After a year in which Idaho finished near the bottom of every rushing statistical category in the NCAA, the Vandals head into their game against Florida with a completely new look in the backfield.
File photo by Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Running back Elijhaa Penny, a junior college transfer from Cernitos College, is expected to share the backfield with returners Jerrel Brown, Kris Olugbode and Richard Montgomery this season. The Vandals lost 2013 leading rusher James Baker to graduation.
Last season, Idaho finished 100th in rushing yards and tied for 107th in rushing touchdowns in the NCAA and the coaching staff had to replace the production of leading rusher, James Baker. He accounted for 593 of the teams 1,659 rushing yards and six of the 12 rushing touchdowns.
With Richard Montgomery moving to his new hybrid role, Jerrel Brown and Kris Olugbode are the lone running backs on the roster that played last season. The two seniors combined for 312 rushing yards on the year.
“Those are two veteran guys that have been here for a year and half now and know the way we do things, know the way we work and know our system,” said Idaho running backs coach Jason Shumaker. “I expect them to have a great year too.”
Joining them will be junior college transfer Elijhaa Penny. The 6-foot-2, 254-pound running back played at Cerritos College last season and rushed for 1,338 yards as a sophomore.
When he arrived in the summer, it didn’t take long for Penny to standout. Shumaker said even with the complex offense Idaho runs, Penny caught on quick and will make an immediate impact.
Despite being the same size as most linebackers, Penny said he’s more than just a big power back.
“I can do many things,” he said. “I can jump over people, I can run around people as well as lower my shoulder, but I do that when I have to. That’s what I believe will make me different than other power backs, because I don’t always have to lower my shoulder like other power backs.”
For a change of pace, Shumaker said Montgomery will be used out of the backfield, along with lining up at wide receiver.
“He’s a really dynamic threat because you can hand him the ball or throw him the ball,” Shumaker said of Montgomery. “He’ll be able to put defenses in bad spots because we’ll be able to set him up to make big plays.”
Shumaker said all four running backs would play this season. He said it gives them an advantage so each player can be used in situations that fit their abilities. He said that it makes the group compete even harder in practice.
Idaho had 10 different players contribute to the running game last season. Four have either graduated or left the program and two of the team’s top four leading rushers were quarterbacks Joshua McCain and Chad Chalich — McCain is now a wide receiver and Chalich is fighting to be the starter at quarterback.
With all of that lost production Shumaker said having four running backs would benefit the team and allow them to stay fresh.
“We want to be able to run the football,” Shumaker said. “We want to be able to run the ball effectively and you want to be able to punish the other team … I have no doubt we’re going to be very effective unit running the football this season.”
Korbin McDonald can be reached at [email protected]