you aren't missing anything in terms of his production and success. It has been 0. I said this all spring/summer while it seemed a lot of people chirped his praises as a great "change of speed" back. I went back to the fact that his production last year came exclusively in garbage time or against bad competition.
That said, Carter is playing out of us having no one else to go to more so than out of desire. Algie has been banged up for 2 years, Hine was out most of the Mich game and all of UConn and even if he plays this week is probably limited. Even Bernard I believe was hurt for the start of the year. Jamaal was obviously suspended the whole year, Canada has to sit out due to transfer rules, Charles West got in trouble with the law and couldn't enroll. Bronco was planning on being 5 or 6 deep at RB with a transfer sitting out as #7. Even with 2 guys hurt, they were probably still planning on being 4 deep every game. Most games this year we have been 2 deep. Carter is, quite literally, all we have.