Sept. 10, 2015
Past Mick McGrane 2014-15 football features
2014
Kaehler: A Thinking Man's Game (Aug. 5)
Whittaker: Long Time Gone, Never Forgotten (Aug. 6)
Life in the Weight Room: Hall's Strong Suit (Aug. 15)
Roberts: A Career Comes Full Circle (Aug. 21)
The Season's in Session, Take Your Seats (Aug. 29)
How Quickly we Forget (Sept. 7)
Looks can be Deceiving (Sept. 19)
O-Line has Aztecs' Running Game in High Gear (Oct. 23)
Falling Short is no Longer an Option for Aztec Football (Nov. 29)
Winds of Change: "Rise To 25" Fuels New Direction for Football (Dec. 23)
Pumphrey in Need of a Playing Partner (Dec. 24)
2015
Football no Longer Needs Sun to Sell Itself (Feb. 4)
Aztec Football is Flush with Experience in 2015 (Feb. 20)
Regardless of Road, Whittaker's Future is Flush with Success (July 23)
Gordon no Longer Wrestling with Football Future (July 30)
Kazee has the Corner Covered in Aztec D (Aug. 5)
Hageman has Given Boot to Aztec Kicking Woes (Aug. 14)
Life is a Snap for Aztecs' Overbaugh (Aug. 21)
Munson Shines upon Emerging From Shadows (Aug. 28)
Pumphrey Prioritizes Winning in Rush to Stardom (Sept. 2)
Aztecs Positioned to Take Next Step in '15 (Sept. 4)
Aztecs Look to Get Offense in Gear (Sept. 6)
McGrane: Penny's Stock Rising on Rate of Returns
By Mick McGrane, @GoAztecs Senior Writer (@MickOnTheMesa)
If two's company and three's a crowd, four gifted running backs on the same team with an array of talents must fall somewhere between a multitude and a virtual mob.
Which is where sophomore Rashaad Penny comes in, assuming he can display the necessary moves to sidestep the swarm.
Consider: Since 2010, a program that began in 1921 has had no fewer than three running backs finish among its top nine all-time in the category of rushing yards in a single season. Current starter Donnel Pumphrey assumed the No. 1 spot on the list last season when he rushed for 1,867 yards. Ronnie Hillman, currently with the Denver Broncos, ranks seventh with 1,532 yards in 2010, while Adam Muema is No. 9 after compiling 1,458 yards in 2012.
Yet in 2015, the depth of the Aztecs' backfield abuts the absurd, with Pumphrey, a junior, senior Chase Price and sophomore Marcus Stamps joining Penny to arguably comprise the most accomplished group ever assembled at SDSU.
Translation: If you want the starting job, you better do more than sing and dance. You also better be able to --- other than merely outperform Pumphrey --- block, tackle, grind, grovel, practice interminable patience and return the occasional kickoff.
Much like Rashaad Penny.
"It's difficult, but at the same time I'm still learning from (Pumphrey) and Chase," Penny said. "I actually really enjoy it, because those guys are like role models to me. And I'm also learning from Marcus. All of them are great running backs, and when you have that many guys who are capable of doing great things, teams can't really just focus on one back knowing that you have three or four. You can always bring in other guys with great skills of their own who can help you win."
Penny's great skill, other than carrying a football (he amassed more than 5,000 rushing yards as a prep standout at Norwalk (Calif.) High), has become readily --- and speedily --- apparent. While waiting his turn to display his talents at running back --- a wait that may be over sooner than later --- Penny, in a career spanning just 13 games, has become one of the top kickoff returners in the country.
As a true freshman last season, he finished first 29th in the nation and fourth among true freshmen with a kickoff return average of 25.0 yards. The mark represented the second-best kick return average by an SDSU player in the Mountain West era (1999-present).
But it wasn't until the Aztecs' season-opening 37-3 win against USD last week that Penny finally realized a payoff for his special teams play, returning the opening kick of the second half 97 yards for a touchdown, the first of his career.
"I turned around and saw a (penalty) flag and I was really devastated," he said. "It was such a thrill scoring my first big touchdown, especially when I got an amazing block from Chase Price that sprang me free. But then to see that flag…when I heard over the loudspeaker that the penalty was against (USD), I was just ecstatic."
No less than he'll be if Coach Rocky Long follows through with a statement he made earlier this week when he intimated that the 5-11, 210-pound Penny could soon figure into the offense. Slotted fourth on the depth chart heading into fall camp, Penny had two rushes for 22 yards in 2014.
"Potentially, he's a big weapon," Long said. "We haven't used him much (as a running back) to this point. Obviously, he did a nice job last year on kick returns and he did it again on Saturday. He's a talented young guy. What people don't realize is that he's on three other special teams, too, and he plays very well on all three, even when he has to block or run down the field and tackle somebody. Most people don't see that part of his game. And what you do on special teams is just as important as what you do on offense or defense.
"We are designing some things to use him on the offensive side of the ball, but he's third string, maybe fourth string at running back. So, you're probably not going to see that much of him."
That decision, however, will ultimately rest with offensive coordinator and running backs coach Jeff Horton, who opened last Saturday's game with Price at tailback and Pumphrey, who set a single-season school record last season with 20 rushing touchdowns, lined up as a receiver.
"There's a lot of pressure on Coach Horton with all four of us," Penny said. "But it's a great thing, because even though we play the same position, we're all competitors and we have a great time together doing what we do.
"You always have to be patient and wait your turn. That's what I'm doing right now. It's a process that every college player goes through. But once I get my opportunity, I'm going to show what I can really do. I hope I showed a lot of people that last Saturday."
Long said prior to the season that Penny, who returned 20 kicks for 500 yards with a long of 57 last year, may be the fastest player on the team. He rushed for 2,504 yards and 41 touchdowns as a high school senior, settling on SDSU after turning down offers from six other MW schools, including Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State and Utah State.
"Rashaad is fast, but he's got that deceptive speed," said linebacker Calvin Munson, himself a former special teams standout who became the first player in SDSU history to return two interceptions for touchdowns last week. "He doesn't look like he'd be fast, but once he's moving he's gone. Having him back there on kickoffs and having that potential to return kicks for touchdowns gives our team a lot of confidence."
And gives Penny a chance to show he may be equally valuable in areas other than special teams.
"Now that I have experience returning kickoffs, I really enjoy doing it because I know where the blocking is going to be and I can go out there and have fun," he said. "When I find a seam, I just trust my instincts and take my best shot. I really feel like I can be the No. 1 kick returner (in the nation). I was told all summer and throughout (fall camp) that I can do it.
"(But) it would make me feel great just knowing that I could be part of the (offensive) scheme, part of the game plan. That's what I work for. When you're recognized for what you've done on special teams and the coaches start designing plays for you out of the backfield or having you line up in the slot, that's awesome. I can't wait for my chance to execute it."