USC's two running back transfer additions this offseason might have looked a lot different on paper to those who didn't delve any deeper than that.
At Oregon, playing behind perhaps the best offensive line in the Pac-12, Travis Dye was one of the most productive players in the conference last season, piling up 1,271 rushing yards, 402 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns.
At Stanford, as part of the worst collective rushing attack in the league, Austin Jones averaged a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry in 2021, totaling 378 rushing yards, 267 receiving yards and 3 total touchdowns while facing an abundance of eight-man fronts.
Jones knows that some people probably didn't look deeply into the circumstances and just saw the numbers.
"Other people, they probably just think it's something else," he said as to why his stats went down as a junior, from 5.0 YPC as a freshman and 4.4 as a sophomore (when he also rushed for 9 TDs).
That's not what USC coach Lincoln Riley saw, though.
He saw a former four-star prospect who was ranked the No. 5 RB in the 2019 recruiting class, a guy he felt made the most of what he was given, a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield and more than anything -- just like Dye -- an experienced veteran for a team that needed help in that regard.
"I think the body of work, you turn on the tape, we thought he was a very versatile player," Riley said. "We thought he did a good job. They obviously used him a bunch in the throwing game last year and he did a really good job with that [and] pass protection. We thought the opportunities he got to run the ball, he had good vision, explosion, ran hard, and again just the combination of all that and bringing some experience and some game reps to a backfield where we felt that was important, it made it a no-brainer for us."
In his first game as a Trojan last week, Jones certainly maximized his opportunities, turning just 4 carries into 48 yards -- including a 28-yard gain -- and 2 touchdowns, matching his season total from last year. He also added a 21-yard reception.
"Definitely a lot more daylight," Jones said after the game of playing in Riley's offense.
Jones' second game as a Trojan comes Saturday back at Stanford, where he spent the last three seasons.
He downplayed the significance of the moment this week, though.
"It's kind of funny, you know, going back to a place you've been for three years. It will be a fun experience getting to play against my old teammates," he said. "To me, it's just another game, you know what I'm saying. It will be fun playing against my old teammates. At the end of the day, we just want to go 1-0 each week. Just another game for me."
Jones said he's heard from a number of those former teammates this week, but he hasn't wanted to really engage too much.
"They'll be texting me and stuff. I don't really do the back and forth, you know what I'm saying. I'll give them all the same response -- 'See you this weekend,'" he said.
There's no doubt Jones takes the field Saturday at familiar Stanford Stadium in a much better offense than the last time he played on this turf -- or in this matchup, for that matter.
Jones carried the ball 10 times for just 13 yards vs. USC last year, a fitting encapsulation of the challenges he faced in the Cardinal offense. (He did have 2 catches for 54 yards, though).
"At Stanford you get a lot of Power I sets and a lot of closer sets where you're going to get a bunch of eight guys in the box. Here at 'SC, it kind of marries up pretty well -- you get a lot more space to run the ball and pass as well," Jones said.
He also expressed satisfaction with the shared backfield approach. Although he only got 4 carries in his Trojans debut, none of the team's four backs had more than 6 in an unusual game that featured only 48 offensive plays for USC due to the defense scoring three times in a 66-14 win over Rice.
"You saw the results, it definitely worked. Everybody's getting their share. The by-committing thing is straight with me," Jones said. "We've got too many athletes on the field to say only one person is going to get carries, only one person is going to get a catch or anything like that."
Jones also believes he's a better running back than he was a year ago, thanks to RBs coach Kiel McDonald harping on same areas he needed to shore up while emphasizing running through tackles.
"I think I've gotten a lot better at that. And then also my pad protection, I'm using my feet a lot more. I feel like there was times last year where I'd be kind of lunging. Coach Mac kind of made me hone in on that more and just move my feet and then strike," Jones said.
Jones, meanwhile, has been able to be a resource for the coaches this week as well, as they prepare for Stanford.
He acknowledged that he's been asked some questions about the Cardinal offense by the Trojans staff.
"Yeah, here and there, just little questions about what does stuff mean when they see it. I'll give them what they want. At the end of the day, it's about winning the game," he said.
There is that too. After enduring a 3-9 season last year, Jones is now on a top-10 team with conference championship aspirations.
It's also his senior year and he'd surely like to showcase himself for the NFL, but these days that doesn't require a feature back role -- just good tape. (He also has an extra year of eligibility still if he chooses to use it.)
And Jones is feeling right at home in the Trojans' backfield.
"Those are my guys at the end of the day. It's fun always being around them, always joking around," he said of the other RBs. "So we see the results, we know each guy's going to get an opportunity to do his thing. Whoever's day it is, continue to do that and we'll all support him."
