A year after Tyler Allgeier exploded onto the national scene and became the leading single-season rusher in BYU history with 1,606 yards, the Cougars have struggled to find an adequate replacement.
Cal transfer Chris Brooks was supposed to be able to partially fill Allgeier’s shoes, but the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness. Redshirt freshman Miles Davis, a converted receiver, picked up some of the slack and showed promise before an injury sent the Las Vegas product to the sidelines.
Chris Brooks “is not the type of kid I need to worry about, or have to sit here and give him a pep talk about that stuff. Chris has played in big games and he is a veteran guy, so he knows.” — BYU running backs coach Harvey Unga on Cal transfer RB Chris Brooks’ injuries and playing time
Sixth-year senior Lopini Katoa has been the most durable and reliable ball-carrier, picking up 324 yards on 74 carries, second-most on the team to Brooks’ 463 yards. Junior college transfer Hinckley Ropati emerged in the 31-28 win over Boise State and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 27.3 yards per catch.
Fourth-year sophomore Jackson McChesney ran three times for 33 yards in the opener against South Florida, but suffered an undisclosed, season-ending injury and is on the list of 24 non-senior players who will be honored on Senior Day.
It truly has been running back-by-committee for RBs coach Harvey Unga this season as the Cougars (5-5) prepare to host Utah Tech (4-6) Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium (1:30 p.m. MST, BYUtv). Injuries have even forced the third-year RBs coach to use sixth-string RB Mason Fakahua, who has seven carries for 14 yards.
“Honestly, I never really think about that too much,” Unga said after practice Wednesday. “For me, if I am doing my job, and I am doing it right, whoever goes in, I (feel) good about. Hopefully they are prepared and they are ready to go. So if it happens, great, if it doesn’t happen, great.”
Quarterback Jaren Hall is BYU’s third-leading ball-carrier this season, with 268 yards on 70 attempts. Take away the 63 yards Hall has lost on sacks, and he’s tied with Katoa with 331 rushing yards. Receiver Puka Nacua is fifth on the list with 157 rushing yards.
“I hope to play as many of my guys as I can. I love all of them, I think they are great backs and have a lot of potential. So for me, I expect all of them to play at some point,” Unga said. “When, I have no idea, but hopefully I have prepared them enough to rise to the occasion and take advantage of the situation.”
Brooks suffered a hamstring injury in the 41-14 loss to Liberty on Oct. 22 and hasn’t played since. But he’s been practicing this week and Unga said that he might get some reps against Utah Tech.
“It is just kind of a day-to-day deal, just working to see how he feels, trying to get him as many reps as we can while just being smart,” Unga said. “I am planning on it, and he is planning on it.”
Brooks is not on the depth chart this week (Katoa, Davis and Ropati are listed as co-starters), but Unga said not to read anything into that. He said Brooks’ attitude has been good throughout the season, even while Davis replaced him in the starting lineup in September.
“He is not the type of kid I need to worry about, or have to sit here and give him a pep talk about that stuff,” Unga said. “Chris has played in big games and he is a veteran guy, so he knows.”
Unga preaches to accountability and opportunity, constantly reminding his RBs to be ready when chances to contribute present themselves.
“I pretty much just told him, ‘Hey, there are opportunities left out there. Just make the most of it. Obviously, you can still end this thing on a high note. Come out here, do your thing, have fun and just take advantage of those opportunities. There are still some out there.’”
Davis did not play against Boise State, and teammates said after the game that he was dinged up. However, Unga said the 211-yard rusher has practiced all week and is good to go Saturday.
“Besides McChesney, all the guys have been out there, doing their thing,” Unga said. “It has been good. It has been a fun week of practice. Guys are working their butts off.”
Unga said Ropati was in the game plan, and didn’t get in just because Davis and Brooks were injured. Ropati caught a 48-yard touchdown on a screen pass. Unga wasn’t surprised by the performance.
“I mean, we have seen glimpses of it in the past, before he was injured,” Unga said. “He comes out to practice every day, works his butt off, and does some awesome things for us in practice. It didn’t surprise me and I don’t think it surprised a lot of people. It was fun to see him out there, doing his thing.”
Cougars on the air
Utah Tech (4-6)
at BYU (5-5)
Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
TV: BYUtv
Radio: KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM/1160 AM