Stanford football has a special running back on its hands in Bryce Love, who could end up being a Heisman finalist before it’s all said and done.
The Stanford Cardinal had a rough going when they face the USC Trojans and San Diego State Aztecs. Senior quarterback Keller Chryst has not been the leader that they were hoping for on the offensive side of the ball. Yet, junior running back Bryce Love has been everything and more that Stanford fans could have hoped for.
Settling the quarterback situation will be a big boost for the entire offense. The receiving corps and running backs would continue to suffer because of it if things are not figured out soon. The fact that such a talented team like Stanford is 2-2 (1-1 Pac-12) is hard to figure out.
The Pac-12 is a conference that is being run by USC and the Washington Huskies. Stanford’s convincing defeat against USC hurt their chances to win the conference. That ultimately hurts Love’s chance at getting consideration for national awards, especially the Heisman Trophy.
The schedule does not really lighten up for Stanford over the next three games as they take on Arizona State, Utah, and Oregon. Yet, each of those teams might not have the ability to stop Love. No one has really showed that ability so far.
It seems like Love should have earned the respect to be mentioned among the best running backs in the country up to this point. If he puts up the same type of stats he did against UCLA in Week 5 against Arizona State, he will get over the 1,000 rushing yard mark in just five games.
Now, let’s take a look at five reasons Bryce Love is the nation’s most underrated running back.
5. He’s averaging an astounding 10.8 yards per carry
Any time you see a running back averaging more than 10.0 yards per carry, you would think that he’s hit a few holes for big gains but does not have a big workload. However, Love’s 10.8 yards per carry is coming on 73 carries so far.
The efficiency coming from Love this year has been nothing short of incredible. You’d have to wonder why head coach David Shaw has not given Love more work this year. While averaging a whopping 14.2 yards per carry against San Diego State, Love only got 13 carries.
It seems like Shaw finally learned to give Love the ball more last week against the UCLA Bruins. He got a career-high 30 carries in that game. Even if Love sees a slip in his yards per carry but just a few yards, he’ll still be way above-average.
These are the type of stats that college football fans just do not get to see every season. The fact that Stanford plays during the late time slots most weeks is a shame. Love is a treat to watch while he is generating a first down each time he touches the ball, on average.
4. Love has played well even through bad losses
This Stanford football team is one of the hardest to figure out of any in the Pac-12. Entering the USC game, many thought they would see an absolute battle, with a possible upset of the Trojans. However, USC proved too mighty and dominated the game.
The way Love played against USC did give them the chance to win. USC’s front seven is so good that the way Love played showed what he can really do. He totaled 160 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown.
Moreover, the San Diego State game could be looked back on as one of the biggest disappointments of the year for the Cardinal. While San Diego State is a solid Group of Five program, they should not have been able to beat Stanford.
Love did his job against the Aztecs with 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. That was one of those games that left Stanford fans confused as to why their star player was not given more of a workload.
3. The national attention he deserves is not there
Pac-12 running backs do not get the attention they deserve, as a whole. Look at Oregon’s Royce Freeman, USC’s Ronald Jones II, Washington’s Myles Gaskin, Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay, Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage, etc. They don’t get as much love as they should.
Of all those extremely talented running backs, Love might be the best of them all. He’s been productive no matter what the scenario presents and few are taking notice. Part of the reason for that could be the 2-2 start that the Cardinal got off to.
If Stanford can make a run at things in the Pac-12 to finish the year, Love might garner more respect. However, it will take some time for people to recognize him as a legitimate NFL prospect. Living in the shadow of former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey could be costing him as well.
There’s another opportunity for Love to have a big week in a mid-afternoon affair with the Arizona State Sun Devils. Playing before the “Pac-12 After Dark” segment really catches speed could help with getting more of the attention he deserves.
2. The UCLA win was solely because of Love
The benching of Keller Chryst definitely helped out Stanford against UCLA. Both the Bruins and Cardinal needed that game for the sake of confidence and keeping head coach Jim Mora off the hot seat. Things did not go as planned for the Bruins.
Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello completed 13 of his 19 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. That opened up the field for Love to take over. Love rushed for a career-high 263 yards on 30 carries. He finally got the workload he needed to have.
We’re starting to see what can happen when opposing defenses see a heavy dose of Love throughout four quarters. The UCLA front seven had been abysmal to start the season and Stanford took full advantage.
Nearly every single one of the Stanford touchdowns were either setup by a long Love run or a Josh Rosen interception. Backup running back Cameron Scarlett did steal three of the touchdowns in the red zone on only eight carries.
1. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball
Bryce Love highlight film will be filled with 50-plus yard runs the by the end of the season. Every single game that Love has played in this season has seen him manage at least one run of at least 53 yards. His elusiveness at the initial point of contact sets him apart from what defenses normally see in a running back.
It’s going to be tough for opposing Pac-12 defenses to prepare for Stanford’s offense moving forward. If Costello continues to be a threat in the passing game, then opposing defenses will no longer be able to load the box to defend Love.
One of the biggest things that will help Love establish himself as a real Heisman contender is his big-play ability. Love is going to have to gain attention somehow since Stanford is not a football program that stays in the national spotlight often.
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Love is up there with running backs like Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, LSU’s Derrius Guice, and Georgia’s Nick Chubb with the best rushers in the country. You cannot doubt the stats that he has been able to put up in the absence of McCaffrey.