Thunder & Lightning Ewu’S Dynamic Running Back Tandem Keeps Opponents Off Guard

Opposing coaches have been trying to describe the contrasting running styles of Eastern Washington University backs Jovan Griffith and Jesse Chatman for the better part of two seasons.

A butterfly and a bowling ball. A darter and a bulldozer. A slasher and a banger.

They’ve used every comparison imaginable to explain the stark variations between the sleek Griffith, a 5-foot-9, 197-pounder, who is built for speed and maneuverability, and the brutish Chatman, a 5-8, 235-pound package of condensed muscle, who goes out of his way looking for linebackers to abuse. And while each has its merits, it is, perhaps, Chatman who best interpreted the dramatic difference in styles and why it causes such concern for opposing defenses.

“Other teams don’t know what to expect,” he explained earlier this week following practice. “One moment, they get the quick hit from Jovan, and the next moment they get the dynamite from me.”

However you describe them, Griffith and Chatman have had a huge impact on Eastern’s football fortunes. In a little more than two seasons, they have combined for 3,264 yards and 33 touchdowns in the Eagles’ single-back, pro-style offense. And they are only juniors.

Griffith, who played in 11 games but carried only 82 times as a freshman in 1998, has climbed into the No. 6 spot on Eastern’s career rushing list with 2,008 yards. He has rushed for more than 100 yards seven times and gained a career-best 262 in last year’s 48-41 win over Cal State Northridge.

Chatman, who sat out his freshman year as an academic non-qualifier, has amassed 1,256 yards in 13 games and is averaging 96.6 yards per game the highest of any running back in Eastern’s history. His most productive game of 236 yards came in last year’s 45-38 win over Idaho State, but he also gained 211 against Northridge when he and Griffith combined for 473 yards, an NCAA Division I-AA record for two backs in the same game.

“Both have the potential to be allconference performers,” Eagles coach Paul Wulff said. “Jovan gives us a little different dimension than Jesse, but they are a great one-two combo in terms of style.”

Both players’ rushing numbers are down slightly from last year. Chatman ranks No. 6 in the Big Sky with 367 yards and five touchdowns on 71 carries, and Griffith ranks No. 9 with 241 yards on 59 carries. They have been operating behind an offensive line that was gutted by injuries early in the season and has yet to recover.

“If we had more consistency up front, it would make a big difference,” said Wulff, who has lost four projected O-line starters to an assortment of injuries. “That’s something that’s too bad, but we’ve got to take what we’ve got and do what we can with it.”

Wulff’s biggest concern is making sure he gets each of his running backs enough carries during each game to keep them sharp. And with only one football, that can be a problem.

Griffith, for instance, carried just 210 times last fall. That was 92 times less than Sac State All-American Charles Roberts, who led the Big Sky and the nation in rushing with 2,074 yards and 22 touchdowns. Still, Griffith’s 1,275 yards and 6.1 yards-per-carry compared well to Roberts’ numbers, and when you factor in Chatman’s 889 yards on 140 carries, Eastern’s two-headed running back proved to be more productive than the nation’s No. 1 rusher.

The fact that they have to share playing time, statistics and headlines doesn’t seem to bother either Griffith or Chatman, who are close friends on and off the field and share similar interests in video games and music.

“As long as we’re winning and being recognized, it doesn’t bother me at all,” said Griffith, who was a football and track standout at Lompoc (Calif.) High School, which also produced former University of Washington and NFL star Napoleon Kaufman.

Chatman, who was a 4A all-state selection as a senior at Franklin High in Seattle, said all of the sharing has been a “huge benefit” for both players.

“When you’re sharing the ball, you’re not out there running tired,” he explained. “And that’s when most people get injured, when they’re tired. We wear down the defense a lot, because we always have fresh legs.”

As for sharing statistics, Chatman said, “We’re out here to win. Sure, we love the stats if we can get ‘em, but if we get the victory, we’re satisfied.”

The Eagles, 3-1 overall, have won consistently with the Griffith-Chatman tandem at running back and will take a 2-0 Big Sky record into Saturday night’s 6:05 George Gee Governor’s Cup game against Montana at Albi Stadium. It still isn’t known whether Griffith or Chatman will start against the Grizzlies (2-1, 0-0), but the uncertainty doesn’t bother either player.

“Sometimes, I like for (Griffith) to start,” Chatman said. “That way he can tell me the way the game is going and what to expect when I get out there.”

“It doesn’t make any difference to me (who starts), as long as we get the job done,” added Griffith.

And as long as the Eagles keep opponents guessing about what’s coming next - the quick hit or the dynamite.