Bulldogs’ Rivers will be back from injury sooner rather than later, but does he play?
Fresno State running back Ronnie Rivers is ahead of schedule coming back from a foot injury suffered during spring practices and he could be ready to go well ahead of the initial prognosis — which was six to eight months, the latter third of the 2018 football season.
That is a positive for a program that has more than a few on its side headed into 2018, but it could also pose a conundrum for coach Jeff Tedford and the Bulldogs’ offensive staff, who have a deep backfield and a balance-between-classes issue at the position.
“It may be that he’s even able to do stuff before the end of camp, but we’ll see how his progression goes with his rehab,” Tedford said.
The easy answer is to play Rivers when cleared; fire when ready, fire at will. Still 10 days before the start of fall camp, this has the looks of a special season for the Bulldogs, who on Tuesday were picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in a preseason media poll released on the first day of the conference’s Media Summit. Why hold back?
Rivers was the starter through the first five games last season, the first true freshman running back to start a season opener for the Bulldogs going back through 1980.
He went down with an elbow injury in a victory over New Mexico, missing two games. But at the time of the injury Rivers was the Bulldogs’ leading rusher and the leading receiver out of the backfield; also, their steadiest under a punt, fielding the football.
He rushed for 305 yards at 5.2 yards per play with four rushing touchdowns, half the Bulldogs’ total at that point in the season. Two of those five games, it should be noted, were against No. 1 Alabama and No. 16 Washington, teams that finished the season ranked first and fourth in the nation in rushing defense.
Fresno State will not take any chances with Rivers, particularly with a foot injury at a position where planting, cutting and burst are an integral part of the job description. And there also is a new NCAA rule in play allowing a student-athlete to play in any four games during a season and still retain a redshirt year.
“That,” Tedford said, “throws another interesting dynamic into it.”
The Bulldogs could wait, even if Rivers is ready to play, for a final stretch of games that figures to play large in determining the Mountain West champion.
Fresno State plays at Boise State on Nov. 9 and against San Diego State at Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 17. The Broncos were a unanimous choice to win the Mountain Division in the conference while the Aztecs were picked second in the West.
A running back with fresh legs and few bumps or bruises at that point in the season would be like a Major League Baseball team adding a big bat or a power arm at the trading deadline.
The Bulldogs staff also could pick and choose four games along the way, forcing opposing defenses to invest time game-planning against an offense that may or may not be in play.
If Rivers plays in four games or fewer he could redshirt and in 2019 be a redshirt sophomore rather than one of four juniors in the group, which is the wild card in the equation.
Fresno State’s running backs group headed into fall camp has one senior (Dejonte O’Neal), one junior (Josh Hokit), two true sophomores (Rivers and Jordan Mims) and two redshirt sophomores (Saevion Johnson and Romello Harris).
The Bulldogs did not sign a running back in their 2018 recruiting class.
Fresno State in two years could be in the same position next season with its receivers. This season, eight are seniors: KeeSean Johnson, Jamire Jordan, Michiah Quick, Delvon Hardaway, Justin Allen, Anthony Grayson, Nanami Parker and Brian Burt.
There is one scholarship junior and no scholarship sophomores.
With that lack of balance, Fresno State in 2019 will have an untested quarterback replacing senior Marcus McMaryion working with a largely inexperienced wideouts. Barring a bunch of blowouts, there does not figure to be a lot of snaps this season for a backup quarterback or receivers outside the playing rotation.
Tedford and his staff have started to address that, moving redshirt freshman Chris Coleman from cornerback to wideout and signing three wideouts in the 2018 recruiting class in Emoryie Edwards, Ricardo Arias and Rodney Wright III.
It is a consideration, to a point.
“Yes and no,” Tedford said, at the Mountain West Media Summit. “It would depend on how long his recovery actually takes. If it took a long time, would that help out some space in between those guys? Yes. But going in, if he was ready early, then no, it wouldn’t. We wouldn’t hold him back if he’s ready to go. If it takes him a while to get ready and we have to make sure he’s 100 percent, then there are decisions to be made.
“It would be nice to create a staggered group, but he’s very productive and if he’s ready he’s ready. I’m not going to put him on the shelf if he’s ready to go because he’s a dynamic, impact player for us.”