BATON ROUGE, La. | In one of the weekend’s top matchups, in a hostile environment with Playoff and conference implications aplenty, the two players in Auburn’s backfield were, more often than not on any given play, both true freshmen.
Bo Nix handed to D.J. Williams 13 times as the 18-year-old led Auburn in rushing by a massive margin, racking up 130 yards in the Tigers’ 23-20 loss at LSU on Saturday afternoon.
Williams was a spark for an otherwise ineffective Auburn offense. If Williams’ touches are removed from the equation, the team averages 2.5 yards per play as opposed to its actual mark of 4.2.
“I remember when I first saw him in our first camp scrimmage, I was like, this kid can flat-out play,” Auburn senior right tackle Jack Driscoll said of Williams. “He showed that today. I was happy for him. He hit the hole hard, he has good vision and, look, we’ve got a lot of running backs that give us a chance to succeed and make plays downfield.”
The bulk of Williams production came on two carries. With 26 seconds until halftime and Auburn back at its own 27-yard line, Gus Malzahn called a draw play for Williams, who hit the opening, sped past the linebackers, danced behind blockers in the secondary, buried LSU defensive back Kary Vincent into the turf with powerful romp, and kept trucking for a few more yards, resulting in a 41-yard play.
Auburn couldn’t capitalize, however, as Nix threw an interception to LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on the following play.
Williams roared right back after halftime. On Auburn’s first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, the 5-foot-10, 216-pound tailback burst through a hole created from an unbalanced line and appeared to go all the way for a 79-yard touchdown down the sideline. LSU safety Grant Delpit pushed him out of bounds, though, for a pickup of 70, which proved significant because LSU forced a field goal after being backed up in a goal-to-go situation.
An assist could also be credited to Williams for pushing Nix into the end zone from behind on a fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak.
“D.J. Williams is coming into his own,” Malzahn said. “I think everybody saw that. I really think he’s got a chance to be an outstanding back. That was really his first real rodeo, as far as being the primary running back against a really good defense in a hostile environment. I think he’s got a chance to be a really good player.”
Williams, a former 3-star prospect from Sebring, Fla., was originally committed to Appalachian State this time a year ago. Auburn was the first major program to offer.
He stood out in spring ball with gritty performances in scrimmages. Williams underwent shoulder surgery after the conclusion of spring camp and dealt with nagging injuries in fall practice while sporting a non-contact jersey. He appeared in a few games to start the season but didn’t receive a handoff until Week 5 against Mississippi State.
“Definitely frustrating,” Williams said of his injuries. “But I’m here now so I’m just making the most of it.”
Viewed by many as a good candidate to succeed in Malzahn’s inside-zone offense because of his patience and power, Williams has now led Auburn in carries back-to-back weeks. He had 11 touches for 48 yards against Arkansas last week.
The opportunity arose for Williams because of the injury to starting tailback Boobee Whitlow and the inconsistency of the rest of Auburn’s running back room. Whitlow returned against LSU after undergoing a knee procedure three weeks ago, but was limited to just three carries.
Whitlow told the freshman, “Just do your thing” before the game, according to Williams.
Besides Williams’ efficient 10-yards-per-carry average, Auburn’s other running backs had nine carries for 34 yards.
“We’ve just got to get better, have the confidence,” Williams said. “Our defense did a great job. We’ve just got to get better.”
So with Williams hitting his stride and Whitlow back from his injury, does the freshman think they could be the team’s new one-two punch at tailback?
“I don’t really think that matters,” Williams said. “I’m just going to show up every day like we have been, grinding together with my brothers. Just get better.”
