Averin Collier came to SU as the No. 1 New York RB prospect two years ago. Since then we haven't heard too much from him. He was passed on the depth chart by Antwon Bailey and has languished in the third spot all season long. Last year, Bailey had his breakout moment in the next-to-last game of the year with a big run. This year it was Averin's turn as he scampered for a 60-yard touchdown run against Rutgers last Saturday to seal the victory.
Collier ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal in Syracuse’s 31-13 victory over Rutgers on Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
It was the longest run of the season by a Syracuse player and was punctuated by a nasty stiff-arm around the 10 yard line to Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty, whom he dragged across the goal-line for the touchdown.
"That was the dagger," Collier said.
You can catch the end of the run, which features a spectacular stiff-arm, at the :51 mark of this video. Interesting footnote at the end of the article...
Collier, the former Churchville-Chili High School star, said he was recruited by Syracuse as an athlete and not necessarily as a tailback. Wherever he’s needed, Collier said he’s ready to play.
Could Collier (smartly) be pushing for a move to a position where he could use his talents more often? With Delone Carter returning for another season and Antwon Bailey clearly in the No. 2 spot, it would be an understandable request. In the meantime, it's nice to know our No. 3 HB is as capable as Averin.
| Orange Running Back Averin Collier |