Trio of sophomores to fill in for Holloman

Senior Timmy Holloman is Southeast Missouri State's main man in the backfield.

Not only is Holloman one of the top rushers in Southeast history, he also is considered among the premier running backs in the Ohio Valley Conference right now.

Just one problem: Holloman is ineligible for the first five games of the 2008 season under NCAA guidelines. He'll miss just one OVC contest.

"I think we have some guys who can do a good job and pick up the slack until Timmy comes back," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said.

Three players, all sophomores, figure to receive the bulk of the carries in Holloman's absence: Mike Jones, Alfred Reese and Henry Harris.

That trio, while realizing they have big shoes to fill, also appear confident they can bridge the gap between the Aug. 28 season opener against Southwest Baptist and the Oct. 4 game at preseason OVC favorite Jacksonville State, when Holloman is slated to return.

"It's big shoes to fill, most definitely," Jones said. "We have to pick up the slack."

For Jones and Reese, helping pick up the slack for Holloman will be nothing new because they also did it last year.

Through five games in 2007, the speedy Holloman ranked second in the OVC and eighth nationally in rushing with an average of 131 yards per game.

Holloman had 655 yards, a 5.7-yard average and six touchdowns — but those statistics never changed as he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for undisclosed reasons and missed the final six games.

That freed up Jones and Reese for additional playing time as true freshmen.

Especially Jones, a bruising 6-foot, 240-pounder from Paducah, Ky., who had just one carry — it went for minus 2 yards — through last year's first five games.

Jones finished the season with 291 yards while averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry. He rushed for 131 yards and scored both of his touchdowns against Murray State, his first collegiate start.

"We kind of threw him into the fire," Samuel said.

Jones said his biggest transition from high school to college was "adjusting to the speed of the game. It's a big jump from high school to here."

Jones, who entered fall camp first on the depth chart while Holloman is ineligible, said the biggest thing he needs to improve on this year is "my running angles."

Reese, a 5-8, 225-pounder from New Orleans, did not have as big an impact as Jones, but still finished the season with 190 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 59 yards.

"I got college experience last year, which should help me this year," said Reese, who averaged 3.4 yards per carry in 2007.

Like Jones, Reese mentioned the speed of the game as his biggest transition to college football. He said he needs to improve on "my vision a lot."

One thing that Jones and Reese can't replace is Holloman's game-breaking speed that has produced numerous long touchdown runs.

That's where Harris should come in. He is a transfer from the University of Memphis, where he primarily saw action on special teams and did not have a carry from scrimmage for the Division I-A program last year.

Harris said he has been timed at 4.42 seconds over 40 yards, which is in Holloman's class.

"I'm hoping to bring some speed," said Harris, a Memphis native.

The 5-8, 185-pound Harris actually marketed himself to Southeast after he decided to leave Memphis, with a tape to Redhawks defensive coordinator Tim McGuire setting things in motion.

McGuire was head coach at Indiana State before joining Samuel's staff before the 2006 season.

"I had a good friend at Indiana State and I heard he [McGuire] was a good coach," Harris said. "I sent my film to coach McGuire. I saw it [transferring to Southeast] as an opportunity."

Harris hopes to get his share of opportunities to carry the football.

"I just want to help out the team the best I can," he said. "I'm ready."

Samuel always is hesitant to talk much about a new player until he has a chance to see the player for a while, but Samuel said that Harris might be somebody worth talking to during media day, with the implication being that he could be a player to watch this year.

Holloman, who is allowed to practice with the Redhawks, will be a player to watch once he regains his eligibility after five games.

Holloman, a 6-0, 190-pounder from Orlando, Fla., has been Southeast's top rusher in each of his three seasons in the program, and ranks fourth on the school's all-time rushing list with 1,996 yards.

"He's had a great career so far," said Samuel, whose squad began practice Tuesday and has its first workout in full pads Friday.

As an example of how highly the rest of the OVC regards Holloman, he was voted preseason all-conference even though he'll have to miss almost half the campaign.

It largely will be up to Jones, Reese and Harris to hold down the fort until Holloman returns.