LITTLE ROCK — Weevils now have the backs
Gwaine Mathews has never questioned Johnny Polite’s talent. He’s just always known he’s been asking a lot for the little guy from McGehee to be Arkansas-Monticello’s lone rushing threat behind quarterback Scott Buisson.
“It’s pretty much been Scotty and Johnny,” said Mathews, UAM’s sixth-year coach.
Mathews, though, might have finally found acomplement to Polite, who did not play in last week’s 37-31 Gulf South Conference victory over Ouachita Baptist after suffering an ankleinjury similar to the one that slowed him last season.
Junior-college transfer Nakita Myles broke out for 131 yards and scored 2 fourth-quarter touchdowns.
He averaged 9.4 yards on 14 carries to chew up the Tigers’ defense and finally allow Mathews to think it won’t all be on Polite, 5-5, 190, from now on.
“This is the [Gulf South Conference],” Mathews said.
“If you think you’re going to go through the whole deal with one back, that just don’t work.”
That’s what the Boll Weevils (2-1, 1-0 Gulf South) have been trying to do - or, more accurately, forced to do - the past couple of seasons.
Buisson was UAM’s leading rusher in 2008, but Polite gained 628 yards on 150 carries, more than twice that of the next back. The two were virtually even in terms of carries last year, but they combined to gain less than 900 yards while Polite battled the ankle injury.
This year Mathews said he has four players capable of gaining yards on the ground. Myles is listed at the top of the depth chart as the Boll Weevils host Arkansas Tech (1-2, 0-1) at 6 p.m.
Saturday.
Greg Taylor and Polite are both listed at No. 2, and Mathews said he’d like for Joevall Hoseay to get some carries as well.
Myles, Taylor and Hoseay are all first-year transfers.
“That’s where we got in trouble last year. We didn’t have an able backup,”Mathews said. “I figured I’d go ahead and get me a stable of them suckers.”
HARDING
Philosophical change
Ronnie Huckeba compared the wide-open offense his team ran last year to what Texas Tech used to do under former coach Mike Leach.
But a dramatic change in methodology has occurred, not only because of available personnel but a realization of the type of athletes Huckeba can draw to Harding in future years.
“You ever see Navy or Georgia Tech?” Huckeba said. “That’s what we’re doing. ... It’s a paradigm shift.”
Huckeba said the decision to shift to the triple option wasn’t tough, and he said the transition has been fairly smooth, despite an offensive line that has one senior, center Chris Ross.
What Harding lacks in experience and size up front - Ross is the only lineman who weighs more than 285 pounds - the Bisons (1-1, 0-1) make up for with more athletic linemen and a throng of runners with ability to pound between the tackles or get to the edge.
The Bisons lead the conference in rushing (256 yards per game) and fullback Kale Gelles’ 142-yard average also leads the league, entering Saturday’s 7 p.m. game at Ouachita Baptist (2-1, 0-1). In a loss at West Georgia on Sept. 16, Gelles had 181 yards and 1 touchdown on 29 carries.
Not bad for a converted H-back who had more receptions (65 for 602 yards and 3 touchdowns) than carries (40 for 152 yards and 1 touchdown) during his first two seasons.
“In this type of offense, your quarterback and your fullback are critical as far as your run-game is concerned,” Huckeba said.
“[Gelles] is a really tough running back, and he hasreal good instincts.”
Todd Knight’s Ouachita Baptist team is faced with the challenge of trying to stop Harding’s new-look offense with tape from two games available.
Knight, whose Daniel McGee is one of the conference’s top backs and whose Tigers rank second in the Gulf South in rushing, said he gives credit to Huckeba for making such an adjustment.
“It makes it difficult for everyone in the conference,” Knight said. “You put a good run offense with a great defense and a good kicking game, I think you have a solid team. I think that’s what Ronnie’s doing.”
ARKANSAS TECH
Keller’s time
Redshirt freshman Rico Keller missed most of Arkansas Tech’s fall practices because of an unspecified injury. Thatcame months after he beat out senior Robert Sagerian for the starting quarterback spot during spring practice.
And after Keller watched Sagerian start - and mostly struggle while throwing seven interceptions to just four touchdowns in the Wonder Boys’ first three games - Keller is back to where he was a few months ago: Arkansas Tech’s starting quarterback.
Wonder Boys Coach Steve Mullins laughed Thursday and said he couldn’t remember when the last time he had started a freshman quarterback. But the historic implications won’t matter when Arkansas Tech plays at Arkansas-Monticello at 6 p.m.
Saturday.
“At some point in time, every program has to go through it,” Mullins said.
“Now we’re going to go through it.”
Keller replaced Sagerian in the second quarter of last week’s 45-21 loss to Henderson State.
He completed 23 of 41 passes for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble that Henderson State recovered in its own end zone.
Those types of mistakes are almost expected from a freshman, but Mullins is prepared to wade through them.
“The more he plays the better he’s going to get,” said Mullins, who wouldn’t comment on Keller’s injury other than to say it did not require surgery.
HENDERSON STATE
Blessing in disguise
Coach Scott Maxfield was forced to pull NickHardesty out of a planned redshirt year when Roch Charpentier, Henderson State’s all-time leading passer, left the team four games into last season for personal reasons.
Maxfield wasn’t thrilled with the idea at the time. Hardesty had just transferred from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, and the plan was for him to save his year of eligibility and have two years left after Charpentier completed his career.
But Charpentier’s exit sped up those plans.
And though Hardesty experienced some growing pains as Henderson State struggled to 5-5 record in 2009, he’s reaping the rewards of those seven games, including four starts, this year.
“He probably wasn’t prepared for it, but he was thrown into the fire,” Maxfield said. “Looking back on it, it was a huge benefit to him.”
Hardesty has been one of the league’s steadiest quarterbacks through the season’s first three weeks.
He completed 35 of 53 passes for 521 yards and 5 touchdowns in last week’s 45-21 victory over Arkansas Tech and takes confidence into the Reddies’ game Saturday at Delta State.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
“He’s pretty seasoned now,” Maxfield said. “He understands what we’re doing, and he’s more comfortable with the system.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/24/2010