ASU Football: Sun Devils find thunder and lightning at RB in heartbreaking USC loss

(Photo: Katie MacCrory/Sun Devil Athletics)

Among one of the questions entering Arizona State Football’s season opener against USC was how the Sun Devils would use a new tandem of running backs to replace the production of 2019 All-Pac-12 first-team selection and one of the best running backs in ASU history, Eno Benjamin.

At first glance, Benjamin was never the most intimidating rusher at just 5’10. His 200-pound frame, though, allowed him to go in headfirst in between blockers and his aggressive mindset produced over 2,800 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

The current Arizona Cardinals running back rushed for 1,083 yards and 10 touchdowns and collected 347 receiving yards and two touchdown passes in his final season at ASU.

But upon declaring for the draft after the conclusion of the 2019 season, there would not be a competent backup to replace him.

So how would an incoming rotation of two freshmen running backs and a junior college transfer, who all have never taken a snap at the Power Five level, replace a revered Sun Devil?

If there was one takeaway from Saturday’s heartbreaking 28-27 loss to USC, it’s that ASU may have found not just one running back to fill that void for the rest of the season but two. 

After 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries by freshman DeaMonte Trayanum and 76 yards on 12 carries by junior Rachaad White, the Sun Devils have found thunder and lightning in the duo. 

“It’s kind of like thunder and lightning,” quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “They did a great job of running the ball. DeaMonte did a great job of giving us a push. USC had a game plan for something else so we had to adjust and take what they gave us.” 

Trayanum, the 5’11, 230 pound freshman, ran like a bowling ball while also showing the ability to slice through tacklers, bounce it to the outside and drag USC tacklers for extra yards.

Trayanum is the thunder due to his sheer power and downhill nature in his running style.  He can go in between or outside the tackles to gain the necessary yardage needed.

Meanwhile, White, the 6’2, 195 pound junior from Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, California) displayed the soft hands and blazing speed of a traditional NFL third-down back. His three catches for 70 yards highlighted his solid performance in the run and pass game.

White is lightning with his breakaway speed that can get past defenders, as displayed on his 55-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter to make the score 17-14 ASU.

”Rachaad is a heck of an athlete and just getting him space on the perimeter…a guy like that that we picked up from the offseason, he comes to play,” offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “He’s got a great demeanor, he’s a very confident kid, he’s got very good talent and good speed.” 

If it weren’t for the massive production from the running backs (236 all-purpose yards between Trayanum and White), the score might not have been as close as it should have been due against the Trojans with the lack of an effective passing attack. 

But head coach Herm Edwards said he instilled some calm in Trayanum and White throughout the week in practice and before the game to ensure both would be composed for Saturday’s big game.

“I was pleasantly surprised but not really,” Edwards said of both running backs’ performances. “We felt like when we recruited these young men and if we gave them an opportunity to run the football, which they were presented to today, that they would play well.

“They were nervous this week as well. [They] hadn’t played in college football and you play a team like USC at the Coliseum. I visited with them this week and told them to relax and talked to them before the game. They did a really nice job.”

Saturday showed how much the passing game is still a work in progress. Without senior captain and wide receiver Frank Darby – who left due to a rib injury suffered in the first half – Daniels’s only options were relatively inexperienced wideouts who were freshmen or didn’t get much playing time last year.

The game script dictated the use of the running backs, and it’s something that Hill won’t be afraid to use again if the opportunity presents itself down the road.

“I was really proud of the backs,” Hill said. “I thought they ran hard. I thought they ran physical….As far as them handling a game like this, I thought they did a great job. I feel really good about our running back group.”

In a new offense in a high pressure environment, the chemistry is still being ironed out. But Edwards and Hill can now know that they can rely on a mix of power and finesse in the run game for the remainder of the year. It might have to be the focal point of the offense until Daniels and the wide receivers fully get on the same page.

“That’s a positive note offensively for us to run the ball like that first time out,” Edwards said. “I think as they continue to play, they’ll get better. I think we will improve offensively as well, especially in the passing part of it. The run part of it we did a nice job. When the passing part catches up, we’ll have an offense that can score points.”

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