Come on, even those homers in Happy Valley can agree with that. As PSI notes, Shady is looking like the favorite to win the Big East Freshman of the Year award.
Rushing Yards
1) Ray Rice, Rutgers: 204 carries, 999 yards, 4.9 yards/carry 142.7 per game
2) LeSean McCoy, PITT: 141 carries, 805 yards, 5.7 yardsd/carry 115.1 per game
3) Steve Slaton, WVU: 135 carries, 752 yards, 5.6 yards/carry 107.4 per game
Total Offense
1) Brian Brohm, Louisville: 372.2/game
2) Mike Teel, Rutgers: 282.1/game
3) Ben Mauk, Cincinnati: 255.1/game
9) LeSean McCoy, Pitt: 117.6/game
Touchdowns
1) Ray Rice, Rutgers: 14 TD’s
2) Steve Slaton, WVU: 11 TD’s
3) LeSean McCoy, Pitt: 9 TD’s
Very impressive stats, especially considering the team he plays on.
Even better, if you read some of the PSU blogs, respective comments and message boards, Williams has gone from the next Larry Fitzgerald (ultra-talent willing to go anywhere to catch a ball) to an underachieving softie who got lost in the depth chart because he shies away from contact.
McCoy has flown a bit under the radar in terms of national exposure to this point, and most of that can be attrtibuted to Pitt’s lousy start. I think that’s great. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes for him…he could very well tee off on Louisville next week. I’d say defenses like USF and Rutgers could give him fits, but I thought Cincy would bottle him up as well (as someone mentioned in another thread, Cincy held Ray Rice to 2.8 yards per carry and less than 150 yards of total offense).
If that line plays like it did on Saturday the rest of the year, well…let’s just say some stranger things have happened this year already.
LeSean McCoy – 5.7 ypc
Why should I believe that McCoy is worlds better (or at all better?), especially considering that Royster plays in a conference where the teams actually field a legitimate I-A (or whatever it’s called now) defense?
Royster is better than Rodney Kinlaw, but we all know about JoePa’s loyalty. That’s just the way it is. Royster will have the next 3 years all to himself. If you think that’s nothing to be excited about, you’re crazy.
As far as D-Will (or anybody “foolish” enough to commit to PSU), why don’t you look at Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler. Both were walk-ons. But I guess we don’t develop talent.
Whatever guys, I think LeSean McCoy is a good RB, and that’s great that you guys think he’ll be the best in the business. To mock us though (as we stand 6-2) insinuating that the cupboard is bare and we can’t develop talent is just crazy.
I still don’t see what’s so impressive about racking up rushing yards on that schedule Pitt’s played, but whatever. Like I stated, I think McCoy is good…but see no reason why he’s “automatically” better than Royster, as if there’s not even an argument to be had. That’s just ludicrous.
Shady has got most of his yards by himself. He doesn’t even have a decent line to run behind.
Royster is good but nowhere near as good as Shady. Pulling up YPC is laughable. Royster has gotten most of his yards in garbage time this year.
Jon, actually yes I DO watch the games. Do you? Your garbage time statement is complete ignorance. Ever since Scott was kicked off the team, Royster has been splitting carries with Kinlaw the ENTIRE GAME. Our garbage time back is Brent Carter. Do your homework.
So what it comes down to is Shady MUST be better because he plays for Pitt, and PSU is the Axis of Evil.
If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that Royster could put up some big yards on the softies Pitt has played as well. And before you say the converse is true, Royster didn’t play against Buffalo or ND.
His YPC averages against Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana? 5.4, 8.5 and 5.7. Yup, no way he’s on Shady’s level.
Royster has 45 atts!! You do realize that right? Shady has 141.
Roysters longest run is 20 yds. Shady’s is 72.
Royster had 80 on 7 agains Florida International. That might have skewed his stats just a bit.
And I did say that Royster is good he is just not in the same class as Shady.
Shady had 32 just against Navy. Shady has more than triple the amount of carries that Royster does. We’ll talk once Royster breaks 100 carries. Until then, comparing him to Shady is incredibly shortsighted.
I do have to thank PSU for stealing Morelli from us though. holy hell is he bad… (dumb and ugly too)
Not surprisingly, none of that has managed to change either Royster or McCoy’s skill levels!!
You have your opinions, I have mine. I’ve very excited about the next 3+ years with Royster as TB1, and I’m equally excited about the newest group of prospective commitments. If you think any of us are jealous, you’re just plain wrong…and that’s your problem, not mine.
Don’t insult the intelligence of everyone here by reducing this to simplistic crap like “well, he’s our only bright spot, so he MUST be better” or “well, he plays for Pitt, so he MUST be better”. No one ever said that; in fact, no one even remotely insinuated that, so please don’t twist what we were saying to fit your viewpoint.
Believe me, I go to Penn State, and am EMBARASSED to be associated connected to ALL of the following:
Joe Paterno (who is senile, stubborn, delusion, and cannot even coach anymore)
Anthony Morelli (Mr. I got a 520 on my SATs)
Austin “serial rapist” Scott
PSU’s non-con schedule (need I say more)
Derrick Williams (the only one on the team more of a bust than Morelli)
and…
PSU’s entire coaching staff – where once good high school talent goes to die
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Pitt is doing much better, but they do have something called a basketball team, and I just laugh at PSU fans who were predicting a breakout year by Anthony Morelli, and national championships this year and next year…it’s just pathetic and you know it. Just because PSU gets a lot of fans to their games doesn’t make them the best team, contrary to popular belief here in the Valley.
There seems to be a problem with context here.
I only brought up the Williams comparison because it was valid IN THE CONTEXT of Adam’s initial response. Two years ago, PSU fans were trumpeting Williams as the next big thing at Happy Valley. In the time that’s passed, a significant portion of the fanbase has soured on him a bit and questioned his toughness.
IN THE CONTEXT of McCoy’s future, it’s a valid comparison. McCoy could end up being the program savior here; there’s just as much a chance that this COULD be the best we ever see of him, just as PSU fans may have seen the best of Derrick Williams when he was a freshman.
I made the McCoy vs. Royster-Kinlaw comparisons because of a discussion I’ve had about a week ago or so with some friends of mine who are PSU fans. They expressed the sentiment that they’d rather have Royster and Kinlaw than McCoy. They didn’t say that they’d rather have McCoy, but they’re happy with Kinlaw; they told me they’d rather have the Kinlaw-Royster combo than McCoy right now. There’s a big difference between the two, and that’s the conversation I recalled from a couple of weeks ago that prompted me to make my initial post above making the comparison.
Kinlaw may indeed produce more for PSU than McCoy will for Pitt. Maybe he won’t.
But in the context of the argument I was initially making, if I had my choice of one of them based on what we’ve seen to this point, I’d take McCoy every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I’m saying that as objectively as I can…I simply think he’s a more complete, more talented back at this point. That’s not a knock on Kinlaw…I just think McCoy is the better of the two options.
That’s the only point I was trying to make. Please don’t take it out of context and try to paint it as some slam on Kinlaw or the Penn State program. It’s not.
I’d just rather have McCoy.
When until he actually runs against a real defense, like one that held Ray Rice to under 100yds rushing, then come talk to us. No one said he isn’t a “good” back – but there is no comparison in talent.
Btw – the PSU line, even at its worst, has been much, much better than ours has, even at its best. You’ll say anything, no matter how ridiculous, to argue your point. And yes, I have watched the games.
And seriously, what do you care if we prefer Shady to both of your backs? Why in the hell would you even come over here and “convince” us that we want your backs? That’s the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard. No one is going to go over there and “convince” you that you couldn’t get the best RB recruit in the state last year…
Hey everyone, morellie is a good QB, you want him too! Look what he did to FIU!
Does that make me less of a Pitt fan? I don’t think so. I just cannot stand Ohio State.
But I’ve heard some PSU fans say that they’d rather have Royster and Kinlaw over McCoy. That’s just ridiculous. Maybe the emergence of Kinlaw and Royster have somewhat mitigated the fact that McCoy isn’t carrying the ball in blue and white. But when some of them suggest that they’d rather have the Royster-Kinlaw combo over McCoy?
There isn’t a program in college football that would rather take two above-average backs over one spectacular one. There also isn’t a program in college football that can afford that luxury, either.