RB Dalton Trevino star of Citadel football scrimmage

For the casual Citadel fan, Dalton Trevino’s performance during Saturday’s “Meet the Bulldogs” scrimmage prompted a lot of “Who’s that guy?” questions.

After all, the sophomore running back changed his number from last year (No. 4 to No. 8), and played in only four games in 2011 before breaking his collarbone.

But Trevino’s teammates not were surprised by his breakout performance. He ran for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just six carries before a crowd of about 750 fans, including Citadel “knobs”, freshman cadets who circled the practice field.

“People forget about Dalton,” said junior quarterback Ben Dupree. “Before he got hurt last year, he was doing real well. It’s nothing to new to us, because we know what he can do.”

Sophomore quarterback Aaron Miller joined Trevino in the 100-yard club Saturday, gaining 100 yards on 10 rushes, including a 26-yard TD run. And Dupree just missed, totaling 95 yards on 7 tries, including a 57-yard TD scamper.

All in all, it was a good day for the Bulldogs’ triple-option offense as it heads into its third season. The Nos. 1 and 2 units scored on six of nine drives, including Dupree’s 26-yard TD pass to Greg Adams.

“For the most part, the offense executed well,” coach Kevin Higgins said. “We had a couple of new wrinkles that we put in, and that was encouraging. We threw the ball a little bit better, and that also was encouraging.”

Trevino, a 5-10, 200-pounder from Canton, Ga., was effective on a new inside handoff play, and the Bulldogs also ran more plays from the shotgun. Trevino ran for 110 yards on 20 carries before being injured last year.

“He’s our best running back,” Higgins said. “He’s had a really good camp and had a good spring. He runs hard, he’s physical and he’s got deceptive speed.”

Trevino says he “tries to be relentless “ when he runs, and it shows.

“It takes five or six people just to bring him down,” Miller said. “Sometimes it takes the whole defense.”

The passing game has been a fall focus after the Bulldogs averaged just 32 yards per game last season, and that was a mixed bag Saturday. Both QBs missed some open receivers downfield, overthrowing on the post pattern. But Dupree did hit Adams for a TD on the post, finishing 3 of 4 for 45 yards. Miller was 3 of 8 for 19 yards, and neither QB threw an interception.

“I’ve got to hit those,” Miller said of the deep balls. “We work on it every day in practice. I’ve just got to get my footwork down, make the read and throw it.”

The season opens Sept. 1 against visiting Charleston Southern.

Notes
• Kicker Thomas Warren made 6 of 7 field goals in pre-scrimmage drills, with a long of 47 yards … All-SoCon punter Cass Couey got off a 64-yard effort in his only try … It looks like freshman Austin Jordan will be handling kickoffs, with Trevino and Keith Gamble deep on returns.

• DE Bay Amrhein recovered a Dupree fumble on the second play, and DTs Justin Oxendine and Joe Phillips and DE Mark Thomas had tackles for loss … DT Derek Douglas (knee) and OG Jim Knowles (death in family) did not play in the scrimmage.

• Starting offense: LT Devin Bice, LG Keith Carter, C Mike Sellers, RG Robert Finke, RT Charles Coleman, QB Ben Dupree, FB Darien Robinson, SB Rickey Anderson, SB Dalton Trevino, WR Matt Thompson, WR Greg Adams, TE Cullen Brown.

• Starting defense: DE Bay Amrhein, DT Cam Mobley, DT Justin Oxendine, DE Chris Billinglea, LB Carson Smith, LB Carl Robinson, LB Rah Muhammad, CB Brandon McCladdie, S Austin Boyle, S Julian Baxter, CB Sadath Jean-Pierre.