays claim to both of the achievements as he rides his hot streak into Tiger Stadium.
After puttering out to an 0-2 start, Auburn (5-2, 3-0 SEC) has strung together five straight wins, thanks to their overpowering rushing offense.
During the past three games, the Cadillac is back to his old self by averaging more than 165 yards per game after putting up only 77 yards through Auburn’s first two games against USC and Georgia Tech.
He joined Bo Jackson last week as the only other player in Auburn history to record three consecutive 150-yard rushing performances.
Williams made history against Mississippi State last weekend by cruising for 161 yards and six touchdowns, breaking the school record. Williams is just the third athlete in SEC history to rush for six touchdowns in a single game.
“That’s a great feat for him,” said LSU defensive end Marcus Spears. “But I don’t think he’s going to be scoring six [touchdowns], not this game.”
Williams averages just more than 100 yards per game on the ground, good for third best in the SEC, and he is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 10.
Although he is not very big (5-foot-11, 204 pounds), Williams is tough to bring down, as 429 of his 713 yards this season have come after contact.
For the past three years, Williams has been widely regarded as one of the top two or three running backs in the SEC when healthy. But each time LSU and Auburn suited up for a game, he sat out with an injury.
In Auburn’s weekly press conference Tuesday, Williams said he realized this is the time of year he is usually plagued with injuries, but he said he has no fear.
LSU players are eager to finally play him and are aware of his strengths as a running back.
“I haven’t seen Cadillac because he hasn’t played against us yet,” said LSU defensive back Randall Gay. “But he is a shifty back who can break your ankles, [running] from side to side.”
When LSU travelled to Auburn last year, Ronnie Brown replaced the banged-up Williams and turned some heads with his 95-yard, two-touchdown performance in his first game as a starter. Brown went on to finish the 2002 season with 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“I don’t know if I expected that type of production,” Brown said in a phone interview. “But I didn’t expect for the offense to drop off any. I expected things to keep going at the same level.”
Brown has not played the past two games because of an injury, but Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said he will be ready to go Saturday against LSU.
In his absence, junior college transfer Brandon Jacobs has emerged as another threat in the Auburn backfield, posting 182 rushing yards on Mississippi State.
“If one back goes out, they have two more that can take over the game,” Gay said.
Brown said there is a lot of competition in Auburn’s backfield, but it helps them get better.
“We all get along real well,” Brown said. “But we push each other pretty hard and make each other better. We all want to be prepared for game situations.”
Williams said he is looking forward to finally playing a game in Tiger Stadium.
“Their fans are kind of rowdy, and they love LSU football,” Williams said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to go down there and play.”
Williams and the talented collection of Auburn running backs will attempt to continue rolling against the top-ranked rushing defense in the country Saturday. LSU did not allow one rushing yard in a 33-7 win against South Carolina.
“They’ve got a good defense, always have,” Tuberville said. “Saban is a defensive guy. We’re more of a running team. That’s no secret. Whether we can run against them, we’ll have to wait and see.”