Oct. 16, 2002

Charleston, SC - When senior tailback Nate Mahoney dislocated an elbow Sept. 21 against Western Carolina, The Citadel moved sophomore fullback Nehemiah Broughton back to tailback.

The result - three straight 100-yard games by the 6-0, 240-pound Broughton, who is known as "Nemo" to his teammates.

Now that Mahoney is back, Citadel coach Ellis Johnson has decided to rotate the two players at tailback, giving the Dogs a Nate and Nemo backfield and one of the top 1-2 punches in the Southern Conference.

"I think that gives us a rotation that is producing as many yards as any in the conference," Johnson said Tuesday.

Broughton is third in the SoCon with 516 yards in six games this season, averaging 86 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. His string of three straight 100-yard games was snapped in last week's 26-7 win over East Tennessee State, when he had "only" 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

Mahoney, who rushed for 128 yards in a 24-20 win over Delaware Sept. 14 before getting hurt early against Western Carolina, returned to action against ETSU and had 70 yards on 19 carries. He has 260 yards on 59 carries this season, averaging 4.4 yards.

With Mahoney coming off an injury, Broughton got the start last week. Johnson said Mahoney would take the first turn this week at Furman, and that the pair will rotate depending on the game situation.

"Nate will start," Johnson said. "He is doing a little bit more of a complete job in some of the other things, such as blocking and running routes, than Nehemiah is. And I think having two tailbacks can keep us a little fresher there late in the game."

That seemed to be the case against ETSU, as Broughton broke his longest run of the game, a 45-yarder, in the third quarter.

Both tailbacks, however, lost fumbles at the goal line against ETSU.

"That's three times in two games," Johnson said. "We've got to take care of the ball." The development of freshman fullback Porter Johnson, who graded out the highest of all the backs against ETSU, allows Broughton and Mahoney to share the tailback job, Ellis Johnson said.

Furman's backfield suffered a blow this week as sophomore fullback Al Means has been lost for the season with a torn ligament in his lower right leg suffered against App State. Means, who had 120 rushing yards and four TDs this season, had been sharing time with Eric Emerson (113 yards, 1 TD). Sophomore Corey Tant, who has played sparingly in two games, will move up the depth chart. The Paladins will get receiver Isaac West (collarbone) back this week. West, a deep threat, has played in only three games, averaging 24.2 yards on 10 catches, three for TDs.

"He's 100 percent ready to go," Furman coach Bobby Lamb said.