Football: Graham providing valuable depth at running back

115 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 12.8 yards per carry and a dominant performance en… 115 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 12.8 yards per carry and a dominant performance en route to a big Pitt victory.

Common sense would suggest that this article would go on to discuss the performance of Heisman-candidate running back Dion Lewis, not that of his backup, sophomore Ray Graham.

But after Graham posted the numbers just listed in the Panthers’ 38-16 victory over New Hampshire last week, it’s obvious that Pitt has a lethal one-two punch at running back.

Although Lewis has just 102 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 35 carries in Pitt’s two games this season, everyone knows what he is capable of and can break a long run at any time.

Meanwhile, Graham is thriving in his backup role so far this season, averaging a staggering 12.8 yards per carry. But this should come as no surprise to Panther fans — Graham made some dazzling runs last season, most notably his 53-yard run against Notre Dame.

After sitting out the opener against Utah with a knee injury, Graham carried a heavy rushing load against the Wildcats. He had six of the seven carries that the two backs were given following Jon Baldwin’s 56-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

Following the contest, he credited his performance to the success of Pitt’s passing game.

“They were biting so much on the run,” Graham said. “When we started doing play action, we hit them with deep passes and got them off a little bit, so they had to play back a little bit. That’s what opened up the run.”

Graham ran wild after Baldwin’s score. He rushed five times for 39 yards on the first drive, plays which culminated in his first touchdown of the day.

He needed much less time to burn the Wildcats’ defense on the next drive in which he appeared, rocketing out of the backfield on the opening play for a 64-yard touchdown run.

Graham credited Pitt’s offensive line for giving him room to break free on the play.

“What happened was the guy came from the side, and I knew it was one-on-one,” Graham said after the game. “When I saw the guy cut, I just went the other way. Without our front [line] doing their job, I can’t make it happen. Give them credit.”

The interior of the offensive line is made up of first-year starters who are still making adjustments and now, there is more pressure on whomever is rushing the ball.

This makes finding holes important, because there are often too many tackles to break. According to running back coach David Walker, Lewis’ game puts a heavier reliance on wrestling past defenders than Graham’s does.

“Their styles are slightly different,” Walker said. “Ray is a little bit more nifty. Dion can run through some tackles a little bit more.”

Regardless of what the difference between Lewis’ and Graham’s performances has actually been, you would be hard pressed to find anybody in Pitt’s locker room that has a problem with the two backs splitting carries.

Coach Walker certainly isn’t complaining.

“As long as the tailback position is being productive, it really doesn’t matter if it’s [Lewis] or [Graham] getting the carries,” Walker said.

Meanwhile, Lewis and Graham stress that they maintain a strong friendship. Graham sees a little bit of a competitive atmosphere between the two on the field but points out that this can be a good thing.

“On the field, yes, [we’re] competitive, “ Graham said. “Off the field, we’re like brothers, best friends. We hang out all the time, we watch film together, we do everything together. On the field we do push each other, because we have to. That’s our job.”

Lewis’ sentiments are similar, but he might be benefiting from Graham’s success more than anyone else. Lewis, who had a nearly unthinkable sum of 47 carries against Cincinnati last season, might be able to take a few more series off every game now that Graham has proven himself to be a reliable back.

With this in mind, Lewis didn’t shy away from admitting that it’s nice to catch his breath from the sidelines occasionally while watching his friend take on opposing defenses.

“I need a break sometimes,” Lewis said.