Bowling Green State University Athletics
Seniors Ground BGSU Offensive Attack
September 01, 2005 | Football
Sept. 1, 2005
By MAUREEN FULTON, Blade Sports Writer -
BOWLING GREEN - Last winter, as the assistant coaches at Bowling Green State University scurried around trying to determine who could fill holes at positions vacated by departing seniors, Dennis Springer sat at his desk with his feet up, smiling knowingly.
He had none of those worries.
He had P.J. Pope and B.J. Lane.
"The other coaches tell me I have the easiest job on staff because I have those two kids," said Springer, the Falcons' running backs coach. "They've been here, they know what the program's all about, they know what the offense is all about. At times, they're coaching me."
Pope and Lane, two of BGSU's most experienced and consistent players, return for the third consecutive year as one of the Mid-American Conference's most potent one-two punches when the Falcons open their season at noon Saturday at Wisconsin.
With new players in the defensive backfield and on the offensive line, the reliability at running back is comforting.
"They know what to expect, and we know what to expect from them," BGSU coach Gregg Brandon said. "They're doing a great job."
The seniors have different roles. For the past two seasons, Pope has been the feature back, rushing for more than 1,000 yards each year and becoming a staple on the MAC all-conference team. Lane is the No. 1 kick returner and backs up Pope in the backfield.
As the offense shifted to include the running back in the passing game last season, Pope was a Midwest version of USC standout Reggie Bush, a near-equal threat running or receiving, with 490 yards and six touchdowns via the air. Brandon calls Pope his best offensive player, with quarterback Omar Jacobs his most valuable.
But coaches and players are adamant that the running game doesn't drop off when Lane, who had a breakout year as a kickoff returner last season, gets the handoffs.
"People would take a deep breath when P.J. went out, and then another running back just as good as him comes in," Jacobs said.
That notion has been supported again this preseason. While Pope has been sitting out some drills with a leg bruise, Lane has been able to shine. He had a couple of strong scrimmages and won the award for the best running back in camp. Coaches say the two-back set tested last season can become a viable part of the offense this year.
Indeed, the one flaw in the Falcons' high-flying offense might be that their running backs don't get the ball enough.
"There's not enough balls to go around sometimes, when you have two really good running backs like that, with their own running styles," Springer said.
Pope employs versatile running methods, while Lane is more of a change-of-pace scat back. The results are comparable and effective. Pope averaged 6.2 yards on 178 carries, Lane 4.4 on 85.
"Pretty much, you block your man, they're going to make you right no matter what you do," left guard Kory Lichtensteiger said.
Pope said he looks as his role as just another piece of the offense. Last season his rushing yards decreased from 2003, when he was named first-team All-MAC. But he was fourth on the team with 50 catches. He said he likes lying low.
"If we are overlooked, that can be good for us," Pope said. "We just try to produce steady numbers while the passing game gets most of the attention."
Lane admits he didn't see his main role as returning kicks when he was recruited out of Fort Washington, Md. - mostly because he had never done it before. As a sophomore he had the best average on the team with 23.8 yards per return. He fared about the same on twice as many returns last season, and ran back a kick 93 yards for a touchdown against Ball State, the first time a BGSU player had ran back a score in seven years.
Springer said Lane has the talent to be a starter, but maximizes the role he does have.
"When he gets his chance, his opportunity, he tries to make the best of it," Springer said.
Pope and Lane are offseason workout partners, and friends off the field. It's a working relationship partly just because they've been through a lot together. This is Pope's fourth year with the program and Lane's fifth. They've been through new responsibilities, quarterbacks and coaches together. Just about everything except a MAC championship.
"Every day it's me and him, constantly pushing each other, preparing for the season," Lane said.
Working to make it harder and harder to tell them apart.
