Football: Numbers not everything for UNC backs

In a conference that boasts running backs like Clemson's preseason All-ACC selection C.J. Spiller and preseason Heisman candidate Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech, North Carolina's backfield may be overshadowed in the pantheon of ACC running backs.

There are no 2,000-yard rushers — not even a 1,000-yard rusher — returning for the Tar Heels, but quarterback T.J. Yates doesn't read much into the low numbers of last year.

"It's definitely going to help us to have a running game," Yates said. "We're going to have a lot better running game than we did last season."

Shaun Draughn will resume his role in the backfield alongside the burly Ryan Houston and redshirt freshman backup Jamal Womble.

Draughn, who started the final six games of the season, returns as last year's leading rusher after scampering for 866 yards and three scores.

The junior's rushing total was the most for a North Carolina running back since Jonathan Linton's 1,004 yards in 1997.

But Draughn struggled with holding on to the pigskin late in the year. In the final three games of the 2008 season, the junior tailback coughed up the ball four times, including two in the first quarter against N.C. State and a costly fumble in the fourth quarter of the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

"I don't think it's anything about a lot of experience and all this stuff, it's a mentality. You have to be cognizant of what you have in your hand," Draughn said. "The ball is the issue and you've got to hold on to it."

With a year of experience under his belt, Draughn has begun to see the game differently. His maturation process and knowledge in the backfield will undoubtedly bolster the UNC offensive attack.

"It's just a thing with being patient and actually knowing what the line is going to do… what the defense is going to do," Draughn said. "Know what they're going to do before they even do it. Just knowing that helps me out tremendously, and I just let instincts take over from there."

Ryan Houston is North Carolina's leading returning scorer from last season, racking up eight touchdowns on 299 yards rushing. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound junior will provide some much needed muscle in third-and-short situations.

"Ryan has slimmed down a little bit," Yates said. "He's got a little muscle. He's powerful. He's stronger. He's quicker."

Jamal Womble, described by Yates as "a bowling ball full of muscle," shined in the spring game, where he had 7.1 yards per carry. He could fill the void in the backfield left by Greg Little, who had 339 yards last year and will see most of his action at wide receiver.

"Speed. Power. He's low to the ground," Draughn said, describing his counterpart, Houston. "He can stop on a dime. His cuts are tremendous, and he'll bring a spark to the offense."

With the departure of the top three wide receivers from last year, inexperience will be a factor in the passing game. Draughn and his cohorts will be a bigger option for Yates when he can't find his wideouts.

"It's an emphasis for the quarterbacks to look for the checkdown more this year," Draughn said. "Most of the time our routes are designed to get the receivers open, but this year I think we put more of a running back scheme to be involved in the actual routes."