Bowling Green State University Athletics
P.J. Pope Feature Story
November 28, 2003 | Football
Nov. 28, 2003
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - P.J. Pope is on the verge of making history in only his second season with the Bowling Green Falcons.
In its first 84 years of intercollegiate football, Bowling Green has had a 1,000-yard rusher in a season only nine times.
A 5-feet-9, 217-pound sophomore, Pope needs 71 yards Saturday to reach 1,000 yards.
If Pope converts the needed yardage, he will become only the third player in the last 20 years to reach that number for the Falcons. Zeb Jackson ran for 1,016 yards on 237 carries in 1993 and Bernard White had 1,036 yards on 247 carries in 1984.
"To me, P.J. is a complete running back," said Dennis Springer, the BG assistant coach who works with the running backs. "In all phases of the game, he does the right thing.
"He can obviously run the football with power and speed," Springer continued. "He catches the football and he's a good pass-protector ... He's going to do some great things here."
The fact Bowling Green could have a 1,000-yard rusher this season might seem contradictory to many who view the Falcons' spread offense as a pass-happy attack with the run as an afterthought.
That's not the case.
The spread actually helps open up the running game, giving BG's offensive linemen the advantage at the line of scrimmage.
"The whole offensive line loves blocks like that, trying to knock people out," Pope said.
And if the ground game is working, the running threat allows BG's receivers to see more single coverage.
"Defenses have to account for so much in our offense," Pope said.
This season, BG is averaging 513.8 total yards per game, 296 through the air and a MAC-best 217.8 yards on the ground.
"Most people think you're going to throw the ball all over the lot," Springer said. "You move a receiver out and they have to take someone out of the box. Having Josh Harris in the backfield along with P.J. and B.J. (Lane) running the football, it can only benefit your running game."
Pope and Lane have combined for 1,401 yards on the ground this season.
"A lot of people don't realize how physical we can be in our running game," Pope said.
Pope and Lane have different running styles. Pope is the bigger of the two and admits Lane is quicker. However, the matter of who's faster is debatable.
"I won't go as far as to say he's faster than me," Pope said.
Throw in Harris' 604 yards rushing from the quarterback spot and the Falcons have a multi-threat running attack.
"Josh is 235, 240 (pounds). He's like a tailback in a fullback's body," Pope said. "Those little DB's (defensive backs) don't want to take him on that much."
Pope is also used as a wide receiver when the Falcons go to formations with just Harris in the backfield. Pope is BG's third-leading receiver this fall with 31 receptions.
In the recruiting process Pope was sold on Bowling Green from the beginning.
As a high school senior he rushed for more than 2,200 yards and scored 36 touchdowns at Cincinnati Wyoming while being named the state's Division IV co-player of the year.
He only made one official recruiting visit and that was to Bowling Green. That was all it took to convince Pope to become a Falcon.
"It felt like a family; everyone was close-knit," Pope said. "I knew we could do some things in a running game and our offense was tough to stop. That pretty much sold me on coming here."
Now Pope has a chance to reach a milestone and in the process help his team win the Mid-American Conference West title against arch-rival Toledo on Saturday.
"I don't think intensity is going to be a problem," he said. "I think we have to come out and be hitting on all cylinders.
"When my number is called, I hope to do something with it," Pope continued. "Any way I get the ball, I enjoy that."
