http://www2.oanow.com/blogs/aublog/2011/nov/03/just-how-important-mike-dyer-ar-2649808/Just how important is Mike Dyer?
Credit: File photo
What do Mike Dyer and Rudi Johnson have in common?
By: David Morrison
November 03, 2011 11:56 AM | 0 Comments | Post a Comment
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Mike Dyer is more valuable to the 2011 Auburn offense than any other Tiger running back has been to his respective year's offense in the past decade.
More than Ronnie Brown, or Carnell Williams, or Kenny Irons, or Ben Tate.
More than anyone since Rudi Johnson in 2000.
Don't believe me? Check out the data below.
The percentages you see are how much of the rushing, receiving and total pie each of these players have taken up in a year in the games in which they played.
That means, if Irons only played in 11 of 13 games in 2006 -- which he did -- then I gleaned his percentage based on the team's total output from those 11 games.
And I excluded passing yards from the discussion because quarterbacks will always be near the top of the list in total offense.
Though it is telling that a certain Cameron Newton still made his way onto the list.
Also, they had to play more than half of the team's games for qualification.
Behold, the top 20 most valuable single years from an Auburn back/receiver in the 2000s:
Name Year Pct. Rush Pct. Receiving Pct. Total
1. Rudi Johnson 2000 80.5 3.1 36.4
2. Mike Dyer 2011 57.5 0.5 31.2
3. Kenny Irons 2005 55.5 6.3 29.6
4. Kenny Irons 2006 61.8 4.1 29.2
5. Carnell Williams 2003 54.6 0.8 27.1
6. Carnell Williams 2002 51.7 2.0 26.4
7. Ben Tate 2009 49.4 3.7 26.1
8. Ronnie Brown 2004 42.5 11.5 25.1
9. Ronnie Brown 2002 40.0 7.5 24.8
10. Carnell Williams 2004 48.9 4.9 24.1
11. Ben Tate 2007 44.3 6.2 24.0
12. Brad Lester 2007 41.0 6.0 23.0
13. Carnell Williams 2001 40.7 7.5 22.3
14. Cam Newton 2010 36.9 1.4 21.7
14. Onterio McCalebb 2011 26.0 16.6 21.7
16. Ben Tate 2008 40.2 4.5 20.7
17. Courtney Taylor 2006 3.6 31.4 18.6
18. Darvin Adams 2009 0.0 34.9 17.8
19. Casinious Moore 2001 32.3 6.6 17.1
20. Rod Smith 2007 0.0 30.4 16.2
Here are the top 10 rushing years:
Name Year Pct. Of Rush Yds.
1. Rudi Johnson 2000 80.5
2. Kenny Irons 2006 61.8
3. Mike Dyer 2011 57.5
4. Kenny Irons 2005 55.5
5. Carnell Williams 2003 54.6
6. Carnell Williams 2002 51.7
7. Ben Tate 2009 49.4
8. Carnell Williams 2004 48.9
9. Ben Tate 2007 44.3
10. Ronnie Brown 2004 42.5
And the top 10 receiving years:
Name Year Pct. Of Receiving Yds.
1. Darvin Adams 2009 34.9
2. Emory Blake 2011 33.6
3. Darvin Adams 2010 32.1
4. Courtney Taylor 2006 31.4
5. Rod Smith 2007 30.4
6. Jeris McIntyre 2003 24.8
7. Tim Carter 2001 24.4
8. Courtney Taylor 2004 23.9
9. Terrell Zachery 2010 20.2
10. Rod Smith 2006 20.1
Blake's figure counts the Florida game, which he technically played in even though he only took, like, one snap.
Discount that and it rises to 37.4 percent.
Three things before I go:
1) That Rudi Johnson 2000 year was sick.
2) I know there are flaws inherent in this measure. Brown and Williams, for example, had to share the backfield because both were so talented. But neither by himself was ever as important -- bulk-wise -- to the Auburn offense as Dyer is this year.
3) Dyer's on pace to rush for 1,429 yards and 13 touchdowns this year, which would place him on fourth on Auburn's all-time single-season list and ninth on its career yards list. And he's only a sophomore.
That's getting work done.