When LSU faces Alabama on Saturday, two potential first-round picks will go head-to-head, and the winner could determine which team leaves victorious.
No, not Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger.
Instead it’s sophomore running backs Jeremy Hill and T.J. Yeldon, both of whom are key cogs in their teams’ respective offensive attacks.
Hill burst onto the scene during his freshman campaign, but has proven to be even more effective this season, averaging a touchdown every 10 attempts. He has rushed for 922 yards despite being suspended for the first game-and-a-half of the season.
More impressive, though, is Hill’s big play ability. He has 28 runs of 10 yards or more and seven runs of 20 yards or more through only eight games, which already exceeds his total from 10 games last season.
Senior fullback J.C. Copeland said Hill’s burst — especially once he gets to the second level — has helped him to produce the big plays.
The Tigers’ success in the Southeastern Conference this season has been tied to Hill’s production. In conference wins, Hill has accounted for no less than 25 percent of the team’s total offense, while in losses to Georgia and Ole Miss, Hill’s contribution has never reached the 20 percent mark.
“His instincts, his ability to know when to make a cut before it actually happens is his best quality,” said sophomore linebacker Lamar Louis. “He can look at a play and he’ll know where the defense is going to be before they get there.”
Yeldon is no slouch, though.
The sophomore back who tore LSU fans’ hearts out last season has improved upon his freshman season.
Yeldon has become a second half workhorse for the Tide, averaging eight yards per attempt, nearly three yards more than his first half average.
“If he breaks through the line untouched and you have him one on one, you better bring him down with proper technique,” said junior linebacker D.J. Welter. “’Cause he can spin off and break through arm tackles so you definitely have to have your technique sound.”
Louis said having Hill to go against in practice every week has helped the defense prepare for the challenges that Yeldon poses.
Yeldon has made his biggest impact in the third quarter. He’s scored four of his 10 touchdowns in the third and bumped his yards per attempt up to 10.
In both of Alabama’s wins against top-25 opponents, Yeldon has played a big role for the Crimson Tide. Against Texas A&M, Yeldon accounted for 26 percent of Alabama’s offense, and against Ole Miss he had similar numbers.
Junior fullback Connor Neighbors described Hill and Yeldon as the same person, just playing for two different teams.
And in most cases the numbers back Neighbors up. But Hill distances himself from Yeldon on third down.
Yeldon has struggled in third down situations, only rushing for two yards per attempt. He has picked up a first down on half of his 12 third down attempts, but when compared to Hill’s production, the Alabama back can’t compete.
On third and three or less yards to go — when defenses are buckled down, expecting a run — Hill has been ripping big chunks of yardage. On seven runs in those situations, he is averaging a staggering 22 yards per carry and has picked up a first down on all seven attempts.
NFL general managers may have a tough time picking between the two when they decide to leave college, but LSU coach Les Miles knows who he would pick between the two feature backs, even if he is a little biased.
“[Yeldon] is a big back that has nice touch, good vision. And to me he’s a very talented back,” Miles said. “I think our guy has a similar ability as Yeldon. But our guy seems to wear purple and gold, and I kind of favor those guys.”