Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Sports

Freshman running back Desmin Ward rushes for a touchdown at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. It was the only rushing touchdown of the day despite the Panthers' 216 total yards on the ground. (Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News)

Eastern freshman running back Desmin Ward moved up to No. 2 on the Panthers' depth chart before Eastern's first game of the season at Central Michigan because of nagging injuries to Norris Smith, Travorus Bess and Chevon Walker's three-game suspension.

Bess returned to form against Illinois with a 183-yard rushing performance

But it was Ward who scored the Panthers' lone touchdown on the ground.

"He's been one of the few healthy guys - that's why he's been playing," Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said. "Desmin is a young guy that plays with a lot of enthusiasm."

But behind that enthusiasm lies Ward's primary physical skill: his size.

Ward, who is 6-feet tall and weighs in at 223 pounds is the Panthers' biggest back and compares in running style to Smith, a red-shirt senior. That style: big and bruising.

Smith said he has taken Ward under his wing and the two will talk about different aspects of the running game like breaking tackles and what to do in certain formation and play calls.

"He's like my little brother," Smith said. "I look at him as another Florida boy. When he does good it just brightens up my day. He's going to be a hell of a football player."

Ward scored his first collegiate touchdown on Eastern's quickest scoring drive against Illinois.

Bess, a red-shirt senior, started the drive with a 55-yard burst down the right sideline.

Junior Ron Jordan got the next carry for six yards, but it was Ward who got the ball on second down with five yards to go until the end zone.

And it was Ward who plowed through the Illinois defense that had stacked the box against a possible run.

"He's a bigger back with some moves," Spoo said. "He's strong and has a lot of want-to. We're obviously pleased to have him go in there and spell those guys for a period."

Ward said he never expected to score against Illinois, and it was a good experience to do so and do it in front of such a large crowd.

"I know he was pretty excited," said Eastern running/special teams coach Justin Lustig. "His mom was in the stands to see it. He didn't come from a huge high school; so certainly scoring a touchdown against the Big Ten was a thrill for him."

Ward has rushed for 52 yards on 18 carries this season, getting the majority of the yards against Central Michigan in his first game.

Ward will continue to receive carries against Indiana State on Saturday, as Smith is still hurt and Walker will serve the final game of his suspension for an NCAA infraction incurred while at Florida.

Lustig said Ward's experience could only help him in the future.

"His first two college games have been two tough atmospheres and two exciting atmospheres that aren't going to be rivaled for the rest of the year," Lustig said. "With that, everything else is going to be not quite as big so he's going to be ready to go."

Ward said he has had to adjust the most to the speed of the college game and finishing plays.

He said finishing plays is one thing Eastern offensive coordinator Roy Wittke has stressed to the Panthers' offense.

Doing so, however, is not as easy for Ward now as it was at Hamilton High School in Milwaukee when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a senior.

"In high school you're used to being the biggest and fastest player on the field at all times," Ward said. "Here, everybody pretty much has the same kind of talent level."

Ward might not be the biggest player on the field anymore or the fastest, but Lustig said Ward's mental game is still strong.

"(Ward) knows the offense almost as well as some of the fifth-year seniors that we have," Lustig said. "To me that's the most impressive thing."


Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.

Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.

Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.

If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.