Joe Williams is a Featured Back for Utah. Joe's 2016 season ranks in the 65th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 222 plays — a average 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2017 | 240 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 98.4 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 2016 | 288 | 0.340 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Nick Wilson | Arizona | 2014 | 250 | 0.410 | 5.2 | 102.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsSouthern Utah | W24-0 | — | 12 | 49 | 4.1 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 0 | -0.29 |
| 2 | vsBYU | W20-19 | 8.0 | 10 | 26 | 2.6 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | -0.37 |
| 7 | @Oregon State | W19-14 | -4.6 | 34 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
Car 26 · Rush Yds 222 · Avg 8.5 · Rush TD 1
| 179 |
| 5.3 |
| 1 |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| 0.07 |
| 8 | @UCLA | W52-45 | 9.1 | 29 | 332 | 11.4 | 4 | — | — | — | 0.58 |
| 9 | vsWashington | L24-31 | 26.7 | 35 | 172 | 4.9 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.17 |
| 11 | @Arizona State | W49-26 | -3.0 | 15 | 181 | 12.1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0.67 |
| 12 | vsOregon | L28-30 | 6.1 | 23 | 149 | 6.5 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 0.23 |
| 13 | @Colorado | L22-27 | 6.3 | 26 | 97 | 3.7 | 0 | — | — | — | -0.17 |
| 1 | vsIndiana | W26-24 | 4.6 | 26 | 222 | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | 56 | 0 | 0.55 |
