Iron Bowl tailbacks seeking big finales

Posted 3:07PM on Thursday 16th November 2006 ( 18 years ago )

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Here's what tailbacks Kenny Irons and Kenneth Darby envisioned for their senior seasons: Records, titles, glory. What they got instead: Injuries, struggles, frustration. No. 15 Auburn's Irons and Alabama's Darby enter Saturday's Iron Bowl hoping to remedy that. What better route to redemption than a rivalry that has featured runners like Bo Jackson and Shaun Alexander, Carnell Williams and Bobby Humphrey? ``A breakout game against these guys and I could look back and, even though I had some good games and some bad games, I think this game would be more memorable than anything,'' Darby said. He had expected to be at least in striking distance of Alexander's school rushing mark by now, but that milestone is proving much hard to chase down. Irons had big ambitions, too. A second straight Southeastern Conference rushing title. Maybe an SEC championship for the Tigers. Even a Heisman Trophy shot. His approach to this rivalry game shows how things turned out. ``I'm trying to rebuild myself,'' Irons said. ``I've been down so long.'' Irons and Darby were the league's top two rushers last season, and had every reason to expect big career finales. Irons has missed two games with ankle and toe injuries, and all but one series of a third for Auburn (9-2, 5-2). He has only three 100-yard games and three touchdowns and is the SEC's No. 3 rusher with 736 yards in nine games. Irons has had only 11 carries in the past two games while resting his sore ankle, having to largely settle for the now too familiar role of spectator. ``It's been hard,'' Irons said. ``Every night I think, 'Why me? Why can't somebody else get injured?' I know the expectations that were there for me, but I worked hard. ``You see yourself falling and dropping, things don't go your way it's just hard.'' Even his teammates' teasing has bothered him. ``What they don't know is that kind of gets to you,'' he said. Darby entered the season only 1,076 yards shy of Alexander's mark and seeking a school-record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He has 798 now and no rushing TDs. He didn't have a 100-yard effort until the fifth game and has 153 yards in his last three. One problem has been an inexperienced offensive line for Alabama (6-5, 2-5) that hasn't consistently opened up big holes. ``It's hard to put your finger on it,'' coach Mike Shula said. ``His production hasn't been as consistent overall as it was the year before but he has run the ball just as hard and practiced just as hard.'' Darby said breaking the team's 0-for-4 stretch against the Tigers is a big reason why he opted to return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. He couldn't bear the thought of running into former Auburn players who could gloat that Darby never beat them. ``I'm the type person, my pride's too big,'' Darby said. ``I don't want anybody to be talking about how bad they beat us. I want to get the last laugh.'' Plus, he said, ``Walking off the field last year, I kind of marked in my head the same exact night that this is a game that I'm never going to forget, that this is a game I can't wait to play next year.'' Darby had 18 carries for 89 yards, and four catches for 21 yards, in that game. Irons had a workmanlike 103 yards on 28 runs. Darby says his pass protection has improved dramatically this season, with the Tide increasingly turning away from a struggling running game. ``Even though I didn't have the breakout season that I wanted to or that I planned on having, I think I learned more this season than anything,'' said Darby, whose 3,266 rushing yards ranks No. 3 at Alabama. He and Irons have also learned another skill: Sharing. As in carries and playing time. Auburn sophomore backup Brad Lester has run for 456 yards and eight touchdowns for the Tigers despite being limited in several games with a groin injury. The coaches have indicated that he will get plenty more carries against the Tide. ``You'll see him quite a bit this week,'' coach Tommy Tuberville said. Alabama defenders and coaches seldom responded to questions about Irons without mentioning Lester. ``It's not just all about Kenny Irons,'' linebacker Terrence Jones said. ``Brad Lester is doing a good job running the ball and getting quality yards. He's just as hard a runner.'' Alabama's Jimmy Johns has been limited by an ankle injury lately, but fared well enough early that some fans were clamoring for him to replace Darby. At 6-foot-2, 227 pounds, he is more of a bruising, straight-ahead runner than the shifty Darby. ``Darby's a very good runner,'' Auburn linebacker Will Herring said. ``He's got great quickness. He runs very hard and fights for extra yardage. He'll cut back on a dime.'' Darby did get his first touchdown of the season on a catch at LSU last weekend, ending a 14-game drought. He had trouble containing himself after that long drought. ``I almost lost my self-control and got a penalty,'' Darby said. ``It felt real good. (The referee) came up to me and told me to calm down. I was like, 'You just don't know.'''

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/11/100188