As the Trojans continue their supposed search for an offensive identity, it's becoming more and more clear that the identity is being revealed in the form of Buck Allen.
If Steve Sarkisian wants an offense based upon run-first, physical football, why look anywhere else besides Allen, who has been the most consistent offensive performer for the Trojans this season. You want toughness? Throw on the film of his run in the fourth quarter last Saturday night where he basically carried a pair of Arizona defenders on his back for an additional 18 yards at the end of a run. You could do a lot worse as a coach than to have an identity based upon that kind of effort.
If you want to look at sheer production, Allen has rushed for over 100 yards in five of the six USC games, the only time he didn't hit the 100-yard mark was against Boston College, which also happened to be the only game he has carried the ball less than 20 times this year. His 781 rushing yards leads the Pac-12 and is No. 11 in the nation, and he has scored seven touchdowns while averaging 130.2 yards per game.
"I'm just trying to be an all-around back right now," said Allen, who set a career-high against Arizona with 205 rushing yards. "Coach Sark puts me in the right position to make plays and I'm just trying to make the best of it but it's not just me. I try to stay positive for the players around me, I want to make sure my teammates are feeding off my energy."
It's really only been a year since Allen emerged as a full-time member of the Trojans' backfield and his rise has been as quick as one of his slashing moves. In the last 12 games, Allen has surpassed the 100-yard mark nine times, and if he keeps this up it won't be long before he starts to emerge as more of a name on the national scene. Allen is on pace to rush for over 1,500 yards this season and the last time the Trojans had a running back put up those kind of numbers was Reggie Bush in 2005 with 1,740.
Allen prepared himself well for this role in the offseason by bulking up and becoming more of a vocal leader. He worked on his pass blocking and continues to be a very good receiver, he is currently No. 2 on the Trojans with 23 catches for 278 yards. He has emerged as the dependable option at a position that could have been a committee approach, but Tre Madden has been out with turf toe and Justin Davis has been steadily getting his form back after returning from a 2013 ankle injury.
"I see a very appreciative young man who has overcome a lot to get to this point," Sarkisian said of Allen. "I didn't know he was such a good receiver but I've always thought he was a guy who could hit that 1,500-yard rushing mark and head for post-season accolades. I'm thankful we have him."
An offensive identity built around Allen would also fit well with what is going on with the Trojans' offensive line, an inexperienced group that has been learning on the go, but one of the things they have improved on lately is run blocking. Over the past three games in particular there has been a commitment to running the ball in the second half that will help develop the mindset of what it takes to finish out games on the ground, and nothing is more important to that strategy than the presence of Allen in the center of those efforts.
"I think it's a case of our young kids on the line are starting to pick up the offense and Buck is trusting them more," USC running backs coach Johnny Nansen said. "Buck needs to continue building on that relationship and that will lead to more big runs from him in the future."
