David Montgomery is a Featured Back for Iowa State. David's 2018 season ranks in the 0th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 262 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
The centerpiece of the run game — high carry volume, used in early downs and goal-line, true workhorse role.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Dalvin Cook | Florida State | 2016 | 292 | 0.340 | 4.3 | 99.3 |
| Donnel Pumphrey | San Diego State | 2016 | 344 | 0.320 | 4.2 | 110.1 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 2018 | 316 | 0.330 | 4.6 | 104.3 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Car | Rush Yds | Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | @Iowa | L3-13 | 13.3 | 17 | 44 | 2.6 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | -0.21 |
| 3 | vsOklahoma | L27-37 | 24.9 | 21 | 82 | 3.9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.28 |
| 4 | vsAkron | W26-13 | -19.3 | 23 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 26 · Rush Yds 124 · Avg 4.8 · Rush TD 1
| 107 |
| 4.7 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 4 |
| 0 |
| -0.08 |
| 5 | @TCU | L14-17 | 6.9 | 21 | 101 | 4.8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.11 |
| 7 | vsWest Virginia | W30-14 | 13.2 | 27 | 158 | 5.9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.02 |
| 9 | vsTexas Tech | W40-31 | 8.7 | 33 | 125 | 3.8 | 2 | — | — | — | 0.08 |
| 10 | @Kansas | W27-3 | -10.0 | 14 | 64 | 4.6 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | vsBaylor | W28-14 | 2.0 | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0.15 |
| 12 | @Texas | L10-24 | 11.3 | 10 | 33 | 3.3 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0.07 |
| 13 | vsKansas State | W42-38 | -0.5 | 19 | 149 | 7.8 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0.61 |
| 14 | vsDrake | W27-24 | — | 33 | 145 | 4.4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | -0.00 |
| 1 | vsWashington State | L26-28 | 11.3 | 26 | 124 | 4.8 | 1 | 4 | 55 | 0 | 0.25 |