Friday, September 08, 2006

SF Chronicle: Minnesota carries on its running tradition

Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer

Look at the numbers, and you start to get the idea.

-- Just last season, Minnesota became the only team in Division I-A history to have two running backs with at least 1,000 yards for three consecutive years.

-- The Gophers lost both of the 1,000-yard backs from last year, but they still had two guys with more than 100 yards in the season opener.

-- Under Minnesota coach Glen Mason, two players have rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game 20 times. That had happened only 12 times in the school's history prior to Mason's era.

You get the feeling it doesn't matter who Minnesota plugs in at the running back spot. In this offense, anyone could rush for 100 yards a game.  And then, Mason proves the theory true.  In the Gophers' 44-0, season-opening win against Kent State, sophomore Alex Daniels, a converted linebacker, moved to tailback and promptly ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

Read the entire article here.

No comments: