Pack's Eugene Ready for Opportunity

WRALSportsFan

Pack's Eugene Ready for Opportunity

By Langdon Morris, WRAL.com

Sep 5, 2007

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N.C. State fans should hope that Boston College has as hard of a time running down Jamelle Eugene as assistant media relations director Brandon Yopp had in catching him after practice Wednesday.

As reporters waited while watching Eugene catch extra balls after practice, they then watched as he took off toward the Murphy Center before Yopp ran him down for an interview.

“I run the same route every day,” Eugene said.

With last week’s starting tailback Toney Baker out for the season due to a knee injury, Eugene and junior Andre Brown will be the Pack’s workhorses at tailback.

“It’s a challenge because me and Bake were a one-two combo and lightened the load on carries and things of that nature,” Brown said.

Though Brown is a proven back, tallying 1325 yards and 10 touchdowns in his two seasons at State, Eugene’s ability to fill in for Baker remains unknown.

Eugene is known for his speed and elusiveness, which is why he will continue to return kicks alongside Darrell Blackman. Coach Tom O’Brien said Eugene is ready for a bigger role.

“He’s practiced hard, he’s a good back, he’s worked, [and] he’s gotten a lot of reps in preseason practice,” O’Brien said. “He was ready to go Saturday night. Now he steps up and gets more reps, and we’re very confident in him.”

In Saturday’s loss, Eugene had only one carry for 8 yards, though he showed a flash of brilliance on a 9-yard touchdown run that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Brown said he is “absolutely confident” in Eugene’s playmaking ability.

“He means a lot,” Brown said. “He’s not just going to be a third-down back anymore. He’s going to be in there rotating carries with me. As we go into this week he’s going to have to step up and take [on] the load that T-Bake once had.”

Eugene has shared equal snaps with Brown and Baker in practice and rushed for 168 yards on 15 carries in the Red/White game.

“Any time you get a chance to touch the ball more and help your team out, you get excited,” Eugene said. “We usually split the reps in practice anyways, so the only thing that’s going to be different is game time.”

And Eugene, like O’Brien, is confident that come game-time he will prove himself.

“I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to show something I can do and lead us to victory,” Eugene said.