MOORHEAD, Minn. (8/23/06)-- Horan breaks down the running backs: “I am very excited about our running backs. We only lost one player and we return four tremendous players who will give us one of our best overall ground games in a long time. The key to making this system dangerous is having players in the backfield who can make decisions automatically. Our entire backfield will have the benefit of years of experience and having played together for an entire season.”

The makeup of the Cobber backfield in 2006 could be the most ideal scenario that Horan’s system has ever seen. You have speed, power, the ability to catch balls coming out of the backfield, and also the talent to make the right blocks on every single play.

The most exciting player for the Cobbers last year was found in the diminutive stature of freshman Cory Johnson. Johnson’s lack of height was easily erased by his highlight reel breakaway speed and his rock solid physique that often caught defensive players off guard as they were being run over. Johnson was second on the team in rushing last season with 909 yards. He had a robust 7.8 yards per carry average and was a threat to go the distance every time he touched the ball. From the opening game against MSU Moorhead when he turned the corner on a routine end run and blazed past the entire defense, Johnson’s speed gave the Cobbers a dimension they had not had in years. He posted two 100-yard games and set a new school record when he averaged 16.5 yards per carry against St. Olaf.

To go along with Johnson’s speed, the Cobbers offer the punishing attack of Kevin Williamson. Trapped in a linebackers body, Williamson routinely turned a 1-yard plunge into a 10-yard gain as he punished opposing tacklers who failed to fully commit to the tackle. His expertise in short yardage situations helped Williamson set a new school record for rushing TD’s in a single season (16). Williamson needs only nine more rushing touchdowns to set a new program mark for rushing TD’s in a career. He was also one of the reasons Concordia led the league in fourth down conversions.

Senior Ben Thoreson gives Concordia’s offense the final attacking dimension that frustrates opposing defenses from start to finish. Add a threat of catching a long ball coming out of the backfield to a ground game that can beat you around the end and up the middle and you have a three-headed monster that is tough to stop. Thoreson’s speed and ability to read the game will give Rodel an option on almost every single pass play. Last year he caught the fourth longest pass for a touchdown in program history when he hauled in a 76-yard pass from Schumacher in the St. John’s game. Look for Thoreson to add more to the ground game as well as he continues to put behind his broken jaw injury from early on in last season. His advanced physical conditioning has Thoreson primed for a tremendous season.

The fourth member of the Cobber backfield is senior Nick Reinisch. Reinisch is the team’s unsung hero as he adds the ability to block downfield and remain selfless in his quest to help the team. Reinisch possesses the skill to crash into a more developed role carrying the ball as he, like Williamson, has the ability to crush would be defenders in short yardage situations. Even though Reinisch has only carried the ball 41 times in his career he has the running skills to break free on a given play. He rarely makes a mistake as he is able to stand up to the pressure of the multi-touch Cobber offense.