Stanford's Bryce Love is posting video game numbers
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Scott Reiss/KTVU) - Stanford football is feeling the love. As is, Bryce Love.
“That speed is... real,” says Stanford head coach David Shaw. “Bryce has that extra gear that when guys take the right angles they still can't catch him.”
Safety Justin Reid agrees.
“I shake my head because it's just like, there goes that kid again doing what he does best. Making defenders look silly, putting them on skates and scoring touchdowns.”
Love’s sprinters speed has helped him put up video game numbers. 1,088 rushing yards in 5 games –4th most in major college football history. His 301 rushing yards last week against Arizona State broke Christian McCaffrey’s single game mark. And he’s on pace to shatter Barry Sanders’ all-time single season rushing record.
“When you check his stats and you compare him to legends like Barry Sanders, Reggie Bush, and you see how he's comparing and beating these guys you start to wonder what can't this kid do?” says Reid.
“It feels good,” says Love. “Playing running back, anytime you see green grass open space you know you always get real excited ready to take what's there, take it to the touchdown.”
The numbers jump off the page, and the speed jumps off the screen. But what makes Bryce an elite – and complete back - surprising toughness. He gains a lot of his yards between the tackles.
“I feel like I've added a lot to my game like that for sure,” he says. “Offseason a big thing for me was getting the lower body strength to go between the tackles, don't step out and things like that.”
Reid has taken notice.
“You see his legs constantly churning, he's running through arm tackles, he's running over people he's juking people he's doing it all. Everything you want him to do he can do it on the field and it shows.”
The upshot? Bryce is starting to show up on Heisman lists, as the nation finally begins to feel the Love.
“It's a blessing at the end of the day, it's an honor. But it should be about the team. That's my thing, being about others. I'm just happy for the team success, just ready to keep winning.”