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Oldenburg had made a difference in his first carry in the first quarter to UW-La Crosse’s last offensive series against Hardin-Simmons. The sophomore reserve tailback had a reason to be proud of his 92 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ season-opening, 47-21 victory Sept. 1. He could be proud that he had done a good job in the absence of senior Dan Hall, who left the game with bruised ribs.
“I knew I would get my chance someday, and it came (against Hardin-Simmons),” said Oldenburg, who had just 8 yards on three carries last season. “I just did what I had to do.”
What will be Oldenburg’s reward for playing so well? He’ll have to take his place in line behind Hall and junior Eric Donoval. He’ll have to wait his turn to play Saturday in UW-L’s home opener against Azusa Pacific University.
Being a tailback at UW-L requires being patient and sharing the football. As good as Oldenburg is, the same can be said about all the Eagles’ tailbacks.
“What Reid did (against Hardin-Simmons) is a perfect example of the depth we have,” said Donoval, who rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown. “We have a plethora of great running backs. If somebody gets hurt or needs a breather, someone else is there, ready to step in.”
UW-L running backs coach Tim Ebner is glad that’s the case.
The days of the Eagles relying on one running back to carry the load vanished after Andrew Mocadlo rushed for a school-record 1,942 yards as a senior in 2003. Ebner and UW-L coach Larry Terry are firm believers in rotating running backs to minimize wear-and-tear on their bodies.
That philosophy worked to UW-L’s advantage last year. Senior Corey Geldernick and Hall combined to rush for 1,403 yards and 15 touchdowns on 281 carries as the Eagles went 9-2 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
“Tailback is such a physical position to play. You need to be physically strong. You need to be mentally strong,” Ebner said.
“We’ll get a guy coming in from high school who will think, ‘OK, I’m ready to play.’ More often than not, it takes longer for that to happen. But what you end up with is a very good group of running backs.”
The way both Donoval and Oldenburg performed against Hardin-Simmons showed how promising this season could be for UW-L.
It was Donoval’s 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave the Eagles a 33-21 lead. Oldenburg rushed for 58 yards and both his touchdowns in the fourth quarter as UW-L took control.
“I guess I was a little surprised we were able to do what we did against (Hardin-Simmons),” Oldenburg said. “Their defense looked pretty good when we watched them on tape. But when we got into the game, everything just clicked.”
Donoval believes UW-L’s ground game will do the same no matter who is carrying the ball.
“I knew the situation here coming in as a freshman,” Donoval said. “It is tough to sit on the bench and watch after you’ve played in high school. But once you get your chance to play, it’s all worth it.”
Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com
