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When you are a running back of senior Raymond Sanders in the Southeastern Conference you have a huge challenge in front of you. One of the ways Sanders handles that task is through knowledge. Meaning having a complete understanding of the offense. When he was a true-freshman his mentor Derrick Locke said at the SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Alabama that Sanders was a fast learner and was talking about taking his job. Sanders labor under the shadow of the little-man complex and by nature has something to prove.
The running backs have done a good job not only this year but last season, too. Neal Brown was recently asked what if any surprises he could point to on the offensive side of the football. He said - I'm pleased with the rushing numbers. We've been able to run the ball against some really good run defenses." Raymond Sanders has been a big part of that. Sanders is in senior year and his career rushing average is 4.7 yards per carry and is averaging 4.9 per carry this year. The first two years at UK he had knee problems but the last two he has shown why he was recruited.
Sanders has been called on to supply leadership and he is delivering. In doing so he has gained the respect of his teammates with his dedication and by delivering on the football field. "It starts with the coaches who came in and implemented a system that they felt gives us the best chance to win," Sanders explained. Neal Brown has to feel fortunate to have a Sanders around given the fact the talent wasn't on hand to run what he is accustomed to running.
He said he personally has bought into the system and is coming along for the one year he is under Neal Brown's tutelage. We asked the young man how tough has it been in the blocking aspect of the game going against the monsters the SEC puts on the field. He smiled and said - "Yeah, it's tough. Guys see me and they think they can bull rush me but like the coaches say 'you have to be a dog and stick your nose in there.'" Has the team remained hopeful of winning some games in the second half of the season. "Every game we've got something to prove so I don't want anyone to give up," a confident Sanders said. "We always want to fight until the game ends." Given that the team didn't quit at South Carolina bears out the aforementioned. "We were rolling in the fourth quarter and we felt if we could've gotten the ball we would've scored and tied the score and went on to win in overtime."
Sanders said the offensive line has done a great job in moving around and knowing who to block. "They have helped me to have some production and my recognition of how they individually block. Personally I think I'm improving with my reads. I think we are going to continue to get better in running the ball. I think we have ran the ball well especially two week ago against South Carolina.
This week is going to be a bigger challenge at Mississippi State without the running ability of Whitlow on the field. Stoops said he expects Maxwell Smith and Whitlow to be ready to go. Though Smith has taken all the starter rep and is expected to start Stoops has been coy in his dispensation of some insight on how he plans to play them. If the offense can spend some time on the field expect Sanders and his running back buddies to play a big part in a desired winning effort.
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