Kendal Briles’ simple move changed more than just TCU’s entire season. It saved jobs.
TCU’s best offensive player has not announced if he will play in the team’s bowl appearance, and team officials have not heard a word about Savion Williams returning for one more game.
Go with “Doubtful.”
Keep on eye on Williams’ social media activity for what now is the standard Chat GPT post of the player professing their undying love and devotion to their team, teammates, coaching staff and university with the kicker, “With that being said, I am declaring for the NFL Draft.”
The man expected to replace former NFL first round pick Quentin Johnston at wide receiver may not be a first round pick himself, but Williams did succeed in saving TCU’s 2024 season while improving his draft value, and helping to keep both his head coach and offensive coordinator on the sideline rather than in a dunk tank full of hot oil.
Of all the major college football teams that went through “interesting” seasons, few experienced the unintended thrill ride of TCU’s turbulent year. From Sept. 14 to Oct. 2, TCU lost three of four that included blowing a 21-point second half lead at home in a defeat to Central Florida followed by losing to rival SMU, 66-42; this stretch ended losing at home to a bad Houston team.
At the time, TCU was 3-3, head Sonny Dykes was an overrated dolt who only got his job because of his dad, and lucked his way to the national title game; offensive coordinator Kendal Briles was worse. At the time, envisioning this team would finish 8-4 required not a visit to the liquor store but a pharmacy.
At the time, the offense was not good, and their most talented offensive player was not doing much. During the week of practice leading up to its game at Utah, on Oct. 19, Briles tried something he had seen on film.
“During (Savion’s) senior year of high school at Marshall I had seen him do it when he was the quarterback. They would snap him the ball and just run it,” Briles said in a recent phone interview. “Going into that Utah game we put together the first six plays, and the second play we had him run it and he almost scored on it.
“We called that early because it’s easier the kids to learn it. We ran it seven times throughout the course of the game and we as coaches knew we had something.”
TCU’s second play from scrimmage was a Savion Williams run that went for 15 yards. A simple play and basic formation changed their entire season.
In that win at Utah, Williams carried the ball seven times for 72 yards, including the team’s final two meaningful carries of the game that allowed them to kill the clock. In the relief-soaked locker room after the game, Briles asked Williams if he enjoyed the added work.
“I love it,” Williams told Briles. “It was just like being back in Marshall.”
It wasn’t a desperate move; more like, “Let’s see if this works.” Briles had to do something different to get Williams the ball. You don’t often see a wide receiver move to the backfield for more than a carry, and that’s a gadget play, normally because they aren’t big enough.
And you don’t normally see a team flip their season as a result of wide receiver doubling as a running back.
Before TCU moved Savion Williams to a RB/WR
Record: 3-3
Offense rush yards per carry avg: 3.2
Offense rush yards per game avg: 95.2
Offense rush touchdowns: 10
Fumbles lost: 8
Interceptions: 6
Savion Williams: 3 carries., 12 yards. 31 receptions., 328 yards, 4 TDs
Head coach status: What national title game?
Offensive coordinator: 1st to be fired.
After TCU moved Savion Williams to RB/WR
Record: 5-1
Offensive rush yards per carry avg: 4.2
Offensive rush yards per game avg: 133.3
Offensive rush touchdowns: 16
Fumbles lost: 3
Interceptions: 4
Savion Williams: 48 carries, 316 yards., 6 TD; 29 receptions, 283 yards., 2 TD
Head coach status: Maybe you’re not so dumb.
Offensive coordinator: See above.
What is Savion Williams?
Dykes said playing some running back will change Savion’s life. That sounds dramatic, but Dykes knows what this addition could have on Savion’s bank account.
All Savion has done is improve a draft stock that already was positive. Dykes compared Williams to San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, who created a niche for himself as a Swiss Army knife receiver.
Samuel is listed as 6-feet, 216 pounds, which puts him in the middle of the wide receiver and running back frame. Williams is too tall to be a running back, but he can do a few things that the standard wide receiver isn’t expected to do.
“He’s bigger than any running back, and powerful. I just realized when he has the ball he is just different,” Briles said. “He’s a good route runner, but when he gets the ball in his hands something changes with his mentality. He becomes very aggressive, dynamic and explosive, and is hard to tackle.”
All of this has forced more than a few TCU fans to ask the dreaded, What if they had made this move in Week 1?
They’ll never know. They only know that by Briles making their most talented wide receiver into a part-time running back it saved their entire season.
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
