Former Ohio star Chad Brinker graduated. Now a young core of talented running backs is pulling together to seal the void.
Last year Brinker was the key of the offense. He led the attack with almost three times more rushing yards than anyone else on the team. But this year Ohio looks to utilize a whole crew of running backs.
In the past we featured Chad
whereas this year we don't have a 'feature back ' running back coach Everette Sands said. We asked Chad to do a bunch of different things but now we are asking a bunch of guys to do a bunch of different things.
It is early in the season, but the backs appear to be up to the job-despite setbacks in last week's running game against a well-prepared Iowa State defense. In the season opener against Southeast Missouri State, the Bobcats ran for 227 yards with a rotation of running backs contributing.
We have a lot of backs that we expect to be playing
and we expect a lot from each of them because each of them brings a little something different to the table
Sands said. That's what makes this unit have the opportunity to be really good.
Though no one has broken out as the star, slot back Stafford Owens has had some strong showings thus far. In the first game, he recorded the most yards of both teams and averaged the most yards per carry.
I wish my role was 25 carries a game
but it's not that so I just want to be there to support the team and help us win
Owens said. Whatever my role is
I'm going to go out and do what the coaches ask me to do and hope we can get wins.
Owens has plenty of competition for carries. Fullback Brad Young and Phillip Fountain, slot back Chris Jackson and halfbacks Ray Huston and John Taylor are also listed in the depth chart. Taylor, a true freshman, made the trip to Iowa State but did not play because of concern about a hamstring injury. He earned a spot in the two-deep to replace Justin Roush, who was injured in the final minutes of the season opener and is out for the season.
In his one game, Roush showed potential. In Ohio's last drive of the game, he rushed four times for 27 yards. The walk-on-turned scholarship athlete finished with 47 rushing yards when he took a hit to the knee.
I've never seen anything like that in my career
Taylor said. Seeing him at practice
he worked real hard. That's the sad thing
but it's all part of the game. People got to step up
