Hargrett joins crowded field of running backs competing for playing time

By: Jackson Wolek / Staff Writer

It was a bright and sunny day in Miami for the start of their last week of practice before they take on North Texas on Sept. 1 at FIU Stadium; until about an hour and a half into it, when the rain started to pour down on the field. The rain lasted for a good two minutes, and it quickly started to feel as though it was 110 degrees again.

“It was like a New Jersey day,” said head coach Mario Cristobal. That day also brought him back to his playing days in Amsterdam. “As a player I remember one day it was scorching, and then it started raining and then it started snowing.”

While FIU does not have to deal with  extreme of weather changes of that degree, they will have to deal with potential Sun Belt Conference player of the year Lance Dunbar and the Mean Green of North Texas.

“For us it’s the most important game we’ve ever had,” said Cristobal. “We’re going against a guy who is picked to be the conference player of the year [Dunbar], and I know coach McCarney and the way he prepares each position, so we know the challenge is a big one, but so is the opportunity.”

The opportunity to win their first game of the season against a conference opponent at home is something that FIU has yet to accomplish. They will have a little help on their side though, as the top wide receiver for North Texas, Darius Carey, was released from the team during the summer for not living up to the team’s expectations.

For the most part, practices have stayed the same since starting on Aug. 3, with all teams being able to get around the same amount of reps and opportunities to showcase their talents in front of the coaches. Those opportunities are dwindling down now that game time is getting nearer, and Cristobal says that it is still too soon to have a full depth chart.

There is still no word on whether or not wide receiver James Louis from Ohio State will transfer to FIU, but the recent running back that transferred from West Virginia, Daquan Hargrett, may still have a chance to play this year if he signs a waiver.

“One thing I’m really excited about is he’s a smart guy, and he wants to come here because he wants to be part of a team,” said Cristobal.

Hargrett will not be up to speed with the rest of the running backs on the team and will be behind a deep roster of Darriet Perry, Darian Mallary, Jeremiah Harden, Kedrick Rhodes, Robert Boswell and Shane Coleman.

Perry led the team in touchdown last year with 16, but didn’t have any against North Texas. He is not worried about having any against them this time either.

“It always comes down to winning the game at the end of the day. I’m not really worried about touchdowns, I just have to go out and play the game that I play and whatever God bless’ me to get, that’s what I get,” said Perry.

Perry also stated that he did get to see the new stadium that North Texas built this year, but he wasn’t too disappointed in not being able to play there.

“I’m not too impressed with their stadium, because we have a great stadium here,” said Perry.

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