Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love is entering the 2018 season as the bookmaker's favorite to win the Heisman trophy - and there are two major reasons for that.
First, he's really, really good. Second, in a year largely bereft of household names, Love is a known star. He finished second in Heisman voting a year ago while also capturing the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.
My own personal case of Love Fever has already reached a dangerous level. He averaged a ridiculous 8.1 yards per carry in 2017 and failed to rush for 100 yards in just one game, which seems like a typo. It's going to be tough to replicate that in his senior season, but he could!
The 21-year-old is blessed with rare stop-and-start quickness and an ability to shrink his 5-foot-10 frame through tiny crevices along the defensive front:
Love also has an innate playmaking feel. He's blessed with unteachable two-steps-ahead vision and plenty of wiggle. That allows him to set up blocks and take advantage of even a sliver of space. Defenders can't get a clean read on his path, and when they do, he's able to slip his feet, shake his hips, and attack space:
Patience is everything. Young backs have a tendency to outrun their blocking scheme - particularly when it involves linemen pulling or moving - as they're eager to zoom upfield. They don't allow blocks to fully develop or give their lineman time to reach the second level. All of that leads to a cluttered alley with no space to move.
Not Love. He's a smart runner who will gather speed when he needs to, rather than bursting out of his stance at 100 mph every play. It doesn't get much better than this:
That's a special run, and a beautiful, canny use of his skills. Washington's defense got a good read on the play and a pair of "force" defenders squeezed the outside edge. Love spotted it. Washington's "Will" linebacker closed the initial corridor. Love remained patient, and waited on his pair of backside blockers to wrap around.
Once those guys were in position, it was Love vs. the "Mike" linebacker one-on-one. Love hit his matchup with a stutter-step, slowing him down and giving him no chance to catch up once he burst through the hole.
But wait! There's more. Love has raw, unadulterated, freakish acceleration. He scrambles the radar of defenders - he's there, but then he's gone. He turns simplistic rushing designs into diabolical ones. Watch him plant and fire on this insert-zone play, and then go to work in the open field:
Above, He stops on a dime and pogo-sticks his way through a huge hole. Once up to the second-level, he dusts a pair of fools. He has that rare ability to accelerate while he cuts. Off-ball linebackers and safeties must get queasy chasing his shadow.
Love is more of a product of how his offensive line plays than other backs around the country — he needs help. It may not always show up in the stats, but he relies on his line to distort the levels of the front – not necessarily to knock them back off the ball.
Love doesn’t need much room to go to work — he’s just lacking in size, unable to barrel in-behind a single lineman and churn out yards. Give him any kind of space, though, and he’ll unleash his blurry speed:
When Stanford's run game is in full flight, it's organized disorder - guards pulling, tight ends down blocking, a fullback kicking ... and Love taking advantage.
The unit works more in two seconds than almost any other. And it's ruthless, too, pouncing on mismatches instantly by seeking the weakest run defender and pulling the best blocker onto him. It's simple to design, and with Love in the mix, it's not easy to stop:
Stanford has a playbook full of ways to shove opponents out of the way. Getting Love up to the second level is everything, as nobody punishes a defense more. He led the nation in breakaway rate (66.3 percent) last season - with 35 runs of 15-plus yards, per ProFootballFocus - and somehow seems to keep gaining speed as he gets farther downfield. Here, he runs past the secondary and shakes off the last man while maintaining his balance along the sideline:
That Love produced so many long runs is even more impressive when you factor in Stanford's inadequate aerial attack, which led to loaded boxes throughout 2017. However, the team eventually dumped quarterback Keller Chryst for current starter K.J. Costello, who helped stretch the field.
One area where Love could use improvement is passing downs, which he was often removed for last year. Stanford's coaching staff wants him to get stronger, although he was still pretty solid when asked to protect the quarterback last year. Look:
That’s a great play. And it had little to do with strength. The safety rotated toward the box late and flew in off the edge. Love picked him up. Pass protection doesn’t always require a knockout blow; just a stable base and the body position to edge someone around the corner. Love's block gave his quarterback just enough time to hit his receiver downfield.
And if you don't block, don't call for the rock - that's how coaches think. Once Love proves he can handle a full-time blocking load, he'll also get more chances to catch balls out of the backfield.
Imagine what Love could do with a whole extra down? Unfortunately for him, Stanford has better options right now. He's not yet a smooth route-runner and he does't have the softest hands. But he's too good in space for the team to not find ways to get him the ball in the passing game.
Overall, Love is rightly the Heisman betting favorite, and the closest to a sure thing heading into the season. Unfortunately, his greatness could feel somewhat stale by season's end, while a shiny new toy will surely come along elsewhere. But if Love can rush for another 2,000 yards and earn a couple more touches a game as a receiver, his resume should be pretty unassailable.
