Regression is cause for concern with USC RB coach Anthony Jones
Anthony Jones, in his coaching career, has generally improved the rushing games at the schools where he has worked. However, there are some instances of regression within the larger story of improvement at Memphis and TCU. That is something USC will be watching this year in the Big Ten Conference.
USC football analyst Josh Webb has more on how Jones’s Memphis rushing games fell off the pace after a really strong and positive 2018 season:
“2019 saw a pretty significant decrease in yards at Memphis, dropping by 33%,” Webb noted. “Attempts dropped by 10%, TDs dropped by 33%, and yards per carry dropped by 25%. A slight drop-off from 2018 production would make sense, but the numbers across the board were worrying and 2020 proved why. Yes, COVID does help explain things, but the massive drop in numbers for a team that played three fewer games is worrisome.
“In 2020, Memphis posted 396 attempts for 1,861 yards and nine touchdowns, and an average of 4.03 yards per carry on an average of 36 attempts per game. That’s a 35% decrease in total attempts, an 81% decrease in touchdowns, a 59% decrease in total rushing yards, and a 36% decrease in average yards per carry. In 2019, by contrast, Memphis posted over 3,000 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns. You could point to COVID but for the fact that 2021 didn’t really see a return to form.
“2021 rushing totals at Memphis were relatively unchanged compared to 2020. The Tigers rushed for just over 1,900 yards with a four-yards-per-carry average and 18 total touchdowns. While Jones’s move to TCU led to a boost in the Horned Frogs’ overall stats in 2022, the numbers regressed in 2023, much as they did at Memphis. He spent two years at TCU and if you compare his first year to his second year, the second year was noticeably worse.
“TCU saw a 28% decrease from the year prior in total rushing attempts, a 36% decrease in rushing yards, a 10% decrease in average yards per carry, a 48.65% decrease in touchdowns, and a 10% decrease in the total number of rushing attempts per game.”
We aren’t entering Year 2 for Jones at USC. First things first. However, the question of sustainability is undeniably something to look at when evaluating Jones.
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