Cal Davis hurting at running back position: Walker healthy after shot to the ribs

By Jeff Kolpack

October 21, 2005 at 11:00 PM

The California Davis enrollment is over 30,000 and at the rate of injuries to the Aggie running backs, the football team may have to hold student body tryouts.

The Aggies will be without No. 1 back Nelson Doris (foot) and backup Marcus Nolen (knee) for today's 1 p.m. game against North Dakota State at the Fargodome. Alex Garfio, who took over the No. 1 spot, just returned from an injury.

Those ailments don't include O.J. Swanigan, last year's top running back, who didn't return for his senior season because he was tired of being injured.

"It's something that happens to every single team," said Cal Davis tight end Aaron Hines. "To us, maybe it's happened more than usual, but we have guys willing to step up."

Hines is one of those players. He's taken over for All-American Daniel Fells, sidelined with a broken ankle. Also out is Ryan Sharp, one of the team's top defensive linemen.

Fells and Sharp are team captains.

"We've had a whole host of things," said Cal Davis head coach Bob Biggs. "But we're starting to feel comfortable with the people in their roles."

Bison quarterback Steve Walker said his bruised ribs are almost 100 percent healed.

He was injured sometime during the Nicholls State (La.) game three weeks ago. He re-injured them in the later stages of NDSU's loss at California Poly. The Bison had a bye last week.

"That came at a great time for me," Walker said. "A few of us were nicked up."

E Each member of the 1965 NDSU football team inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday was given Bison jerseys with their name and "1965 national champions" on it. They are actual game jerseys the Bison wore a few years ago.

- Davis brought out leafblowers this week in practice to help simulate the loud conditions of the Fargodome.

- Jamie Nelson, the assistant strength and conditioning and linebackers coach for Cal Davis, played and coached at Valley City State (N.D.). He is in his third year on the Aggie staff.

- Jerry Kill, the head coach for Southern Illinois - NDSU's Nov. 19 opponent in Carbondale, Ill. - suffered a seizure in the late stages of his team's loss to Illinois State last Saturday. His status for the rest of the season is not clear.

- NDSU is ranked 14th in the I-AA.org power rankings. UC Davis is 22nd. Cal Poly took over the top spot this week. Despite three of the top 22 teams, the Great West Football Conference is fifth in the league power ratings. The Big Sky Conference is first.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.