Published: August 28, 2008 11:03 pm            

SCHMITT: Roosevelt proving he’s now a ‘big’ threat

TIM’S TAKE: Naaman’s all grown up

AMHERST — Used to be when a skinny No. 18 found some open space, it was good for a nod and a wink.

That was our Naaman Roosevelt, after all, the gangly St. Joe’s standout, proving that Western New York high school football wasn’t half-bad even if colleges prefer big ol’ Western Pennsylvania brutes.

As he proved on Thursday, li’l Naaman’s all grown up.

And now worth at least a raised eyebrow.

If the Bulls are destined to take a serious run at a Mid-American Conference title — not this three-way tie in a six-team division garbage — Roosevelt won’t just be a bit player, he’ll have to be one of the lead Bulls charging.

His two scintillating scores in Thursday’s 42-17 victory over a UTEP team that’s expected to be vastly improved weren’t just fun to watch, they looked tough to defend. On the first, Roosevelt hauled in a screen, ducked behind a trio of blockers and busted it up for a 68-yard score that put UB in command early.

A little later, he beat a UTEP defender so badly that even an underthrown ball from Willy couldn’t stop the inevitable. Roosevelt simply downshifted and hauled in his second bomb of the night, this time rolling 56 yards for a score.

Now, before we start printing the pamphlets for Roosevelt’s Heisman campaign, let’s remember this an El Paso team that thinks defending means adding an extra border guard on the bridge from Juarez.

The Miners gave up 34-plus points in the final nine games last season. The new defense Mike Price installed in the off-season sure looked a lot like the old one. UB had little trouble moving the ball wide on the ground — as evidenced by two 100-yard rushers in James Starks and Brandon Thermilus — and the offensive line did an adequate job picking up blitzes, giving Willy a little time to work.

And while Roosevelt has grown up, not everything he did on Thursday was perfect. He waited far too long to signal fair catch during a third-quarter punt, failing to yell to a teammate to clear the area. The ball rolled harmlessly out of bounds, but with the Bulls up 11 points, it was the kind of disaster the program has found plenty of in the past.

But for the most part, Roosevelt looked like a player UTEP couldn’t cover, even by a Conference USA team with a big-time coach with a new defensive scheme. He averaged 63 yards a game last season. He had 154 on Thursday.

There was a day when the occasional big play from the local kid was something to feel fuzzy about.

No longer.

Now everyone in the room knows Roosevelt, and for that matter Starks can pop a big one at any moment. And they’re waiting for it to happen.

“The guys made plays out there. That’s what we expect,” Willy said.

        

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