Des Kitchings has been coaching for a while now, and he’s seen all types of offense come about from the pro style to the spread and everything in between.

But, through all of it, one thing stays constant with teams needing to run the ball to win, especially in the SEC.

“In particular this league where you have to be able to run the ball consistently, you have to have guys who can break tackles and create explosive plays,” Kitchings said.

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Which is good for Kitchings walking into a situation with Mike Bobo, who’s coached—and leaned on—his fair share of running backs over the course of the years.

He coached all-league players at Georgia like Knowshon Moreno and Todd Gurley. While at Colorado State, averaged 37.6 rushing attempts per game, including over 41 rushing attempts per game for two years.

Bobo and Kitchings both understand the value of running the ball, and Kitchings expects it to be a heavy focal point of next year’s offense.

“I think that’s any offense, right? You run to win and throw to score,” Kitchings said. “If you look at the history of coach Bobo and his offenses, running the ball has been a feature part of it. He’s had good tailbacks in the past to be able to do that.”

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Last season the Gamecocks averaged 33 rushing attempts per game, averaging 4.5 yards per carry along with it.

Of their four wins last season, the Gamecocks averaged over four yards per carry in three of them—Charleston Southern, Kentucky and Vanderbilt—and in the other win, at Georgia, the Gamecocks averaged 3.9 yards per carry.

In the eight losses, only three times did the Gamecocks average over four yards per carry and in two of those losses—App State and Missouri—averaged less than a yard per carry.

So, in short, Kitchings and Bobo know how vital it is to stay balanced and be productive on the ground.

“Running the football and being balanced helps your defense, helps your team,” Kitchings said. “It helps physicality of the team in practice if that’s an emphasis. We all have the same goals when it comes to that.”

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The Gamecocks have some young but talented running backs this year in MarShawn Lloyd and two returners, Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick. They’re also set to break in two players once players are allowed back on campus in ZaQuandre White and Rashad Amos.

Right now there’s no scheme specifics still months out from the start of the season, but Kitchings likes to have one guy they can lean on heavily over the course of the game.

“If there’s a guy in a rhythm, toting the rock and he’s being productive for us, we’re going to ride it and give him some spells along with it. I like to thing we’re going to have some depth where we’re going to be able to rotate some guys,” he said. “In the fourth quarter, let’s go lean on them with someone that’s been consistent and productive.”