Louisville Cardinals

ACC notebook: Mizzell more than just 'Smoke' and mirrors

Published Nov. 24, 2015 9:48 a.m. ET

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In a year where the running back position has rushed to the forefront of college football, there’s still one premier back who runs under the radar. He stands cloaked in a cloud of smoke left behind by beasts like Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry as they burn rubber in pursuit of a Heisman.

Yes, his visibility may be lower than the high profile running backs that have come to rule Saturdays this season, but that just seems appropriate for the man they call “Smoke.”

Virginia’s versatile running back, Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell, has been a key cog in the Cavaliers’ offense this season and is currently the only RB in the nation to have over 600 rushing and receiving yards.

It’s the type of season Virginia fans envisioned when the 5-10, 195-pound former five-star recruit arrived at Charlottesville carrying expectations as great as his nickname.

“A lot of people would want to be in my position, but it does come with bad sometimes because that time that you don’t make that play, it’s like, ‘Oh, how is his name Smoke and blah blah blah and he can’t make that play?,’” Mizzell told the News Leader in the preseason. “It’s almost like you’ve got to make that play 10 times out of 10 or you’re going to get downgraded.”

Upon conclusion of his sophomore season Mizzell had less than 500 career rushing yard and his East-West style of running was beginning to wear thin on Virginia’s sixth-year coach Mike London.

“You look for big plays and big production, but you look for sound play and the type of mature play that you want from a player of his skill and ability,” London told the News Leader this summer. “It’s his time now, and it’s his time, having been here for a while, to show those type of skills. We’ve seen it and he continues to show it, and he’s gotten better at it, so I expect this year to be a very productive year for him.”

With a 27-45 career record with the Cavaliers, there’s a lot London hasn’t been right about, but he was dead-on about Mizzell.

This season the shifty running back has rushed for 638 yards, which ranks 10th in the ACC, while his 68 receptions stands seventh in the league and is tops in the nation among running backs. Mizzell’s 128.6 all-purpose yards per game is the 31st-best total in the FBS.

Last Saturday, Mizzell led the Virginia (4-7, 3-4) to a 42-34 victory over Duke (6-5, 3-4) by rushing for 64 yards and two touchdowns, while catching five passes for 43 yards and a score.

Mizzell’s first catch of the game was his 64th of the year, breaking the Cavs’ single-season record of 63 set by Alvin Pearman in 2003.

The spike in production can be attributed in part to Chris Beatty, Virginia’s first-year running backs coach who helped hone Mizzell’s skills in the offseason.

“As a runner, he didn’t have a running style that really fit the offense being ran or what we’re trying to do now,” Beatty told the News Leader at the start of the season. “As a pass receiver, I thought he was really good.

“After the spring, I kind of felt the same way, like, hey, he’s got to learn how to run and run behind his pads and do the things that college running backs do as opposed to high school backs that try to break a long run every time they get the ball. We had to change up some of the things he was doing and he’s done a good job.”

Those adjustments have helped Mizzell gain 638 rushing yards and 671 receiving yards this year and have in striking distance of becoming the first player to reach the 700 club since Percy Harvin did it in 2007. Mizzell will attempt to do just that when the Cavs host Virginia Tech this Saturday in the final game of the regular season.

Spoiler alert

Just because the ACC title game has already been set doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty on the table to flip over during Rivalry Week.

No. 1 Clemson (11-0, 8-0) has locked up the Atlantic Division crown, but there’s no doubt South Carolina (3-8, 1-7 SEC) will try to derail the Tigers path to the College Football Playoffs.

Last Saturday, the Gamecocks fell 23-22 to the Citadel to lose their fourth straight game, but a win over the Tigers would no doubt provide a feel-good moment as they embark into the offseason.

While South Carolina is seeking hope, North Carolina is looking for payback. In 2014 the Tar Heels were embarrassed by archrival N.C. State, falling 35-7 to the Wolfpack at home in Kenan Stadium.

My how things have changed. This year, UNC (10-1, 7-0) heads to Carter-Finley Stadium as the 17th-ranked team in the nation and winners of the ACC Coastal Division. The Tar Heels could even be in line for a spot in the College Football Playoffs, but only if they win out there schedule. It’s safe to say N.C. State (7-4, 3-4) revels in the opportunity to knock its rival out of Final Four Contention.

The same scenario applies when No. 14 Florida State (8-2) clashes with No. 8 Florida (9-1). Like the Tar Heels, the Gators have an outside shot to make the playoffs, but not if they fall this weekend to their instate rival.

Out of all the potential spoilers this weekend, none may be more villainous than Virginia. The Cavaliers are all that stand in way of Virginia Tech’s retiring head coach Frank Beamer from making it to one last bowl game.

At 5-6 (3-4), the Hokies need one more win to extend Beamer’s streak of 23 consecutive bowl appearances, but first they most finish off a Virginia team that’s feeling confident after downing Duke 42-34 last Saturday.