Who's the better back: Jonathan Dwyer or C.J. Spiller?

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The players have complimented each other, but have done their best to elude the talk just as they do tacklers.

Thursday night’s game between No. 15 Georgia Tech and Clemson at Bobby Dodd Stadium will feature two of college football’s best running backs: the Yellow Jackets’ Jonathan Dwyer and the Tigers’ C.J. Spiller.

They are different backs: Dwyer is a 6-foot, 235-pound masher, capable of going between the tackles to get hard yards, or of stepping nimbly outside and outracing the defense.

Spiller is a bit smaller, at 5-11, 195 pounds, but his speed has made him a weapon as a kick returner, running back and receiver.

Neither would say that going against each other gets them any more excited than any other game. Both, however, said they want to play well and show the national TV audience that their teams are capable of winning the ACC.

A look at Dwyer and Spiller, from people with a different perspective than the average fan:

What his opposing coach says

Dabo Swinney on Dwyer: “You look at him last year, he had seven games where he had 100 yards in the first half. So he shows up and goes to work. Not only is he a fast starter, but he’s a good finisher. He’s a very good player that we have to minimize.”

Paul Johnson on Spiller: “Anytime he touches it, he’s got a chance to go the distance. When he has the ball you have to wrap him up. You have to rally to the ball, and more than one guy has to get there. You have to be aware of how they use him.”

What his own coach says

Paul Johnson on Dwyer: “Complete package, good hands and can catch the ball. He can hit a home run on any play. Speed to break long plays. He’s got the size and power.”

Dabo Swinney on Spiller: “Our gameplan on offense will start with C.J. Spiller. He is perhaps the most exciting, versatile player in the nation.”

What their quarterbacks say

Josh Nesbitt on Dwyer: “He brings power. He takes the pressure off me. Once I hand it off I can run down the field and watch the show.”

Kyle Parker on Spiller: “Sometimes I just hand him the ball and don’t want to carry out my fake. I want to turn and watch him.”

What a defender says

Linebacker Sedric Griffin on Spiller: “Don’t let him get in the open field. He’s one of the fastest guys in the country. You let him get in the open field with the ball in his hands, and he’s going to be magical.”

Defensive end Da’Quan Bowers on Dwyer: “He’s a great athlete. He’s going to be tough to tackle. What we’ve seen on film is he’s the heart of the offense. When he’s going well, they go well. When he struggles, the offense struggles.”

What they say of each other

Spiller on Dwyer: “Jonathan’s a great guy. He’s very similar to me, he can run the ball, he can pound, he can run away from [defenders].”

Dwyer on Spiller: “Electric. When he has the ball in his hands you better keep your eyes open because he could be down the field in one blink.”

What a draft analyst says

Charles Davis, NFL Network, on Dwyer: “When I see Dwyer move and cut, I’m not sure that I’ve got that person [to compare him to in the NFL]. I wish I did. I wish someone leapt to mind. It’s a compliment to him that his style that no one comes to mind.”

Davis on Spiller: “He’s very explosive. We probably overuse that word, but I think he’s that type of back. He wears 28, so you see a bit of that Marshall Faulk, where they used him at everything. You see that in him, too. That’s his style, his build.”

Heisman/All-American campaigns

Georgia Tech: There have been discussions on what Tech would do should Dwyer become a candidate for the Heisman Trophy as the season progresses.

Clemson: The Tigers produced a life-size poster of Spiller that they handed out at the ACC media days. A few of the defensive players from other ACC teams joked that they were going to ask Spiller to autograph it.

Key stats

● Dwyer has rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 games. He was 5 yards away from making it 11 in Saturday’s win against Jacksonville State. In the past five games Dwyer is averaging 113.8 yards rushing per game. He needs 169 yards to become the 10th player in Tech history with 2,000 yards.

● Spiller has 12 school records, including receptions by a running back in a game (7), yards per carry in a season (7.3), touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a season (6), kickoff returns for a touchdown in a career (4), touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a career (13), touchdowns of 80 yards or more in a career (7).