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Big Cleats to Fill

Northern running backs know what's at stake this season

A quick glance at any practice during the first week of the Montana State University-Northern Lights' 2017 fall camp, and a one can see the excitement, the enthusiasm, and the talent the Lights have.

However, anyone with their eyes open, including the entire Northern roster and coaching staff, can also see something glaringly missing from fall camp, too.

For the first time in six years, Northern's most prolific offensive player in school history isn't on the field.

Zach McKinley, who shattered every rushing record Northern has over a brilliant career, has graduated, and with the running game being such a huge part of Northern head coach Aaron Christensen's offense, needless to say, there's some big cleats to fill.

McKinley leaves behind 4,699 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns among his 14 MSU-N records in his career, numbers that are likely never to be equaled. But for three running backs working hard to step into the role this fall in Jett Robertson, Trey Blanchard and B.J. Roberts, he also left behind a lot more.

"They are excited and ready to compete," Christensen said of his stable of running backs. "And it's good for them that they had a guy before them that they saw do it all the right way. Zach set a great example on and off the field. He was a guy they saw set an example of how you work in practice, how you handle yourself and how you're supposed to run the ball on the field. So those guys all know what they have to step into and the type of shoes they have to fill."

And McKinley's shoes are some big ones. But none of the running backs - Robertson, who was McKinley's backup last season, but is currently injured, Blanchard, who red-shirted last fall after transferring from a junior college in Minnesota, and Roberts, who saw limited action as a freshman last season - are shying away from the challenge.

"We all have a pretty strong mind-set coming in because the spot is open," Blanchard said. "The competition level is through the roof right now, and that has practice at a whole new level.

"Trey and I have worked really (hard), and Jett had a great spring, we're grinding right now," Roberts said. "We're all really close, so there's no animosity there. But we're all competing really hard and competing for that spot, so it's fun."

And competing for the spot vacated by a guy who averaged over 1,000 yards a season, 112 yards per game and an incredible 37 carries per game over the course of his career might add some pressure to it. But on the other hand, everybody in the race for the running back job also got at least one year, and some two, to learn from McKinley.

"Zach worked for everything he got, he earned every yard, and every single award and accolade he received, he just worked so hard every single day," Roberts said. "So from him, I learned I have to have a strong work ethic, I learned I have to work for everything.

"What I saw of Zach was how patient he was," Blanchard added. "I came from a junior college where everything was a lot different. So watching him and how patient he was out there, that helped me a lot to make that transition to this level."

No doubt, there was no better player for three younger running backs now staring at the starting job, and all three having significant roles in Northern's offense, to learn from than McKinley. However, that learning curve is over now, and it's time for this new wave of Northern running backs to step up and do it themselves.

"We know the running game is a big part of this offense," Blanchard said. "With Zach being gone, there are some pretty big shoes to fill. But we're working hard at it.

"They are all good running backs," Christensen said. "They all bring something to this offense. They each have their strengths. It's been a fun competition so far, and they're going to keep progressing and keep getting better, and it's going to be fun to watch them go forward."

The Lights wrapped up their first full week of camp Sunday, with the Friday and Saturday being the first days of full pads and full contact. Northern enters its second week of two-a-days starting today with practices each day at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Lights are now just two weeks away from their season-opener, Sept. 2 at RMC.

 

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