by Kristie Boudwin
Daily Lobo
DonTrell Moore might be coming back, but Rodney Ferguson and Adrian Byrd are already here.
With Moore rehabilitating an injured knee, Ferguson and Byrd assume the running back duties for the UNM football team.
Quarterback Kole McKamey said he is confident he can rely on other tailbacks if Moore does not return as healthy as anticipated.
"There are young guys we could count on if DonTrell wasn't healthy," he said. "But he is healthy and he has three great running backs behind him that at any moment we can count on to make big plays for us."
Moore's anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2004 Emerald Bowl forced the UNM football program to test other offensive options on the ground. Ferguson stepped into the starting position at tailback when Moore was injured in the bowl game.
After getting the call against Navy, he scored his first career touchdown as a true freshman. Ferguson finished his freshman season with 48 yards on 11 carries.
Ferguson goes into the 2005 season as a sophomore with a redshirt year still available. With Moore on the sidelines, Ferguson proved his ability with a 43-yard run this spring in the Cherry-Silver game.
Ferguson said he is a physical back and his biggest strength is strength itself.
He is not practicing with the mindset that Moore will or will not return healthy, but focusing on becoming a better tailback, he said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"Right now I am practicing just to get a spot and to play," Ferguson said. "With him gone that would move me up. I am just waiting for him and to see what he does."
Byrd returns this season as a third-year starter for the Lobos. He said he is versatile because he is a running back who can play the fullback position or the running back position.
"I wouldn't say I am your traditional fullback or your traditional tailback," he said. "I can play both of them without losing much of a Moore will also get a chance to rewrite the UNM football record books. Before the start of the Emerald Bowl, Moore needed 125 yards to break the UNM all-time rushing record. Moore only gained eight yards on five carries against Navy.
Even though Moore rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and had five touchdowns, he said stats don't concern him.
"I just want to help my team in whatever way possible," he said. "I'm not really into stats. I don't judge my success on the amount of yards I get."
Moore said he's concerned more with how he can help out the players around him.
"I just want to be the best teammate I can be, be the best captain I can be and be a tool for the younger guys to look up to," he said.
The only thing standing between Moore and the UNM record books is medical clearance. Moore has not been cleared to practice and said he probably won't be until right before camp begins. Camp will start on Aug. 8.
The Lobos' first game is on Sept. 5, at home against Mountain West Conference rival the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
