Chris Carson Shows Value in Win over Kansas

After missing four consecutive games from a hand injury, senior tailback Chris Carson returned to the gridiron with a vengeance Saturday without missing a step.

Oklahoma State clearly has their showcase tailback in true freshman Justice Hill – who Carson called the “lead man” on Saturday.

But with Oklahoma State’s uptempo, high-power offense, Hill can’t shoulder the load by himself. At least he shouldn’t do it all by himself as a true freshman. They need him fresh down the stretch, thus the value of Chris Carson increases, and his return comes at a perfect time as OSU heads down the stretch of the season.

“When a guy’s been out for a significant period of time, like Chris has, you gotta make sure you ease right back into it” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said of Carson after the game.

On just 8 carries in getting him back in the swing, Carson had 59 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns, an impressive 7.4 yards per carry that matched Hill’s YPC, although Hill toted it 22 times. He also added a receiving touchdown and was the teams second leading receiver with 27 yards through the air.

Carson and Hill are two totally separate running backs, so it’s unfair to compare them. Hill is the explosive, shifty runner. Carson is a more polished pass blocker who has the size to push for tough yardage, as evidenced on Saturday with his red zone appearances that netted him 3 touchdowns, and is an equally talented receiver out of the backfield.

After missing the last four games due to injury — Chris Carson ( @chriscarson29) bounced back with three touchdowns in #OKState‘s win. pic.twitter.com/rBgw9oDMDY

— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) October 23, 2016

Chris Carson not only looked fresh in his first game back, but appeared to hit holes with more confidence, and had overall a better vision as a runner than he has previously. In a run in the red zone yesterday, he ran into a wall, but instead of pushing ahead, he reversed field to find a hole and burst through it for six:

It’s clear that the backfield is more productive with Hill leading the charge, and Carson proved his worth to the group on Saturday and returned to form like we’ve come to know him:

Chris Carson high jump!! https://t.co/DwB84MRbUf

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) October 22, 2016

With the running game seemingly hitting its stride, Carson will be in a new role playing backup to a true freshman. But it seems his new role is one that could prove to be very valuable for OSU in the home stretch of the season.