Zach puts it all on the Line

Junior Running Back Zach Line carries the ball for a completion during play against UAB on November 6th. (Michael Danser/The Daily Campus )

This Sunday marks the start of the season for the SMU football team when they will travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies who are currently ranked eighth in the nation.

Halfback Zach Line will lead the charge for the Mustangs.

SMU has not seen a running back as productive as Line since the days of rushing legends like Doak Walker, Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Line’s 2010 season statistics paint a picture of how dominant his breakout year was.

Line rushed for 1391 total yards which is the second largest single season mark reached in school history, while doing so he averaged 6.1 yards per carry and got in the end zone 10 times.

At 6’1″ and 230l pounds, Line is an intimidating running back who is very powerful and has the ability to run over defenders while also displaying great agility and vision.

Line was initially recruited as a linebacker but has made the most of his time at running back, and big numbers are expected from him this season.

Line is entering the 2011 season as a top five candidate for the Doak Walker Award, an annual award presented to the top running back in the nation.

Line is going to have to continue his dominance on the ground for Sunday’s game against the Texas A&M Aggies.

While both teams are able to put up points in a hurry, A&M’s front seven are the weakest part of the defense only returning four starters.

A&M also lost outside linebacker Von Miller who was drafted second overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft.

This might mean more opportunities for Line to carry the ball in Sunday’s game.

Line could start off the with a signature performance and help the Mustang’s to what would certainly be a signature win.

SMU is returning an all senior offensive line this year, and when you match the Mustang’s strengths up front on the offensive side of the ball, with the Aggie’s weakness in the front seven of the defense, Line could consistently be seeing big holes in front of him all game long.

One defender that the Mustangs offense must keep an eye on though is inside linebacker Garrick Williams who had 112 tackles last year, the second highest total number of tackles for the Aggies. William’s had an outstanding junior season earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors, and is one of the returning leaders on defense for the Aggies. If the Mustang’s offensive line is able to get Williams blocked and Line starts off the game with a couple of first downs and big runs, it might force the Aggies to bring a safety into the box which will open up the passing game for quarterback Kyle Padron and the SMU wide receivers.

Texas A&M also comes into Sunday’s game with an impressive running back, Cyrus Gray. Christine Michael was the starter for the first six games of last season until he broke his right leg and was replaced by current starter Cyrus Gray who rushed for 1180 yards in 2010 while scoring 12 TDs. Gray only started 7 games last season but still put up huge stats and was not held under 100 yards in every game he started in. Needless to say, all eyes are going to be on the two starting running backs once the teams hit the field.

During Steve Hunt’s interview from Fox Sports Southwest Zach said, “Last year was kind of me trying to earn the spot as a running back, earn that one spot and not share it as much. It sounds greedy but I wanted to just be in there because I felt like sitting on the sidelines I couldn’t do much.”

After last season Line definitely earned the job as SMU’s primary ball carrier, now it’s his time to once again prove that he is currently one of the most dominant halfbacks in college football and lead the Mustangs to a victory.

One defender that the Mustangs offense must keep an eye on though is inside linebacker Garrick Williams. Williams earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors, and is one of the returning leaders on defense for the Aggies. If the Mustang’s offensive line is able to get Williams blocked and Zach starts off the game with a couple of first downs and big runs, it might open up the passing game for quarterback Kyle Padron and the SMU wide receivers.

Texas A&M also comes into Sunday’s game with an impressive running back, Cyrus Gray. Gray only started in seven games last season, but still put up huge stats and was not held under 100 yards in every game he started in. All eyes are going to be on the two starting running backs once the teams hit the field.

During an interview with Fox Sports Southwest Line said, “Last year was kind of me trying to earn the spot as a running back, earn that one spot and not share it as much. It sounds greedy but I wanted to just be in there because I felt like sitting on the sidelines I couldn’t do much.”