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Big Sky position rankings: Running backs
By: Greg Rachac
Jun 04, 2010 | 5:00 pm | Loading…
(NOTE: This is the second installment of a series in which we here at the Cat-Griz Insider rank the Top 10 returning players at each position in advance of the 2010 Big Sky Conference football season. Next on the list are the running backs.)
The Big Sky Conference has never been known as a smash-mouth league (eat your heart out, coach Hauck!), and there usually isn't an abundance of solid running backs out there.
That seems like the case again in 2010, even though there are a couple big-time studs in the stable getting ready for the new season.
The Big Sky has a well-earned reputation of being a passing league. It always has been that way, and it probably always will be. So our list of the best RBs is top-heavy, as you can obviously see, with the likes of Montana's Chase Reynolds, a Walter Payton Award candidate, and Eastern Washington's Taiwan Jones.
Have a look:
TOP 10 RUNNING BACKS
1 - Chase Reynolds, Sr., Montana
Comment: His 3,085 yards and 47 TDs since 2008 tell the tale.
2 - Taiwan Jones, Jr., Eastern Washington
Comment: Averaged a whopping 7.5 yards per rush last year.
3 - C.J. Palmer, Jr., Montana State
Comment: Big guy loves short-yard situations and is tough to bring down.
4 - Bryan Hilliard, Jr., Sacramento State
Comment: Missed last year with an injury; gained 1,000 yards in '08.
5 - Andre Harris, Sr., Northern Colorado
Comment: JC transfer surprised with 646 yards and 7 TDs a year ago.
6 - Peter Nguyen, Soph., Montana
Comment: Speedster is a great change-of-pace back for Griz.
7 - Blayde Becksted, Sr., Montana State
Comment: Figures to get more carries; averaged 5.0 a pop in '09.
8 - Giovannie Dixon, Soph., Northern Arizona
Comment: Will get a shot to replace ultra-productive Alex Henderson.
9 - Sam McCowan, Soph., Sacramento State
Comment: Got some quality carries last year; was productive in the spring
10 - Stew Tracy, Jr., Idaho State
Comment: Hopes to carry impressive spring into 2010 season.
Chase Reynolds went through a stretch between 2008 and '09 during which he scored at least one rushing touchdown in 17 consecutive games. He rushed for 1,502 yards and 22 scores last season after a 1,583-yard, 22-TD campaign the year prior. Reynolds (pictured up top) is just 986 yards shy of breaking the all-time rushing record at Montana and is clearly one of the top RBs in the country, not just the Big Sky.
Taiwan Jones (pictured at left) burst on the scene last year as a sophomore, rushing for 1,213 yards and 15 scores. He helped make Eastern Washington's offense the most prolific in the Big Sky. If he can burn up the red turf in Cheney he'll help new QB Bo Levi Mitchell ease into his role of replacing the record-setting Matt Nichols.
Montana State has been one of the top rushing teams in the league in the last two years, and C.J. Palmer is a big reason for that. The 6-foot, 226-pound bowling ball powered his way to 12 TDs in the last two years and could be in for a big season if he can stay healthy.
Former Montana D-coordinator Kraig Paulson once sang Bryan Hilliard's praises to me -- not literally, thank God -- after a game between the Griz and Sac State a couple years back. Hilliard is solid. But he must prove he is healthy enough to re-assume his 1,000-yard form.
Northern Colorado needed somebody to step up at RB last year and Andre Harris was that man. Harris averaged 4.5 yards per-rush last season and should be the Bears' go-to guy again.
The rest of the crop isn't nearly as decorated, but it's still talented:
When Montana needs a different look in the backfield, Peter Nguyen is a great option. Nguyen's blazing speed helps him separate from defenders. He's also pretty tough between the tackles for a "little guy."
Blayde Becksted was part of Montana State's running back committee last year and was productive. Aaron Mason's graduation gives Becksted an opportunity to get more attempts, but watch out for true freshman Kerry Sloan, who the Bobcats are high on.
Giovannie Dixon got a bunch of carries with NAU's first-team offense in the spring. Can he be the guy that effectively replaces Alex Henderson, who led the league in yards per-game last year?
We're taking a shot in the dark with both Sam McCowan and Stew Tracy ... but what the hell. McCowan was Sac State's No. 1 back in its spring game and could effectively spell Hilliard when needed this season. Tracy is a former Boise State transfer and one of several candidates to earn playing time in Idaho State's backfield. Tracy had big moments in the spring, including a 200-yard effort in an April scrimmage.
Noticably absent from this list is Weber State's Bo Bolen. The backup to star Trevyn Smith last year, Bolen has temporarily left the Wildcats for his two-year LDS Church mission.
Big Sky position rankings: QuarterbacksBy: Greg Rachac
Jun 01, 2010 | 4:00 pm | Loading…
(NOTE: This is the first installment of a series in which we here at the Cat-Griz Insider rank the Top 10 returning players at each position in advance of the 2010 Big Sky Conference football season. First up, it's the quarterbacks)
Don't act like you aren't already drooling over the prospect of a highi-flying football season in the Big Sky Conference. It's OK. You should be. Another great crop of quarterbacks are set to air it out in the Big Sky this season. It's a strong group chock full of leaders who are as experienced as they are talented. You will recognize several names.
The most obvious name missing? That would be Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington. The league breathed a big sigh of relief when Nichols exhausted his record-setting eligibility after last season. But several gunslingers are set to assume the role of the top signal caller in the league.
Take a peek at our deep list, then read on for further analysis:
TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS
1 - Michael Herrick, Sr., Northern Arizona
Comment: Big, accurate and primed for a huge year.
2 - Cameron Higgins, Sr., Weber State
Comment: Threw 83 TDs in the last three seasons.
3 - Andrew Selle, Sr., Montana
Comment: Ready to prove last year was no fluke.
4 - Bo Levi Mitchell, Jr., Eastern Washington
Comment: All eyes are on the talented SMU transfer.
5 - Drew Hubel, Sr., Portland State
Comment: Back from injury; dangerous when healthy.
6 - Cody Kempt, Sr., Montana State
Comment: Has one more chance to prove his worth.
7 - McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Sacramento State
Comment: Solid as the starter at the end of last season.
8 - Justin Roper, Sr., Montana
Comment: The best backup in the league, maybe the FCS.
9 - Dylan Orms, Jr., Northern Colorado
Comment: Has shown flashes. Can he be a good starter?
10 - Russel Hill, Sr., Idaho State
Comment: Pocket passer needs tons of help in Pocatello.
Big Sky position rankings: Running backs
By: Greg Rachac
Jun 04, 2010 | 5:00 pm | Loading…
(NOTE: This is the second installment of a series in which we here at the Cat-Griz Insider rank the Top 10 returning players at each position in advance of the 2010 Big Sky Conference football season. Next on the list are the running backs.)
The Big Sky Conference has never been known as a smash-mouth league (eat your heart out, coach Hauck!), and there usually isn't an abundance of solid running backs out there.
That seems like the case again in 2010, even though there are a couple big-time studs in the stable getting ready for the new season.
The Big Sky has a well-earned reputation of being a passing league. It always has been that way, and it probably always will be. So our list of the best RBs is top-heavy, as you can obviously see, with the likes of Montana's Chase Reynolds, a Walter Payton Award candidate, and Eastern Washington's Taiwan Jones.
Have a look:
TOP 10 RUNNING BACKS
1 - Chase Reynolds, Sr., Montana
Comment: His 3,085 yards and 47 TDs since 2008 tell the tale.
2 - Taiwan Jones, Jr., Eastern Washington
Comment: Averaged a whopping 7.5 yards per rush last year.
3 - C.J. Palmer, Jr., Montana State
Comment: Big guy loves short-yard situations and is tough to bring down.
4 - Bryan Hilliard, Jr., Sacramento State
Comment: Missed last year with an injury; gained 1,000 yards in '08.
5 - Andre Harris, Sr., Northern Colorado
Comment: JC transfer surprised with 646 yards and 7 TDs a year ago.
6 - Peter Nguyen, Soph., Montana
Comment: Speedster is a great change-of-pace back for Griz.
7 - Blayde Becksted, Sr., Montana State
Comment: Figures to get more carries; averaged 5.0 a pop in '09.
8 - Giovannie Dixon, Soph., Northern Arizona
Comment: Will get a shot to replace ultra-productive Alex Henderson.
9 - Sam McCowan, Soph., Sacramento State
Comment: Got some quality carries last year; was productive in the spring
10 - Stew Tracy, Jr., Idaho State
Comment: Hopes to carry impressive spring into 2010 season.
Chase Reynolds went through a stretch between 2008 and '09 during which he scored at least one rushing touchdown in 17 consecutive games. He rushed for 1,502 yards and 22 scores last season after a 1,583-yard, 22-TD campaign the year prior. Reynolds (pictured up top) is just 986 yards shy of breaking the all-time rushing record at Montana and is clearly one of the top RBs in the country, not just the Big Sky.
Taiwan Jones (pictured at left) burst on the scene last year as a sophomore, rushing for 1,213 yards and 15 scores. He helped make Eastern Washington's offense the most prolific in the Big Sky. If he can burn up the red turf in Cheney he'll help new QB Bo Levi Mitchell ease into his role of replacing the record-setting Matt Nichols.
Montana State has been one of the top rushing teams in the league in the last two years, and C.J. Palmer is a big reason for that. The 6-foot, 226-pound bowling ball powered his way to 12 TDs in the last two years and could be in for a big season if he can stay healthy.
Former Montana D-coordinator Kraig Paulson once sang Bryan Hilliard's praises to me -- not literally, thank God -- after a game between the Griz and Sac State a couple years back. Hilliard is solid. But he must prove he is healthy enough to re-assume his 1,000-yard form.
Northern Colorado needed somebody to step up at RB last year and Andre Harris was that man. Harris averaged 4.5 yards per-rush last season and should be the Bears' go-to guy again.
The rest of the crop isn't nearly as decorated, but it's still talented:
When Montana needs a different look in the backfield, Peter Nguyen is a great option. Nguyen's blazing speed helps him separate from defenders. He's also pretty tough between the tackles for a "little guy."
Blayde Becksted was part of Montana State's running back committee last year and was productive. Aaron Mason's graduation gives Becksted an opportunity to get more attempts, but watch out for true freshman Kerry Sloan, who the Bobcats are high on.
Giovannie Dixon got a bunch of carries with NAU's first-team offense in the spring. Can he be the guy that effectively replaces Alex Henderson, who led the league in yards per-game last year?
We're taking a shot in the dark with both Sam McCowan and Stew Tracy ... but what the hell. McCowan was Sac State's No. 1 back in its spring game and could effectively spell Hilliard when needed this season. Tracy is a former Boise State transfer and one of several candidates to earn playing time in Idaho State's backfield. Tracy had big moments in the spring, including a 200-yard effort in an April scrimmage.
Noticably absent from this list is Weber State's Bo Bolen. The backup to star Trevyn Smith last year, Bolen has temporarily left the Wildcats for his two-year LDS Church mission.
Big Sky position rankings: QuarterbacksBy: Greg Rachac
Jun 01, 2010 | 4:00 pm | Loading…
(NOTE: This is the first installment of a series in which we here at the Cat-Griz Insider rank the Top 10 returning players at each position in advance of the 2010 Big Sky Conference football season. First up, it's the quarterbacks)
Don't act like you aren't already drooling over the prospect of a highi-flying football season in the Big Sky Conference. It's OK. You should be. Another great crop of quarterbacks are set to air it out in the Big Sky this season. It's a strong group chock full of leaders who are as experienced as they are talented. You will recognize several names.
The most obvious name missing? That would be Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington. The league breathed a big sigh of relief when Nichols exhausted his record-setting eligibility after last season. But several gunslingers are set to assume the role of the top signal caller in the league.
Take a peek at our deep list, then read on for further analysis:
TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS
1 - Michael Herrick, Sr., Northern Arizona
Comment: Big, accurate and primed for a huge year.
2 - Cameron Higgins, Sr., Weber State
Comment: Threw 83 TDs in the last three seasons.
3 - Andrew Selle, Sr., Montana
Comment: Ready to prove last year was no fluke.
4 - Bo Levi Mitchell, Jr., Eastern Washington
Comment: All eyes are on the talented SMU transfer.
5 - Drew Hubel, Sr., Portland State
Comment: Back from injury; dangerous when healthy.
6 - Cody Kempt, Sr., Montana State
Comment: Has one more chance to prove his worth.
7 - McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Sacramento State
Comment: Solid as the starter at the end of last season.
8 - Justin Roper, Sr., Montana
Comment: The best backup in the league, maybe the FCS.
9 - Dylan Orms, Jr., Northern Colorado
Comment: Has shown flashes. Can he be a good starter?
10 - Russel Hill, Sr., Idaho State
Comment: Pocket passer needs tons of help in Pocatello.