ABILENE – Just a few days ago, the ACU Wildcats had, arguably, the deepest running back corps in the Lone Star Conference and perhaps in all of NCAA Division II Super Region IV.
Armed with two running backs who ran for almost 1,000 yards last year returning to the offense, the Wildcats appeared ready to once again leave their running game in the capable hands of
Reggie Brown and
Daryl Richardson.
But that all changed on Aug. 18 when Brown went down with a knee injury that everyone learned a week later was a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. That left Richardson as the starter with former third-stringer
Josh Morgan moving up to the backup role.
The Wildcats will also use redshirt freshman
Darrell Cantu-Harkless in the backfield after he was moved back to the running back spot after spending most of the summer as a slotback. He'll continue to see time in that spot, however.
ACU head coach Chris Thomsen also said the Wildcats will add transfers
Charcandrick West and Brandon Williams to the roster on Monday. West is a freshman from Spring Hill, La., who originally signed with Louisiana Tech last February, while Williams is a junior transfer from Laney (Calif.) College.
After rushing for 961 yards and scoring 16 rushing touchdowns last season, Richardson has Thomsen's full confidence that he can handle the load as the No. 1 running back.
"We really felt like we had two starters in Reggie and Daryl," Thomsen said. "But now our depth has taken a bit of a hit. "
Thomsen said Richardson has improved in several areas since last year, chief among them his consistency in practice.
"Dary'ls always had a great deal of talent, but he's really grown up and is maturing as a football player, " Thomsen said. "He's had a great summer camp, and now we need him to carry that into the season."
With Brown out and Richardson moving into the starting role, Morgan will move into the backup role. In two seasons at Pasadena City College, Morgan ran for 1,215 yards and scored seven touchdowns while catching 45 passes for 392 yards and a pair of scores.
"Josh is a quality back, and he had a heckuva junior college career," Thomsen said. "He's going to have to step up and be ready to play."
At the fullback spot, 2008 starter
Emery Dudensing – who missed three games last year because of injury and split time with
Justin Andrews – returns in 2010 as the starter. He'll be backed up by freshman
Brandon Bowles-Delk.
