University of North Texas Athletics
Football Preview -- Running Back Micah Mosley
7/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Height: 6-0
Class: Junior
Signed: In 2007 from Nederland High School
2008 Key Stat: 4.9. That’s Mosley’s career yards per carry on 115 attempts, so don’t forget about him when it comes to playing time at running back in ’09. The junior started the opener at Kansas State and posted 21 carries over five games before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of last year. He spent the spring recovering and will enter the fall at 100 percent, ready to challenge Cam Montgomery and Lance Dunbar for snaps.
Why he will start: Fall camp will be the proving ground for Mosley, who has amassed 563 career yards in two years at North Texas. If he can put the injury behind him, he is expected to push Dunbar for situational time in the backfield, and could realistically take over the backup spot with a strong camp.
Why he won’t start: Cam Montgomery has the starting gig locked down. The bruiser (6-1, 210 lbs) broke loose for 928 yards on 5.5 per carry and nine touchdowns for NT last season, and will start barring injury. However, coach Dodge said in the Green Gang Chat on Monday that we could see some two-back sets this year, which could give Mosley additional opportunities.
Dont' forget: Coach Dodge always speaks highly of Mosley, who entered last fall as the starting back. Dodge once said of the former Nederland star, “I think he can be a 1,000 yard back in each of his last three years here.” Competition and injury held him back from that goal in ’08, but look for Mosley to rebound this year.
Overall: The Mean Green offense gets the reputation for being a pass-happy attack, but the numbers show NT has rushed over 41 percent of the time since Dodge’s arrival. Having a stable of capable backs is important, and that’s exactly what North Texas has with Mosley, Montgomery and Dunbar. Mosley should compete hard against Dunbar for some highly coveted time in the NT backfield.
