Competition for Carries

It's sort of an odd scenario that Richard Samuel appeared to have the starting tailback job locked up heading into Saturday's game against Arkansas, then ran for a career-best 104 yards, and suddenly the picture is far less clear.

For the first time this season, Caleb King actually saw some action, and while Samuel's day consisted of one long carry and a bunch of short runs, King actually looked pretty strong in his long-awaited return to action.

After missing six weeks with a sore hamstring, King got 11 carries against Arkansas -- which is probably about double what most of us in the media figured he'd get. He racked up 59 yards (a 5.4 ypc average) and had three runs of 10 yards or longer. If you're keeping track, that's just one fewer than Samuel has all season.

And it wasn't as if King's short runs were particularly bad either. He was stopped for a loss just once, on his final rush when Georgia was simply running out the clock to set up a field goal, and quarterback Joe Cox said King was close to breaking several big ones.

"He looked good," Cox said. "He was close to really busting a couple of runs loose, but it was good for him to just get back in the game and feel the speed."

King got a ringing endorsement from his head coach, too.

"Caleb did a nice job," Mark Richt said. "He ran the ball well, protected the ball well and pass protected pretty darn good. Overall, he competed well, and he showed no signs of the hamstring injury."

King definitely pass protected well. It was a night-and-day difference from the lingering memories of the Florida game a year ago, in which a missed block essentially signaled the end of any significant playing time the rest of the season for King.

But it's the other aspect of his game that Richt mentioned that should really be given some notice. He protected the ball well.

Contrast that with Samuel, who had two fumbles in the game -- well, one officially, but no doubt the coaches saw two on film. The first fumble was on a pitch that Samuel simply dropped, and it set up an Arkansas touchdown. The second came after he was hit, and while the refs reviewed a replay and said Samuel was down, the film the rest of us saw told a different story. Samuel clearly coughed up the football, but was lucky enough to reach through the legs of his tackler and snare reel in the football before Arkansas could recover.

(EDIT: From what we heard in the press box (which was minimal) it sounded like it was ruled not a fumble. From what you guys have said though, the refs got it right -- a fumble, recovered by Samuel. Sorry for the confusion.)

The latter fumble came at a crucial point in the second half, and a turnover there could easily have cost Georgia the game. For a team with nine giveaways already this season, a fumble-prone tailback is a problem the Bulldogs' cannot afford.

Of course, the fumbles might have been a fluke, and they might be more easily overlooked if his numbers were as impressive as they appeared at first blush. But take away his 80-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and Samuel tallied just 24 yards on 15 carries (1.6 ypc).

That's not to say we should take away that 80-yard run. On one hand, Samuel was never touched. It was easily the most dominant blocking the offensive line has done all season, and the red sea was essentially parted up the middle for Samuel to dart through. But having said that, it was the type of play where last year, Knowshon Moreno might have been tracked down from behind by a speedy safety. Samuel, however, turned on the afterburners and it was obvious why the coaching staff is so high on him. The kid has ridiculous speed.

Samuel clearly has big-play potential, and in the comments I've read from readers since the game ended, there's been a pretty distinct mix of people who love the kid and people who'd just assume see him ride the pine the rest of the season.

Clearly the latter is not an option. Samuel simply has too much talent to be wasted in reserve duty. But it's interesting to note that, in the second half, he and King each had six carries, and it was King in on the final drive to ensure that the ball didn't hit the turf. That's a big role for a player who has had exactly two full practice sessions since Aug. 12.

If nothing else, King's return signals an important turning point for the offense. Carlton Thomas was simply not equipped to handle the between-the-tackles running when spelling Samuel during the first two games. King provides a strong counterpunch, even if Samuel remains the starter.

But just how the carries shake out going forward is hardly cut and dry. It's probably fair to remember that Samuel is just 18 years old, and he's still got a lot of growing to do as a tailback. At this point, it's probably fair to say that King is the more polished all-around back. So should that mean that King should get the starting job? Should Samuel be moved to a role more tailored to fit his style and kept on the sidelines during crucial moments when a fumble could spell doom for the Dawgs?

If Cox knows, he's not giving anything away. He insists he has no idea how the carries will be split this week, but he does think that the competition is a good thing regardless of who sees more touches.

"It's good for all the backs that (King) is back," Cox said. "It's not a competition, but everybody knows that we have three backs and it's going to make all of them work that much harder, and I think we'll have three guys ready to go."

So how would you like to see the backfield dynamic look next week? Which of the two tailbacks do you think has the better longterm future? Were you more impressed by King's strong return or disheartened by Samuel's penchant for coughing up the football?