Dupree, Backs Looking to Make Success Translate

Jalen Dupree feels good, for multiple reasons.

Due to a rotation in the Colorado State running back room, five games into the season he's relatively fresh for a guy who gets hit every time he touches the ball. The redshirt freshman is also coming off the first 100-yard game of his career, posting 103 against San Diego State.

On top of that, 10 percent of his carries have been explosive runs, covering 15 yards or more.

The Benon, Ark., product would like to feel better, given the circumstances.

"It hasn't felt too good, wins and losses wise, but we're learning, we're growing, and we've still got the whole conference ahead of us," Dupree said. "We're playing all over the field. We play special teams, we block, we do all that. We just want the team to win."

The "we" is a talented running back trio which is giving position coach Jeremy Moses fits in all the right ways. Dupree leads the group with 370 yards on 69 carries, good for 5.4 a pop. Lloyd Avant has 226 yards on 33 rushes (6.80 per) and Justin Marshall has 83 on 16 carries (5.20), missing the first game due to injury.

How they make it hard for Moses is who plays and when during a game. They've all earned time, so they're all getting carries. That part is fun, as well as how competitive they are with each other while displaying a brotherhood which isn't always found among guys trying to be the main character in a story.

"That's the most challenging part of my job this year is making sure each of them gets a piece of the pie. From game to game, reps have sorted out differently," Moses said. "Everybody's not going to get the reps that they deserve, if that makes sense. But as far as the unselfishness in the room, it's a constant fight on my end to be able to try to get the reps right.

"They're all working toward the same goal, so it's not like there's one guy who's upset about getting these reps compared to that rep. And within each week, with it being a different rep count, there's buy-in. They all know that at any point, their number's going to be called, and they've got to be ready to go."

Which they have been, thanks in large part due to the rotation. It's not just now that the season has begun, but the lack of wear and tear started in fall camp. They were all showing in the dog days of August they had the talent to make an impact, could be the lead dog.

If only there was a way to have them all on the field at the same time.

"We need to," joked Dupree. "We're working on that."

It's been Dupree who has started every game this season, but it is not often one of the backs sees the field on successive series. On Friday against the Aztecs, he had a trio of explosive runs, leading to him exceed the century mark on the ground for the first time.

He now has seven on the season. He also knows he has to bring it every day at practice, because Avant and Marshall aren't just sitting back.

"It keeps you on your toes. We're in a really good room like we have," Dupree said. "Anybody can have their day, but there's no selfish people in our room. We encourage each other. We push each other to get better and coach each other."

Dupree's production may be eye-opening to some even though he gained 153 yards a year ago, playing the final five games (including the bowl), averaging 6.1 yards per tote.

It isn't to Moses. He is the back they recruited out of high school, and nothing about him has changed. Not the running style. Not the production. Not the character.

"To me it's no different than what we expected, which is always good when recruiting a guy out of high school. If you watch this high school film throughout four years at Malvern High School, he's doing all those same things," Moses said. "To find a guy that is just as explosive on the college field as the guy you recruited out of high school makes me feel good about the job I'm doing as far as evaluations.

"I think what's created the consistency there and such quick success is the character. And that is beyond athletic ability and talent. The character part about recruiting is at the top of the list because I want him to be the same guy, whether it's through success, through adversity, when he's fourth on the depth chart, when he's top of the depth chart. He's been the same guy since he's gotten here, he's prepared the same way, he's attacked the field the same way, and he's a good student in the classroom, which makes it a whole lot easier for me to do my job."

Add the trio together, the Rams have a back who is averaging 140 yards per game. That part feels good. The 100-yard game felt good, too. It could just feel so much better.

Dupree's outing came against a SDSU defense which leads the conference in rush defense (102.8). This Friday, Fresno State comes in ranked second (110.0)

"It's going to come," Dupree said. "We've just got to keep chopping away day by day. It starts at practice. We've still got full confidence in this team.

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