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Show Page ISA p 7 Lr f -- THE HERALD, Provo, Utah. i , By DOROTHY 30, 1384 t: KNOELL Hendd Sporti Writer Casey Tiumalu, Eddie Stinnett and Waymon Hamilton combined to give the 1984 BVU team the best running attack it had enjoyed since La Veil Edwards decided to take to the sky 12 years ago. But when they departed after the conclusion of the 1984 year, they left a big hole and lots of question marks for the 1985 year. Now, as fall drills wind down and the Cougars ready for the opener with Pittsburgh, the hole is being filled and the questions are being answered. "We've got really good talent (at the running back position), but we lack experience," said Reynolds said this year's run- ning back contingent isn't as top to bottom, as last year's, but has more speed over- - a;"We aren't as physical at the " , a mm ai Running III . . Thursday, August KQptlnll " One of the strengths of the running back corps is that all are ' very good receivers ." As for tailback spat as we were last year, al'Jiough we have good size at fullback," he said. "But over- all. we've got better speed. We good speed ' don't have anybody who's really slow, and several who have really Some blocking, Reynolds said. a still have others ways good, are to go." Although Heimuli. Smith. anoa and Sikahema are the top performers right now, Reynolds said the other running backs are also showing a lot of promise l, "J (t Lance Reynolds, running back coach. "But the kids are getting better all the time. We're a lot better now than we were in the spring." So who are those talented runwho will be taking over the ners positions vacated by the "Big 3?" First, there's sophomore fullback Lakei Heimuli, a highly recruited running back out of Hawaii The fullback saw limited action with the varsity last season, averaging 3.14 yards per carry (4.46 on the junior varsity squad). Starting on the other side of Heimuli will be junior Kelly Smith 178), who is probably one of the most "converted" players on the team. That is, he walked on and made the junior varsity squad as a wide receiver. After a redshirt year he was converted into a kick return specialist (returning 13 kicks for the varsity last year). Then he was converted to a defensive back for a while before being converted (hopefully for the last time) into a running back at 1984 drills. After all that converting, he won the starting tailback spot. Right behind Heimuli and Smith are Thor Salanoa (fullback) and Vai Sikahema (tailback). Salanoa, a sophomore, is another convert to running back. The Salanoa is another Hawaiian, but he came to the Cougars as a defensive back and saw varsity action as a freshman on the special teams (probably best remembered as one of the "kickoff twins" with fellow freshman Scott Peterson whose antics used to get the crowd roaring for each kickoff). Sikahema is a who is best remembered for his punt return in the Holiday Bowl against Southern Methodist. In addition to playing in the back- fieid, both Smith and Sikahema will also be returning kicks. Rounding out the running back slot are jaycee transfer Robert Parker, sophomore Tom Tuipu-lotfreshmen Fred Whittingham, Dennis McCormick and Mike O'Brien and several good 6-- 0, 210-pou- I I EZ3 :tXi I - I (5-1- 1, 6-- 0, I' Of I;- - o QUALITY PRODUCT o SERVICE 205-pou- 5-- 9, 1 V er OREM SALT LAKE SANDY .. , 224-116- 9 524-200- 0 562-950- 0 s. "We haven't really decided yet on who will travel, how the rotation will go, if we will redshirt any of the players, things like that," Reynolds said. "Those decisions will be made down the road, ' through the rest of fall drills and the first two or three at tfeej3jq 1455 South State Street 200 East South Temple and 9000 South -15 u, wal-kofl- COMPUTER STORE N cUULATION CENTER ...... A 83-ya-rd games o EDUCATION o SUPPORT 0 n 6 i ts Authorized Dealer Personal Computers Gdrv! k U tidier COfilPAB. r; |