The Music City Bowl will be Decided by a Running Back Duel

The Music City Bowl's featured running backs have never played a college football season without rushing for at least 1,000 yards.  A veteran with a complete skill-set, Justin Jackson will try to end his illustrious Northwestern career by upending the SEC's most powerful underclassman, Benny Snell. Snell's surprising start has rewritten the Kentucky record books.  The SEC's leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns at the conclusion of the regular season, Snell's carried a heavy workload along with a giant target on his back. "We go as Benny goes," Mark Stoops said at the Music City Bowl press conference. "He's been rock steady for two years now. He's mature beyond his years. He's that guy we need. He's extremely disciplined, hard-nosed tough, blue-collared, like Pat and I like both of our teams to be. He certainly is that." Stoops' praise was overshadowed by Pat Fitzgerald's remarks.  The Northwestern head coach and former All-American linebacker believes Snell is one of the best running backs in the country. "As a former linebacker, when I studied running backs when I was a player, you first look at the tough yards, short yardage, goal line, you look at those times when you got more people in the box than the offense can block. What does the back do? Every time, not only does he fall forward, he drives forward. To see that leg drive, the power and the explosiveness, it was great...Another great challenge for our defense. "Then you pop on, you start watching personnel tape, formation tape, situational tape, you see how they use him in multiple ways. They get him downhill in the run game, they use him as a Wildcat quarterback, they use him in the passing game. He's just a complete back." 'Complete back' is how most describe Northwestern's Jackson.  The senior is an excellent pass-catcher who has totaled more than 1,000 yards for four consecutive seasons. "He's a real challenge," Stoops said.  "He's just a complete running back. He does things right. He's explosive. He gets tough yards. He gets explosive yards. We got our hands full." Just 17 yards away from becoming the No. 3 all-time rusher in Big 10 history, behind just Ron Dayne and Archie Griffin, Fitzgerald said Jackson means "everything" to his program. "He's irreplaceable. Once-in-a-coaching-lifetime young man," Fitzgerald said. "I know Saturday night I'll be asked, How are you going to replace Justin Jackson? You're not. That just doesn't happen. Someone is going to have to step up and make their mark after he's gone. "It's an honor, a privilege. He's a dual-major. He's just the full package. He's a special young man." It's difficult to discern who is the best back.  Jackson's historic career is a balanced work of art, while Snell has already scored more touchdowns in half the time.  We'll know who is the best by the end of the day.

Snell vs. Jackson

	Snell	Jackson
2017 Yards	1318	1154
2017 YPC	5.1	4.5
2017 TDs	18	9
Career Yards	2409	5283
Career YPC	5.4	4.76
Career TDs	31	29
2017 Rec.	10	43
2017 Rec. Yards	72	266
Career Rec.	12	121
Career Rec. Yards	111	848

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