Nevada’s James Butler ready to carry the load vs. Cal Poly

For the first time in his career, Nevada junior James Butler will be the featured running back in the Wolf Pack’s offensive attack.

The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Butler rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns last season as the No. 2 option behind then-senior Don Jackson. Nevada was one of three FBS teams in the country to have two 1,000-yard rushers in 2015, and now it’s Butler’s turn to shoulder the load.

Add in a dynamic new offensive coordinator in Tim Cramsey, who spent the past three years building Montana State into FCS offensive power, and the Wolf Pack present a stout season-opening challenge for Cal Poly.

“We have a lot of respect for what he does and we have a lot of respect for the athletes that they’re playing with,” Mustangs head coach Tim Walsh said. “That running back is legit. You add all that up, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

A preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection, Butler was named to the Maxwell Award (player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (top running back) preseason watch lists earlier this summer.

Eight times last season Butler rushed for more than 100 yards in a game, including a season-high 189-yard effort during Nevada’s win over Colorado State in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl.

While the loss of Jackson is significant, Penn State transfer Akeel Lynch could provide the Wolf Pack with another potent 1-2 punch in the backfield. The 5-11, 220-pound senior rushed for more than 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons with the Nittany Lions.

Junior left tackle Austin Corbett (6-4, 300 pounds) anchors an experienced offensive line that returns four starters from last season. That group of two seniors, two juniors and one sophomore stands an average of 6-3 and 303 pounds, and should provide ample protection for senior quarterback Tyler Stewart.

Stewart follows in the footsteps of two of Nevada’s all-time great quarterbacks in Colin Kaepernick and Cody Fajardo, a pair of four-year starters and the only players in NCAA history with 9,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing.

The 6-4, 220-pound Stewart overcame a hamstring injury during fall camp, and head coach Brian Polian told reporters this week the senior expects to be fully healthy come Friday night.

“In the end, it ended up being a blessing because not only did his hamstring get healthy,” Polian said, “we gave his arm three, four days off and you could see the zip in it when he got back.”

As a junior last season, Stewart completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 2,139 yards and 15 touchdowns.

His favorite returning target is speedy senior Jerico Richardson, a three-year starter who led the Wolf Pack with 68 catches for 750 yards and five touchdowns in 2015.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Nevada’s James Butler ready to carry the load vs. Cal Poly."