Bison backfield will be different but effective
In two separate games last season, NDSU running back Kyle Steffes had 29 rushes.
One was against Minnesota, the other versus Northeastern.
I was tired just watching him. I can’t imagine the way his legs felt the next morning.
Here is a good guess: the Bison won’t have a single running back carry the ball that many times in a game this season.
Partly because Steffes has expired his eligibility, but more because this year’s squad has a group of running backs who don’t posses the all-around talent of Steffes, who rushed for 1,268 yards last season.
Collectively, though, the running backs in 2007 could fill the void.
“With the kind of offense were going to run, we are not going to be a team that airs it out 50 times a game,” said NDSU quarterback Steve Walker. “We are going to go out there, line up, punish some teams and try to wear them down.”
As of now, NDSU’s running back situation is as follows. Pete Blincoe or Tyler Roehl will likely enter the fall as the starting tailback.
Blincoe, a sophomore-to-be, rushed for just 279 yards last season but had flashes where he wowed fans with his breakaway speed.
Against Cal Poly, Blincoe rushed for 109 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown dart.
Roehl will be playing a lot somewhere, but it is unclear whether he will be at fullback or tailback.
The 232-pound runner was the starting fullback his freshman and sophomore year (Roehl missed the entire 2005 season after suffering a leg injury).
If Tyler Jangula, who injured his knee last season and missed the final eight games of the season, is healthy come fall, he could start at fullback and the Bison could use Roehl at tailback more.
If this unfolds, the Bison could use the 1-2 punch of Roehl and Blincoe.
As evident at the spring game on Saturday, though, it could look more like a 1-2-3 punch for the Bison.
Blincoe and Roehl combined for just 55 yards and with Roehl scoring a touchdown.
Mike Brower, who converted to tailback from linebacker last season rushed for 82 yards and scored a touchdown.
At 6-feet, 201 pounds, Brower, like Roehl, leaves bruises when he hits opponents, but he showed Saturday that he is also very agile for his size.
While he had few rushes last season, Brower’s high school career shows he can be effective running the ball.
After he rushed for 2,376 yards his senior season, Brower ended his prep career with 6,099 rushing yards.
With that unthinkable total, Brower is the all-time leading rusher in Nebraska high school history.
“We’ll be a different style running team but I think were going to be really effective,” said NDSU head coach Craig Bohl.
Anytime a team loses 1,268 yards of rushing, it will take a hit. But the combo that will carry the load for the Bison should do just fine in the team’s style of offense.