Brooks-Fletcher shows why Griz recruited him
MISSOULA - It's been a 15-month waiting period for University of Montana redshirt freshman running back Thomas Brooks-Fletcher.
During the first days of the Grizzlies' fall camp last year, they lost the talented true freshman to an ACL injury in a non-contact drill.
UM coach Bobby Hauck knew of the kid from Seattle during his days as a University of Washington Huskies coach. In Bellevue, Brooks-Fletcher eventually became first-team All-Seattle Area as a senior all-purpose back after rushing 171 times for 1,282 yards, catching 50 passes for 611 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns for Interlake High School.
On Saturday, Brooks-Fletcher came around full circle with his first start for the Grizzlies and another 100-yard rushing performance.
"The whole week, (Hauck) was putting me in but not really telling me that I was going to start," Brooks-Fletcher said. "I was anticipating it, but I wasn't really sure. Then the day before the game, he told me I was going to start. I was kind of relieved."
The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder got his first substantial workload two weeks ago against Northern Colorado and had 15 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Against Montana State, he had 11 carries for 58 yards. On Saturday he started, gave way to senior Brady Green in the second quarter and then romped for 90 yards in the second half and finished with a career-high 113 yards. He had 116 yards, but was knocked for a three-yard loss. Reggie Bradshaw had a team high of 115 yards against Eastern Washington.
"The holes were there all day," Brooks-Fletcher said. "The line was doing a good job hemming them in. We knew coming in the linemen were going to block their men and the running backs were going to have one-on-one with the second- and third-level guys. I just tried to hit the holes while they were there and the line did a great job of making them."
Even Hauck said Brooks-Fletcher was coming along well, except for one rookie mistake.
"He's finally getting his zip and his stride back" Hauck said. "He sees things well. He made a young guy mistake when he went for the home run on the fourth-and-2 instead of getting his pads down and he got knocked down and we didn't convert. He's come on and that's big considering we haven't had the services of our top two running backs for most of the season."
Kalispell's Lex Hilliard, the running back who was on track to break UM's all-time career-rushing yardage record, ruptured his Achilles' tendon in fall camp and junior transfer Greg Coleman broke his foot in the season-opener against Iowa.
Brooks-Fletcher had a huge run of 50 yards at the beginning of the fourth quarter. He ended up being caught from behind at the 6-yard line by Allen Nelson, but scored on the next play. However, the touchdown was called back because of an illegal motion penalty. But the 50-yard run off left tackle and then up the middle proved he could be a good one for the Griz.
But he may have to wait until Hilliard wraps up his potentially record-breaking senior season next year to really shine. By then, though, he'll only be a junior.