Michael Gordon is a Explosive Back for Arkansas State. Michael's 2015 season ranks in the 8th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 171 plays — a developing rate for the RB.
Elite per-carry efficiency — breaks big runs and creates chunk plays at a top rate while in a limited 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 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 2020 | 301 | 0.340 | 4.5 | 102.3 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 2019 | 213 | 0.470 | 4.7 | 100.1 |
| James Flanders | Tulsa | 2016 | 266 | 0.390 | 4.9 | 103.7 |
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 | @USC | L6-55 | 16.8 | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | -0.06 |
| 2 | vsMissouri | L20-27 | 3.4 | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 | -0.16 |
| 3 | vsMissouri State | W70-7 | — | 9 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Car 2 · Rush Yds 3 · Avg 1.5 · Rush TD 0
| 92 |
| 10.2 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 4 |
| 0 |
| 0.59 |
| 4 | @Toledo | L7-37 | 7.7 | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -0.23 |
| 5 | vsIdaho | W49-35 | -12.2 | 25 | 221 | 8.8 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.36 |
| 7 | @South Alabama | W49-31 | -10.4 | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0.74 |
| 8 | vsLouisiana | W37-27 | -7.1 | 14 | 73 | 5.2 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.23 |
| 9 | vsGeorgia State | W48-34 | -6.7 | 14 | 59 | 4.2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | -0.04 |
| 10 | @App State | W40-27 | 7.9 | 17 | 136 | 8.0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0.20 |
| 11 | @UL Monroe | W59-21 | -14.7 | 13 | 74 | 5.7 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | -0.05 |
| 13 | @New Mexico State | W52-28 | -18.6 | 11 | 75 | 6.8 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.54 |
| 14 | vsTexas State | W55-17 | -15.5 | 20 | 148 | 7.4 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 0.58 |
| 1 | vsLouisiana Tech | L28-47 | 8.3 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | — | — | — | -1.63 |