Rushing Statistics vs. UMASS
James Gilbert: 25 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD
Darian Green: 16 carries, 71 yards
When used properly, Ball State has one of the more dominant 1-2 running back combos in the Mid-American Conference. With the speed of sophomore running back Darian Green and power of freshman James Gilbert, this is a combination that can continue for years to come.
During head coach's Pete Lembo weekly press conference he touched base on the dynamic duo who makes up for nearly 70-percent of the Cardinals running yards.
"We have to continue to look for ways to get our best guys involved," Lembo said. "That's the goal."
Freshman quarterback, Riley Neal has continued to run the ball when called upon, but after obtaining 217 yards in the first three games he appeared in, he has since gotten 83 against the past five opponents combined.
An aspect that has gone relatively unnoticed is Green and Gilbert's ability to not fumble the ball, which has been a major plus with Neal's struggles of turning the ball over while running. Neal has four fumbles in his six starts since he became the starter, while the running back duo has combined for zero.
"Darian and James are two reliable football players. They both have really good ball security," Lembo said. "We gotta keep bringing [Neal] along in that capacity as well."
On Oct. 31 against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, Green and Gilbert were often on the field together in the Cardinals' 20-10 victory.
The pair of 5'8" backs make it hard for defenses to find in the backfield and are vital for the Cardinals' offense. Green was used in the slot to get more touches outside, while Gilbert was there every down back that wore down the Minutemen defense.
Ball State has used the backs on the field together quite often against last weeks game against UMass. Like any running attack sometimes it will work, other times it will not.
"Some of the times, it was mixed results," Lembo said. "If you can continue to do those things over time, you know it's kinda like pounding a rock."
The team's top two running backs may continue to be apart of the offenses formations together.
This season, Green has 630 yards and four touchdowns on 118 carries, while Gilbert has 467 yards and eight touchdowns on 116 carries.
Despite the near 50-50 split, Gilbert was clearly favored during Saturday's game, getting 25 rushes on the day in front of Green's 16.
Even with nine more rushes, Gilbert only produced one more yard throughout the game.
After Green started the season in the first four games with 402 yards and four touchdowns. Gilbert has since carried the ball 73 times in the last five games for three touchdowns, being favored slightly.
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