After their running unit led the country in rushing yards last season, and after Tre Mason declared for the NFL Draft following his record-breaking season, many began to question how Auburn's 2014 rushing attack would be.
After two games, it looks like 'Running Back U' is back once again, thanks to Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Grant, the offensive line and head coach Gus Malzahn's offensive system.
Despite Artis-Payne having 22 more carries than Grant thus far, Malzahn said he will continue to stick to the plan of running both of them with the first team offense.
"We'll utilize both of those guys," Malzahn said after their 59-13 victory over San Jose State on Sept. 6. "We're not going to change that. We've got to have two of those guys getting carries."
Even though Artis-Payne is receiving a bulk of the carries, it does not seem to change Grant's attitude.
"At times, I thought I could have gotten more (carries), but as long as we win, I'm happy," Grant said after the opener against Arkansas.
Both Artis-Payne and Grant have different running styles, which helps throw off opposing defenses when they switch in and out.
Grant is known for his speed while Artis-Payne carries the perception of a bruiser out of the backfield.
According to Artis-Payne, both running backs want to get away from being viewed as a one-dimensional runner.
Through two games, it was shown that both of their running styles have become more complex.
Grant has displayed his ability to run through tackles since he bulked up in the offseason, and Artis-Payne has shown how he can accelerate and break free while in the open field.
"Corey's always been a strong guy in the weight room," Malzahn said. "Any time you run the ball downhill in spring and everything that goes with that, he's getting more comfortable and finishing runs, but he's a very strong young man."
Artis-Payne came into his senior campaign ready to prove the critics wrong and prove the Tigers' running game would be fine this year.
"Yeah, y'all saw me sitting on the bench last year," Artis-Payne said. "I read everything that everybody puts out, talking about how they don't know how the running game's going to be. I'm here to prove it's going to be all right."
Through the first two games their running game seems to be more than all right. The Tigers are already back to leading the SEC in rushing yards after just two games.
The Tigers also lead the conference in third-down conversions and red zone offense, which has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the running game.
Artis-Payne is also ranked eighth in the country in rushing yards with 289.
That is good for second in the SEC, and he is also tied for second in the nation in touchdowns with four.
"I'm willing to do whatever to help the team," Artis-Payne said. "I'm just getting more and more comfortable with my role in the offense."
With redshirt freshman Peyton Barber and true freshman Racean 'Roc' Thomas waiting in the wings, there's no shortage of depth in the backfield for the Tigers.
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