Tabor runs away with another win

Torrey Gill has all the physical tools of an electrifying wide receiver, but none of the statistics. He plays for Tabor, a team that almost never passes.

There wasn’t even an “almost” Saturday night, as the Bluejays didn’t attempt a single pass in a 19-3 win over Sterling. Gill was on the field most of the night, barely covered, repeating blocking schemes and never looking toward the ball.

Tabor is ranked No. 3 in NAIA and is third in the nation in rushing offense at nearly 400 yards per game, a number the Bluejays approached Saturday with 398 yards on 74 attempts by eight players.

An all-run philosophy plays to many of Tabor’s strengths, but it can underscore the potential of players such as Gill, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior who has come to accept a different role. He has one reception this season for 10 yards.

“It’s humbling,” Gill said. “You have to humble yourself very quick. This season I’ve learned that it’s not about me. It’s not about any receiver, it’s about the team. Once I found that mentality, I’m sticking with it. We’re 4-0 and we’re No. 3 in the country. The best part about being here is that everybody is selfless.”

The only player with a receiving touchdown for Tabor in 2014 is Cody Coleman, a running back, who has two. Coleman had two rushing touchdowns Saturday as Tabor defeated a team that began the season ranked No. 15 but has fallen out of the rankings with a 1-3 record.

To say Tabor is committed to its running game would be an understatement. The Bluejays faced several third-and-long situations Saturday but remained steadfast in their take-few-chances play calling.

Even those more urgent occurrences don’t produce much creativity, as Tabor is often happy to see what it can do with a run up the middle. If fourth down comes, the Bluejays transfer their faith from the rushing attack to their defense.

Coach Mike Gardner is unlikely to change what works, even if something else — like looking toward Gill — might also work.

“I think every play is my play,” Gill said. “But most importantly, I think every play is our play. Third and seven, third and 15, if he calls a running play I trust Coach that he’s making the right call. So if he’s calling a running play to my side, I block. Even if it’s not a passing play, I treat it like it’s a passing play and continue to go hard.”

Sterling treated the Bluejays’ secondary with similar caution, but eventually the Warriors had to test somebody. With a large deficit and with mobile quarterback Reggie Langford unable to elude a pressure that caught him for three sacks and multiple hurries, Sterling tried passing more in the second half, and it didn’t work.

Langford didn’t complete a pass in the second half and threw his second interception to Donnell Harris, who is no worse without the wear of opposing his run-only offense all week.

“We thought they were going to bring their best,” Donnell said. “They did bring their best, they’re a good team. They did (bootlegs), they tried everything. We just have great coaches that put us in the right situations. …We’re pretty balanced (defensively). We’re good at every position and trying to get better.”

Tabor’s offense has changed slightly over the last three games, since senior quarterback Simon McKee has been out with a season-ending injury. Redshirt freshman Jessie Robbins, a greater running threat than McKee, has led the Bluejays to three wins, and he rushed for 86 yards against Sterling.

The changes haven’t been enough to create an increased role for Gill and the other receivers, but they’ve given them time to embrace something less conventional.

“It’s not so much getting the ball,” Gill said. “Truth – I want the ball, but I can also help the team by blocking. It was hard. This last spring, coming here, it was hard to learn the playbook, blocking. I never blocked before in my life. Learning how to … block, it was all new to me. It still is new to me, but I’m getting better every day.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Tabor runs away with another win."