TSU in a rush to turn it around

Texas Southern’s ground game didn’t run to daylight in 2007. Instead, it sprinted into darkness. Of the 118 schools in the Football Championship Subdivision, the Tigers resided at the bottom of the list in rushing, totaling a paltry 543 yards on 281 carries and scoring only three touchdowns en route to an 0-11 season that led to the dismissal of coach Steve Wilson and ushered in the Johnnie Cole era, which began on the practice field early Monday morning.

“We know that in order to win, we’ll have to run the ball successfully,” Cole said. “One of our biggest goals is to find players who can fill that role for us.”

Two of the 65 new players Cole brought to TSU will have the first opportunity to help rejuvenate a ground game that averaged 1.9 yards per carry last season. Freshman Marcus Wright (5-11, 215) will compete with Lucas Caparerlli (5-11, 180), a transfer from Wake Forest who will give the Tigers something they sorely lacked last fall — speed.

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