'He's making the most of it': D.J. Williams cementing role as lead back
Prince Tega Wanogho saw D.J. Williams fighting to cross the goal-line but knew the true freshman couldn’t do it himself. So Wanogho took matters into his own hands — or, arms.
The senior left tackle lifted Williams up and dropped him into the end-zone for Williams’ first touchdown in an Auburn uniform.
“I mean, I should get credit for it, too,” Wangho said of Williams’ score. “But yeah, my mindset the entire time was try to get in the end zone. Because we were actually denied the first time. And I saw him standing right there just trying to get (himself) in, and all I could think about was just grab him, and I put him in there. I didn't mean to slam him, but that actually happened.”
Again filling in for the injured Boobee Whitlow, Williams led Auburn in carries for the third consecutive game with 24 and racked up over 100 yards from scrimmage for the second straight game with 104 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ 20-14 win over Ole Miss.
"Every week, I just told him, 'Your time is coming,’” receiver Anthony Schwartz said of Williams. “And when Boobee went down … I'm like, 'Boobee's down, so you know you're the guy.' He just responded great.”
Gus Malzahn split carries between his ‘backs early on before Williams took over. The Sunshine State product had 19 carries in the second half after five in the first, including 11 over Auburn’s first two drives of the third quarter — both scores.
“He's a pretty good kid,” Wanogho said. “I like him a lot because he just brings energy every time. And he's a real good running back, too. Like, he sees the hole, he hits the hole real hard. And you can tell he's actually ready to play. And he plays hard every time.
“He's going to bring it every time. I like that about him.”
In a game where Auburn turned around its recent third-down woes, Williams was a big reason why. Eleven of the 5-foot-10, 216-pound freshman’s 26 touches went for either a first down or a touchdown, and six of them came on third-and-short.
“I’ve seen the things he’s had to overcome to get in this situation and now that he’s in this position, he’s making the most of it and he’s doing a really good job for us,” quarterback Bo Nix said of Williams. “He’s breaking tackles, he’s catching the ball out of the backfield and he’s doing some really good things. He’s just going to get better."
Whitlow was expected to have a small role in the offense but didn’t play a snap. No other tailback besides Williams reached double-digit carries.
“[Williams] protected the football,” Malzahn said, “Real proud of the way that he performed again.”
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