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September 29, 2008

Upchurch gives Tide backfield more legs

Talented junior adds depth late in games

By Justin Graves

TUSCALOOSA — This isn’t where Roy Upchurch expected to be.

Coming out of high school, Upchurch was projected as Alabama’s next great running back.

It hasn’t worked out that way yet, but that doesn’t mean the Crimson Tide junior isn’t a valuable asset.

Playing behind Glen Coffee and freshman phenom Mark Ingram, Upchurch’s carries have been limited this season.

But even though Upchurch is Alabama’s third-string tailback, he’s still managed to make an impact — providing the second-ranked Crimson Tide with fresh legs late in games.

Having a talented third-string tailback like Upchurch has helped the second-ranked Crimson Tide produce one of the country’s best running games.

Upchurch proved his worth again Saturday night during Alabama’s 41-30 win at previously third-ranked Georgia.

After watching freshman phenom Mark Ingram go down with an injury, Upchurch found himself in the game. And the junior didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.

Upchurch only had 18 yards on six carries, but he also scored a touchdown. Combine that with 51 yards on two receptions, and the junior made a significant impact on Alabama’s offensive success.

“Roy played well in the game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “He came in and gave us a fresh set of legs when we needed him to.

“He does a lot more than just play offense. Roy is also one of our better players on special teams. This is a guy that’s done everything we’ve asked of him.”

Alabama may have depth issues at some positions, but running back isn’t one of them.

Coffee has had a breakout season, and Ingram has emerged as one of the Southeastern Conference’s top youngsters.

Despite limited playing time, Upchurch and Terry Grant have also performed well.

So with a full stable of running backs, how does Saban decide who is going to play?

According to the Crimson Tide coach, it all depends on what the offensive strategy is.

“All of these guys are different types of runners,” Saban said. “Through this point, we’ve been using more direct runs. That suits the players we’ve been using better.

“That could change in the future, depending on what gives us the best chance to win. It all depends on what we want to do from an offensive standpoint.”

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