No. 3 IUP running past foes
Backfield loaded with talented RBs
Tri-State Sports & News Service
The talented runners at IUP don’t have a catchy nickname like the Four Horseman or the Crimson Quartet.
They’re simply Lenny, Justice, Samir and Chris. And they have few equals when it comes to carrying a football.
Each has produced a 1,000-yard rushing season, while combining for 8,506 yards and 94 touchdowns in their careers.
“I’ve heard of teams with two really good runners, but not four,” said sophomore Justice Evans, a Central Catholic grad who ran for 1,011 yards with seven touchdowns as a freshman last season. “It’s the first time I’ve been a part of anything like this.”
Added Lenny Williams, a Sto-Rox grad and easily one of the best Division II quarterbacks in the nation, “It’s pretty good, man. It goes to show what type of offensive line we’ve got — and the type of players we have running behind them.”
Williams is the catalyst for third-ranked IUP (3-0). His combination of speed and passing skills enabled him to break the school career touchdown record during a 59-17 win at Lock Haven last Saturday. His three passing touchdowns and one rushing gave him 89 for his career (63 passing, 26 rushing) and earned him IUP Athlete of the Week honors for the 10th time. He now has 2,380 rushing yards in his decorated career.
Samir Bullock, a junior from Philadelphia, has 2,419 career yards and 23 scores. Chris Temple, a senior from Malvern, Pa., who missed last season, has 2,585 yards and 37 touchdowns. A lot of talent, no doubt. Also, a lot of players to try to keep happy. IUP running backs coach Luke Barber was asked if there are enough balls to go around with this group. “Yes,” he said. Really? “Yes, because these guys are very unselfish,” he said. “We don’t have to manage them as much as people on the outside might think. They each have to maximize their touches each week, and to make sure they’re successful when they get their chances.”
Evans and Bullock are part of what Barber calls the “Hobbit Package,” a reference to their heights of 5 feet 8 and 5-7, respectively. Bullock leads the team with 178 yards on 25 attempts and Evans is third with 111 on a team-best 31 carries. Williams is second (151 yards) and Temple fifth (46).
“The best part of being with this group of guys is that we’re all pretty humble,” said Evans, the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Freshman of the Year who ranked sixth in the league in rushing yards and sixth in yards per carry (6.6). “We’re close with each other. We take pride in trying to make each other better.”
Evans was at his best during IUP’s run to the NCAA Division II semifinals last season. He ran for 133 yards on only five carries in a firstround win against West Chester, then 167 on 21 carries in a quarterfinal victory versus Assumption. In the West Chester win, he made up for an early fumble by tearing off runs of 53 and 68 yards, the latter resulting in a touchdown.
Barber said the young back continues to evolve at IUP, which went undefeated in the 2017 regular season and finished 13-1.
“He can be really good,” Barber said. “I think one of the best things for him is that he was mentored by Samir and Temp [Temple] last season. Having those guys around him was important in his growth. All of our guys really complement each other well, too. Justice can run the ball or line up wide and help with pass-catching. Temp is a power back, Amir is versatile. Justice knows that, at IUP, we’re always going to pound the rock. He’s going to get his chances. And you see that he’s already had a great start to his career. To gain 1,000 yards as a freshman is pretty impressive.”
Since moving to the spread offense in 2015, IUP has been a Division II juggernaut. The Crimson Hawks broke a school record by averaging 293.6 rushing yards per game in ‘15, ran for 48 rushing touchdowns in ‘16 and threw for 31 touchdowns last season.
“IUP reminds me of Central Catholic,” Evans said of his alma mater. “The coaches, the players, everything about it. It’s a winning culture here.”
Evans said his goal this season is to hit the 1,500-yard mark with 10 touchdowns, but only if it happens within the framework of the team and the system. Individual success, he said, is secondary to winning.
“We all want to win a championship for Lenny,” Evans said. “He’s hands-down the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. He’s a role model. We want to go undefeated again and we want to win a national championship.”
Williams, who owns 16 school records and is 33-4 as a starter, said Evans, Temple and Bullock make playing quarterback much easier.
“It’s a group of unselfish guys who want to win,” he said. “They’re all going to get their touches. It’s about who has the hot hand. The best part is, they all think about the team first. And those are the kind of guys you want to surround yourself with. I’m lucky to play with all of them.”