With a slew of minor injuries, the Bruins’ backfield so far this spring has resembled a game of musical running backs, except with no music.
Just about every running back listed on the depth chart has received carries during scrimmage play, with injuries to starter Chris Markey and Derrick Williams.
For coach Karl Dorrell, running back injuries are just an unfortunate byproduct of the process of getting back in action.
“You’re doing so much developmental stuff that (running back injuries) are going to happen,” Dorrell said.
“You want to do the contact; you want to do the competition drills; you want to see who’s tough and who can do the things we need to do as a football team.
“That’s part of spring. You got to roll with the punches. Guys are going to get dinged a little bit but you got to keep trying to build the progress of the program and keep developing players.”
For Markey, who was the Bruins’ leading rusher last season, watching from the sidelines with a stress fracture in his right foot is not easy.
“I’m not really worried (about missing spring practice), but I hate sitting out,” Markey said. “Just me being a competitor, me wanting to help my teammates out, I just don’t like sitting out. I can’t really do a thing about it now but when fall comes around, I’ll be back in the flow of things.”
Markey started all 13 games last season, rushing for 85.2 yards per game and an average of 4.9 yards per carry.
With Markey and Williams both out for Thursday’s practice, Kahlil Bell and walk-on Ryen Carew took most of the carries.
“Kahlil’s having a really good camp,” Dorrell said. “Ryen Carew has shown some good, positive things. It’s his first chance really working with our offense and he’s got excellent speed. … Those guys are definitely getting reps. You just got to keep moving forward with the progress you’re trying to make as a team.”
Williams, who rushed for 96 yards on 26 carries last season, is listed as the No. 2 back on the spring depth chart and has high expectations for the unit come September.
“It’s got big potential,” Williams said. “We got a lot of returning backs and a lot of up-and-coming guys. It’s going to be there for us.”
RUSH SWITCHES TO FULLBACK: Redshirt freshman Dylan Rush practiced at fullback on Thursday, a change from his defensive end position, after fullback Michael Pitre did not practice because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
Pitre had surgery about eight weeks ago and did not participate in practice on Thursday.
“(Rush) played offense in high school,” Dorrell said. “He wanted to play defensive end and that was the position we recruited him as. … He wanted to give offense a try and this is the time of the year that you’re trying to get a chance to look at some guys in different spots. So we moved him over (to fullback) and he seems to like it so far and that might be where he ends up.”
DEFENSE LOOKING STRONG: The Bruins’ defense in scrimmage has for the most part looked like the stronger of the two units so far this spring. For Dorrell, that’s only typical.
“The defense is usually always ahead of the offense in springtime,” Dorrell said.
“Given our defense and our experience back on that side, I would be concerned if it wasn’t.”