ACC rookie of the year: It’s Williams in a runaway

BLACKSBURG Everything changed that Tuesday afternoon in August, when Virginia Tech’s top tailback, Darren Evans, slipped and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, ending his sophomore season before it could begin.

Instead of Billy Hite beginning his 30th year as the Hokies’ running backs coach trying to figure out how to split carries among four backs—Evans and three inexperienced players—he faced a bigger question: Who could take Evans’ place? Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams, sophomore Josh Oglesby or true freshman David Wilson? Or some combination thereof?

It would not be easy. Evans last season ran for 1,265 yards, a Tech and ACC freshman record. And while his final per-game average, 90.4 yards, wasn’t amazing, he was often the only successful part of an offense that struggled to its third consecutive national ranking of 99th or lower in yards per game.

In the weeks and months following Evans’ injury, Williams alone answered all uncertainties one dazzling run at a time, dragging a defender 10 yards to the end zone, bursting through a cluster of would-be tacklers, on his way to one of the best seasons in school history and, yesterday, the ACC’s offensive and overall rookie of the year awards.

“This is something that is totally unexpected, but feels great,“ he said.

The defensive rookie of the year went to Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, the nation’s second-leading tackler. Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson was named coach of the year for the second consecutive season. Voting was conducted among 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Williams’ raw numbers alone are remarkable: 1,538 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He needs 110 yards in Tech’s bowl game to break Kevin Jones single-season school record, set in 2003. His 1,538 yards are the eighth-highest by a freshman in NCAA history.

Williams will almost certainly become the fourth freshman, and first since 1987, to lead the ACC in rushing. His current per-game average, 128.2 yards, would be the fifth-highest in ACC history and the best since 1999, when Virginia’s Thomas Jones set a record with 163.5 and Maryland’s LaMont Jordan ran for 148.4.

“He surprised me every week,“ Hite said. “I knew he was gonna be good. I didn’t know he was gonna be good this fast. He did something every ballgame that I just shook my head after he did it.

“He’s as powerful as anybody I’ve ever seen down at the goal line. He’s the best one at an early age that I’ve ever coached. And he might be the best one ever, whether it’s an early age or late age.“

On a larger scale, Williams helped transform Tech’s offense, which currently ranks 56th nationally with 388.3 yards per game. That average would be its highest since 2003 and its second-highest in nine seasons since quarterback Michael Vick’s last year in Blacksburg.

Williams did it with long and spectacular runs. Seventeen of his 268 carries during the 12-game regular season covered at least 20 yards. In 14 games last season, Evans carried 287 times, 10 times for at least 20 yards.

Against North Carolina State, Williams ran for a 19-yard touchdown, pulling safety Earl Wolff for the final 10 yards, as Wolff held his jersey and skidded along the sideline. Against Virginia, Williams’ second of four touchdowns, a 20-yarder, came after he took a pitch from quarterback Tyrod Taylor and, in an instant, dashed untouched through a group of four Cavaliers. Williams broke 11 tackles against Virginia the fifth game in which he broke at least nine.

No one in August doubted Williams’ shiftiness. Many did wonder whether he was durable enough to carry the ball more than he ever did in high school. Evans earned a reputation as a workhorse last season, carrying at least 25 times in four games.

Williams did that three times this season and averaged 22.3 carries per game the most by a Tech back since Cyrus Lawrence averaged 29.5 in 1981, when he set a school record with 325 carries in 11 games.

Only Lawrence’s 29.5 and his 27.1 in 1980 rank higher during Hite’s tenure than Williams’ 22.3 this season. (Evans averaged 20.5 a game last season, in part because he split carries with Kenny Lewis Jr. during the first six games, before Lewis tore his Achilles tendon.)

“[Williams] has been sore on Mondays a little bit, but other than that, he’s been fine,“ Hite said. “I really think the difference is that he doesn’t take full-speed shots like a lot of guys do, just because of his movement. It’s a glancing blow. It’s not a direct hit on him half the time.“

Contact Darryl Slater at (804) 649-6026 or .