DMN College Football Regional Preview: UNT

[NT80]

Cobbs and Thomas photo (pdf)

UNT backfield is a full house

Rushing champs share load

12:25 AM CDT on Thursday, September 1, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

In the history of college football, there have been several great running backs who have shared a backfield.

Eric Dickerson and Craig James formed the "Pony Express" at SMU while Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen and Charles White played two seasons together at Southern California.

Those duos each claimed their place in the lineage of standout college running back tandems, an honor that awaits senior Patrick Cobbs and sophomore Jamario Thomas this fall when the North Texas teammates will become the first set of Division I-A rushing champions to return to the same backfield.

Colleges

College Football '05

UNT backfield is a full house

Cobbs won the rushing title in 2003 when he averaged 152.7 yards and appeared poised to build on that performance last year before a series of injuries forced him to take a redshirt season.

Thomas took over for Cobbs and went on to average 180.1 yards and win the Mean Green's second consecutive national rushing title.

Cobbs is back, setting up a historic and potentially baffling situation for UNT's coaches who are trying to devise a way to utilize both players.

"What we know is that we are going to hand it to both of those guys a whole bunch," UNT offensive coordinator Ramon Flanigan said. "We just have to figure out different ways to get that accomplished."

Cobbs and Thomas are confident the plan their coaches come up with will be successful, whether it is sharing time in UNT's traditional I-back set or something new.

"We are going to use the same offense we have been successful with and add some new sets where we will be in the backfield together," Cobbs said. "Our success with those plays early on will determine how much we use them as the season progresses."

A close friendship

When Cobbs and Thomas take the field together, there will be a limited number of carries to split.

Each player said that wouldn't be a problem, thanks to a friendship that began when Cobbs hosted Thomas on his recruiting visit. The two quickly formed a bond that developed while Cobbs tutored Thomas last season.

"If we had two selfish kids who were prima donnas, then we would have a problem," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "We don't have that. They both have respect for each other and want to see each other do well. That makes it a good situation and not a problem."

Dickey attributed the relationship Cobbs and Thomas have formed in part to their personalities. Cobbs is the older, more vocal player while Thomas is reserved and learning to deal with the attention he has received.

Both previewed what sharing the spotlight would be like at Sun Belt Conference media days when they were named the league's Preseason Co-offensive Players of the Year.

"I like that we shared it," Thomas said. "It's an honor. Patrick's a great running back."

Marching toward history

Even with Cobbs splitting carries with Thomas, it won't take Cobbs long to break UNT's career rushing record.

The senior has rushed for 2,896 yards, just short of Ja'Quay Wilburn's total of 3,120 from 1997 to 2000. Cobbs has passed several standout players on the list of UNT's all-time leading rushers, including Kansas City Chiefs great Abner Haynes.

Thomas already ranks 10th on the list with 1,801 yards and is just 64 yards short of passing Haynes.

UNT would like to see both players continue to charge up that list while reducing their workload. Cobbs ranks first in UNT history for carries in a season with 307 in 2003. Thomas is second with 285 last year.

Thomas missed UNT's regular-season finale against Arkansas State last season with a pulled hamstring. Cobbs missed two games with a bruised thigh in 2003 and suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of last season.

A different background

Cobbs and Thomas might be building similarly memorable legacies at UNT, but they took entirely different paths to Denton when it came to the recruiting trail.

Both racked up impressive rushing totals in high school, but only Thomas was highly recruited. The former Longview Springhill standout was rated No. 31 on The Dallas Morning News' list of the top 100 college football recruits in the state after he rushed for 1,279 yards and was offered scholarships by Colorado, Arkansas and Arizona State, among others.

Cobbs was largely overlooked, despite rushing for 2,354 yards as a senior at Tecumseh High in Oklahoma. North Texas was the only Division I-A school to offer Cobbs a scholarship.

Despite those widely different backgrounds, Cobbs and Thomas are on the verge of making history this season when UNT will try to capitalize on a running back tandem that is unique in college football history.

UNT CAREER RUSHING LEADERS

Rk. Player Years Yards

1. Ja'Quay Wilburn 1997-00 3,120

2. Patrick Cobbs 2001-present 2,896

3. Kevin Galbreath 2001-02 2,417

4. Bernard Jackson 1977-80 2,256

5. Ken Bahnsen 1950-52 2,082

6. Terrance Brown 1992-93 2,077

7. Darrin Collins 1986-89 2,020

8. Hut Allred 1994-98 1,944

9. Abner Haynes 1957-59 1,864

10. Jamario Thomas 2004-present 1,801

UNT SINGLE-GAME RUSHING LEADERS

Rk. Player Year Yards

1. Jamario Thomas 2004 vs. Idaho 291

2. Jamario Thomas 2004 vs. New Mexico St. 258

3. Jamario Thomas 2004 vs. Utah St. 256

4. Patrick Cobbs 2003 vs. Idaho 249

5. Jamario Thomas 2004 vs. Colorado 247

5. Malcolm Jones 1980 vs. NE Louisiana 247

TOP DUOS

Minnesota (2004) Att. Yards Avg. TDs

Laurence Moroney 217 1,348 6.2 12

Marion Barber 231 1,269 5.5 11

Both cleared 1,000-yard mark in '03 and '04

Oklahoma (1952) Att. Yards Avg. TDs

Billy Vessels 167 1,072 6.4 17

Buck McPhail 161 1,018 6.3 8

Vessels won Heisman despite sharing carries

SMU (1982) Att. Yards Avg. TDs

Eric Dickerson 232 1,617 7.0 17

Craig James 197 938 4.8 4

Formed SMU's famed "Pony Express"

USC (1979) Att. Yards Avg. TDs

Marcus Allen 114 649 5.7 8

Charles White 332 2,050 6.2 19

White ('79), Allen ('81) each won Heisman

Auburn (2004) Att. Yards Avg. TDs

Carnell Williams 239 1,165 4.9 12

Ronnie Brown 153 913 6.0 8

Both were top-five picks in NFL draft

Edited September 1, 2005 by NT80

[greenminer]

Top 10 after one season.

freakin' ridiculous

-gm

[Green Nightmare]

Top 10 after one season.

freakin' ridiculous 

-gm

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not sure if anyone saw this pic. I found it on ESPN

North Texas running backs, Jamario Thomas, left, and Patrick Cobbs pose wth their Collegiate Athletic Associated Awards for rushing in Denton, Texas, Monday, Aug. 8, 2005. Thomas was the nation's leading rusher in 2004 and Cobbs was the nation's leading rusher in 2004. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

[Green Nightmare]

I like the new unis

[emmitt01]

Thomas was the nation's leading rusher in 2004 and Cobbs was the nation's leading rusher in 2004.

Now that is impressive. We had the two players win the national rushing title in the same season!!!!!

[Green Nightmare]

[PerryG2480]

I like the new unis

←

They look good. I had no idea we were going with New Balance. I noticed the players shoes are New Balance and Dickey's polo shirt on SW Sports Report last night was New Balance. Personally, I love NB shoes, but I haven't seen another NCAA team ever use anything manufactured by NB. Not complaining though, the uni's look good.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

They look good.  I had no idea we were going with New Balance.  I noticed the players shoes are New Balance and Dickey's polo shirt on SW Sports Report last night was New Balance.  Personally, I love NB shoes, but I haven't seen another NCAA team ever use anything manufactured by NB.  Not complaining though, the uni's look good.

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If im not mistaken Auburn last year went with New Balance and looked what it did for them

[PerryG2480]

Every picture I can find of Auburn from last year shows the Russell logo.

But hey, I'd rather have New Balance than Russell again. They just seem to look higher quality than what we had when we used Russell a few years ago. I was just confused because all the signs were pointing to us going with the Swoosh.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

I was mistaken. Auburn has gone to New Balance this year.

Tigers ditch Nike for New Balance

Friday, July 22, 2005

CHARLES GOLDBERG

News staff writer

AUBURN -- Nike's calling with a request. Could somebody please tell Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown to quit taping up their football shoes? They're covering up the Swoosh, and everybody knows you're not supposed to cover up the Swoosh.

The Swoosh is supposed to be in every photo. It's the logo. It's money. It's corporate America.

But players like "spatting up" their shoes. It's a fashion statement. Plus, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said he would not risk an ankle, foot or leg injury for a logo. So the university and Nike parted ways.

This season, the university and a different shoe company have come together in a new venture.

Auburn will be the only team in the country wearing New Balance football cleats, as the shoe manufacturer gets into the world of big-time college football.

New Balance sold Tuberville on what it says is a new idea to fit each player individually, and that it could provide a new, wider shoe for today's bigger athletes. Tuberville was also intrigued by the idea of being just a little bit different.

"Having Auburn wear them is going to launch the whole program for us," said Kent Richard, an associate product manager for New Balance. "We've given them a lot of attention."

New Balance is providing some 400 shoes, including football shoes, training shoes and lifting shoes, and almost all are individually fitted. New Balance isn't giving the university a traditional shoe contract and Auburn gets no endorsement money, but New Balance provides a virtually endless supply of shoes. Nike provided a limited number of free shoes and nominal endorsement money because Auburn's primary apparel contract is with Russell Athletics.

"Almost every other Division I program gets paid quite a bit to wear their shoes," Richard said. "Coach Tuberville just wanted shoes that fit the best.

"Auburn is going to be our main focus - learning with them and launching with them. We're changing the model. It's really about the shoes."

New Balance is getting in the market with this selling point: The widest fitted shoes in the business. There are the standard sizes, to be sure, but there's also the 18EEEE boat.

Auburn's biggest shoes: 16EEs, worn by three players.

"You just don't go pull one out of the box," Tuberville said.

"These big guys," Richard said, "have never been fitted very well."

New Balance will use Auburn as its prototype team, whether it's fitting a foot or in marketing. But the company is hardly a neophyte in the shoe business. It has made all sorts of athletic shoes for more than 40 years.

"Everybody knows New Balance has had the top of the line running and walking shoe," Tuberville said. Now, it's going to see how it fares against Nike, Reebok and Adidas in football.

Richard said New Balance has made a "huge investment" in making Auburn its first football school.

"A lot of people questioned why we got in this market," Richard said. "It's not that big of a market and it's dominated by the Big Three. But we decided to bring in a different story. We wanted to fit these bigger athletes. We're finding a huge need in the marketplace."

New Balance has already custom fit each Tigers player. Auburn began wearing the shoes in the spring.

And Richard said he would not get upset if the running backs tape over the logos again.

"That's not our style," he said.

[PerryG2480]

Thanks for the article.

I like this even more now...if a program of Auburn's calibre is going with New Balance, I'm excited that we are too.