Taiwan Jones makes some noise

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Sophomore Taiwan Jones (pictured) scored on an 87-yard run on his first carry as an Eastern Washington University running back. But is wasn't that easy the rest of the way in EWU's 35-14 non-conference college football victory against Western Oregon Saturday (Sept. 5) at Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash.

More (http://goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2009-10/releases/09fbSep5WOURecap)

http://goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/Action_Photos/IMG_5805aa_story.jpg?max_width=




I got to the stadium a little late... walked into to see Matt hand-off to Jones on EWU's first play, then swing out left and bust it all the way down the field! :D

It was a sloppy game, and I hated seeing Nichols throw 2 picks on back to back drives, but a win's a win. We gotta play better than that or next week it'll be 63-10 against Cal.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

For those too lazy or apathetic to click on the link, here are Jones' stats for the game:

122 yards, 12 carries, 2 TD's. (He's also no. 22). His nick name should be Double Deuce. xthumbsupx.

Oh yeah, he's also ran a 4.22 40 three different times.

[Chi-towngrizzly]

For those too lazy or apathetic to click on the link, here are Jones' stats for the game:

122 yards, 12 carries, 2 TD's. (He's also no. 22). His nick name should be Double Deuce. xthumbsupx.

Oh yeah, he's also ran a 4.22 40 three different times.

Sweet. That makes him the fastest football player in the world! xbowx

Looks like EWU scored a major coup, look out Cal!

Actually, I'm being sarcastic. You might want to check out what the official record times at the NFL combine are.... 4.22 would be the fastest anyone has ever run an official 40.

[kalm]

The potential for an explosive running game could really open up the passing game for Nichol's and company. With our losses on defense to injury and graduation we could us it.

[JALMOND]

For those too lazy or apathetic to click on the link, here are Jones' stats for the game:

122 yards, 12 carries, 2 TD's. (He's also no. 22). His nick name should be Double Deuce. xthumbsupx.

Oh yeah, he's also ran a 4.22 40 three different times.

No offense, Scream, but how much did he play? For all the hype and opening up against a DII (even with Western Oregon being a decent DII program), I was expecting slightly more inflated numbers.

By comparison, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, 16 carries, 107 yards, three scores against PSU, and he only played one series after halftime. Got his 100 yard game and sat the rest.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

No offense, Scream, but how much did he play? For all the hype and opening up against a DII (even with Western Oregon being a decent DII program), I was expecting slightly more inflated numbers.

By comparison, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, 16 carries, 107 yards, three scores against PSU, and he only played one series after halftime. Got his 100 yard game and sat the rest.

He played the entire game I believe. He split carries with Tyler Hart, who had 27 yards on 8 carries.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Sweet. That makes him the fastest football player in the world! xbowx

Looks like EWU scored a major coup, look out Cal!

Actually, I'm being sarcastic.

Really!!!? Holy bejesus batman, I didn't even notice!!! xoopsx


You might want to check out what the official record times at the NFL combine are.... 4.22 would be the fastest anyone has ever run an official 40.

I didn't say it was an official time... I'm going by what 3 players/coaches have clocked him at. If anything he's probably closer to 4.3, but it doesn't change the fact that he's ridiculously fast and going to put up some big numbers this year. xcoffeex

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Here's an article on Jones' performance from sports writer Steve Bergum of the Spokesman-Review:


Beau Baldwin figured all along he had something special in Taiwan Jones, a sophomore cornerback-turned-running back on Eastern Washington University’s football team.

But the Eagles’ second-year head coach said even he was caught a bit off-guard on Saturday afternoon when Jones, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from Antioch, Calif., took the first handoff of his college career on Eastern’s first play from scrimmage in 2009 and raced 87 yards for a touchdown.

“That guy can go any time from anywhere, that’s for sure,” Baldwin said of Jones, whose early scoring burst helped the Eagles to a season-opening 35-14 win over Western Oregon at Woodward Field. “We had an idea that might happen, but I didn’t necessarily think it was going to happen on (the first play) for 87, or whatever.”

Jones, who scored another touchdown on a 1-yard third-quarter run and finished with 122 yards on just 12 carries, took the ball on Eastern’s first play from scrimmage, found a small hole over left tackle and seemed to startle WOU’s secondary with his speed.

But after the game, he confessed to remembering little about the play.

“I was so jacked up, once I got the ball I just went,” said the former football and track star at Deer Valley High School. “I couldn’t tell you what I saw, I just went. It took me until the second quarter to calm down.”

Eastern’s senior quarterback Matt Nichols sensed Jones might be a little over the edge during pregame warm-ups.

“We were running plays and he was forgetting which way to go, which is something he hasn’t done all (fall) camp,” Nichols said. “He even made the comment – talking about the movie ‘Crank’ – that he felt like that guy who was on high speed all time. He couldn’t seem to decipher what was happening.”

But Jones eventually reined in his emotions and turned in the kind of electrifying effort his teammates expected.

“We talked about it all week, how Taiwan might just take that first play to the house,” Nichols said. “The guy’s got unbelievable speed and great vision – especially for someone playing his first college game at running back, and he’s going to be great for our offense.”

[kalm]

No offense, Scream, but how much did he play? For all the hype and opening up against a DII (even with Western Oregon being a decent DII program), I was expecting slightly more inflated numbers.

By comparison, Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, 16 carries, 107 yards, three scores against PSU, and he only played one series after halftime. Got his 100 yard game and sat the rest.

You're right, he gained most of his yardage on the first play where his speed made Western Oregon look like ... well a DII program.

The coaching staff has considered Taiwan one of the best athletes to come through Cheney in years but we had 4 senior running backs last year, so they started him at corner as a redshirt freshman - just to get him on the field. He had an int or two and showed some good moves on the return, so they put him in on kickoffs and he brought one back against Weber (if memory serves).

They converted him to tailback this spring and looked great in spring and fall camps. And then he takes his first touch 87 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the season.

That's why Sream is fired up and why Jones should be on the radar screen of Big Sky fans.

BTW, he too sat out most of the second half, his two backups had as many touches as he had and he gained more yards on less carries than Rogers. ;)

[JALMOND]

You're right, he gained most of his yardage on the first play where his speed made Western Oregon look like ... well a DII program.

The coaching staff has considered Taiwan one of the best athletes to come through Cheney in years but we had 4 senior running backs last year, so they started him at corner as a redshirt freshman - just to get him on the field. He had an int or two and showed some good moves on the return, so they put him in on kickoffs and he brought one back against Weber (if memory serves).

They converted him to tailback this spring and looked great in spring and fall camps. And then he takes his first touch 87 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the season.

That's why Sream is fired up and why Jones should be on the radar screen of Big Sky fans.

BTW, he too sat out most of the second half, his two backups had as many touches as he had and he gained more yards on less carries than Rogers. ;)

I used Rodgers as an example as I came away from the Oregon State game thinking that we will not see anyone faster or more agile. Scream had pointed out that he played the whole game, so I was really not too impressed with slighty better than 3 yards a carry against DII, once you take away his first run.

I'm still trying to see how the two more prolific backs in the Big Sky, Reynolds for Montana and Smith for Weber, did in their games.

[I Bleed Purple]

I'm still trying to see how the two more prolific backs in the Big Sky, Reynolds for Montana and Smith for Weber, did in their games.

14-97

-5 in the first half, 102 in the second, if memory serves. Got hit in the backfield on most of his first half runs. Once he was able to get some blocking, he started to rack up yards.

[JALMOND]

14-97

-5 in the first half, 102 in the second, if memory serves. Got hit in the backfield on most of his first half runs. Once he was able to get some blocking, he started to rack up yards.

Actually pretty good. Many teams can't run on Wyoming. Cowboys can't defend the pass, but they usually shut down the run.

[I Bleed Purple]

Actually pretty good. Many teams can't run on Wyoming. Cowboys can't defend the pass, but they usually shut down the run.

From what I heard, the yards were picked up on the first team defense. Wyoming was never far enough ahead to take the starters out.