UF's young tailbacks running toward prominence
Posted: Tues March 23, 1999 at 2:06 p.m. EST
Independent Florida Alligator (U. Florida)
GAINESVILLE, Florida (U-WIRE) -- The running joke last season
around the UF football program was that UF coach Steve Spurrier
used the five-wide receiver set so much because he did not have
enough healthy running backs to put in the game.
The Gators averaged 115.8 yards a game on the ground last
season, but their rushing production trailed off after starting
tailback Terry Jackson went down against Louisiana State Oct.
10.
Coming into spring drills, Spurrier and new running backs coach
Buddy Teevens appear so stocked at the position that they sent
one of their best backs over to the defensive side of the ball.
Senior Eugene McCaslin's switch to linebacker may have been a
message to the Gators' stable of young backs that their coaching
staff has faith in them. After a week of practice, UF's head
ball coach is glad he made that decision.
"We've got a chance to run it better this year," Spurrier said.
"I like the way these running backs are hitting the holes."
The back who may be making the biggest impression on the coaches
- and the defenders who try to tackle him - is redshirt freshman
Earnest Graham.
"Earnest is the bigger of the guys, so he may have a chance to
knock the wad backwards a little bit," Spurrier said.
The 210-pound Graham, who in recent weeks has received more
notoriety for being the roommate of UF point guard Teddy Dupay,
played early last season but redshirted after fracturing his
foot against Northeast Louisiana Sept. 12.
"It was a blessing," Graham said of the injury. "I've got four
more years. I don't know what I was in such a rush for. I'm just
happy to be back out here since it's been a while."
It has been a while for most of UF's backs, though. Redshirt
freshman Chuck Marks missed all of last season with a torn
anterior cruciate ligament and junior Vannez Gooch sat out all
year after transferring from Florida State.
The only Gators with significant game experience at tailback are
sophomore Robert Gillespie, who gained 310 yards on 71 carries,
and McCaslin, who now must concentrate on making tackles rather
than breaking them.
But Teevens, who joined the UF staff in December after Carl
Franks became head coach at Duke, is thrilled about the prospect
of a genuine running back competition developing this spring.
"It should be very competitive," Teevens said. "It's an
opportunity to see guys we haven't seen execute before."
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