FW*Telegram Full article "What a Rush"

[OldTimer]

What a rush

Mean Green backfield has nation's past 2 leading rushers

By JEFF WILSON

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DENTON - Few doubt the talent, one running back with a sprinter's speed and another with a powerlifter's prowess.

The numbers are persuasive, a combined 3,481 yards over the past two seasons and a pair of national rushing titles.

Yet, despite the facts, questions remain. Inquiring minds throughout college football, never mind locally, are stumped by a couple of things.

How can little 'ol North Texas produce the country's past two leading rushers? And what makes Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs so darn successful?

The answers are the same for both queries. The Mean Green has an offense that gives running backs the opportunity to achieve big numbers, but those players need a rich supply of talent to excel in the system.

"I truly believe it's a combination of both," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "It's an offense that features and allows an outstanding talent to showcase their skills. If you just plugged any yo-yo in there, you're not going to get the same results."

Thomas, a sophomore, and Cobbs, a senior, will become the first back-to-back national rushing leaders to play on the same team since 1970, when the NCAA started determining its top rusher by yards per game. The Mean Green begins full-squad practices Thursday and opens the season Sept. 3 at LSU.

The duo -- and Dickey's ball-control offense -- are at their best when the offense finishes with 40 or 50 carries a game. The Mean Green, which finished 7-5 last season and won its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship, was 7-1 when rushing at least 40 times.

UNT primarily uses zone blocking with an emphasis on double-teams and combination blocks. The running backs are granted creative freedom to make the most out of their carries, choosing the biggest holes after patiently waiting for them to develop.

It also helps to have an efficient quarterback who keeps defenses honest with play-action passes. A big strike or two through the air will prevent opponents from keying on the running game.

So it's no coincidence that UNT has had a 1,000-yard back in five of the past six seasons after having only four in the previous 49 seasons. Or that Thomas became only the third freshman in NCAA history to gain at least 1,800 yards, finishing with 1,801 in 10 games in 2004 as the injury replacement to Cobbs.

Thomas burst on the scene with 247 yards in his first start, at Colorado, even though he had been in the UNT system for five weeks. He admits his speed -- he led the track team with a 7.04-second run in the 60-meter dash -- helped him overcome a missed read or a moment of impatience.

"There were some times last year when the play would start early on, and one of the coaches would say, 'Where in the hell is he going?'" Dickey said. "Then we'd look up and say, 'Apparently, he's headed toward the end zone.'"

Thomas, who led the nation with six 200-yard games, learned speed could only take him so far.

"Just because you're fast doesn't mean you're good," said Thomas, of Longview. "If you can't see where you're running to, there's something wrong. You've got to be slow to go. You can't be so anxious. You've got to see it."

See the way Cobbs does. The Oklahoma native excels because of his vision and knowledge of the offense. Some at UNT call Cobbs a coach on the field, a player who not only knows his responsibilities but those of the left guard, wide receiver and opposing weakside linebacker and free safety.

The NCAA called Cobbs -- who squats 650 pounds -- the 2003 national rushing leader (1,680 yards). He and Thomas were named preseason Sun Belt co-offensive Players of the Year, and have been the postseason players of the year the past two seasons.

Both should receive an equal workload this season, Dickey said, but the totals will vary from game to game.

Thomas and Cobbs said they'll be happy with 15 carries a game, as opposed to the school-record carries they've had in the past. Of UNT's all-time single-game attempts, Thomas and Cobbs have seven of the top 10.

"It'll be good knowing that we can carry a team for a game or a season, but also knowing that we don't have to," said Cobbs, who broke his right thumb and sprained his left knee last season and was granted a medical redshirt. "Now if I break a run of 20 yards or more, there'll be no hesitation to go sit on the sidelines and let Jamario go in, because he'll be way fresher. The same goes for him."

Don't expect a third consecutive national rushing title this season at Fouts Field, but count on Thomas and Cobbs to have continued success in UNT's system.

"It's a good system," Cobbs said. "It's easy to say it's the system because me and Jamario both led the nation in rushing. But it's got something to do with talent, too."

GREAT DUOS

Jamario Thomas, left, and Patrick Cobbs will become the first national rushing leaders since 1970 to play for the same team this season. But there have been other great backfields that have played together, with or without rushing titles.

Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, Army, 1944-46: The duo won back-to-back Heisman Trophies, Blanchard (Mr. Inside) in 1945 and Davis (Mr. Outside) in '46. Playing in the same backfield, Army was 27-0-1 and won three national titles.

Jim Crowley and Don Miller, Notre Dame, 1922-24: Two of the famed Four Horsemen led the Irish to the 1924 national crown, combining for 1,502 yards and 11 TDs. They played more than a decade before the first Heisman Trophy was awarded.

Charles White and Marcus Allen, Southern Cal, 1979: White won the Heisman with 2,050 yards, while Allen had 649 as a sophomore. Two years later, Allen ran for a then NCAA-record 2,342 yards and won the Heisman.

Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State, 1987: Thomas led the Big Eight with 1,613 yards and Sanders was an All-America kick returner. The next season, Sanders set the single-season NCAA rushing record (2,628) and won the Heisman.

Eric Dickerson and Craig James, SMU, 1979-82: "The Pony Express" finished as the top two all-time rushers for the Mustangs, who were 21-1-1 with two Southwest Conference championships in the duo's final two seasons.

Others: Carnell Williams/Ronnie Brown, Auburn, 2004; Reggie Bush/LenDale White, USC, 2003-current; Lawrence Phillips/Ahman Green, Nebraska, 1995; Anthony Davis/Ricky Bell, USC, 1974; Lydell Mitchell/Franco Harris, Penn State, 1969-71.

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Jeff Wilson, (817) 390-7953 jwilson@star-telegram.com

[PlummMeanGreen]

Uh, "little ol' North Texas?"

Obviously another DFW-ite who hasn't been on our campus in about 5 years, eh? Sorta' fun playing the under-dog role, though, isn't it?

Good article from Jeff Wilson though, and if he is the beat writer for the Mean Green this year, I'm sure he has been on campus not that long ago, right?

GMG!

PS: Harry, we won't allow this to happen anymore on whoever is hacking GoMeanGreen.com (or whatever the problem was)! Great job, guys, and look forward to the next Mean Green Report which I think you told me was sometimes today or this evening?

Edited August 10, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

[Mad Hatter]

"There were some times last year when the play would start early on, and one of the coaches would say, 'Where in the hell is he going?'" Dickey said. "Then we'd look up and say, 'Apparently, he's headed toward the end zone.'"

That's freakin hysterical!