Rutgers football: Raheem Blackshear can be home-run hitter for Scarlet Knights

PISCATAWAY - John McNulty's first go-around at Rutgers University saw some of the most-prolific offenses in school history. So, as his second stint as offensive coordinator begins, it is understandable that McNulty would use those high-powered attacks as analogies.

For example, what is McNulty going to do with Raheem Blackshear this fall? The sophomore running back is only 5-foot-9. He is not an every-down guy, but he has big-play ability, so he is going to get the ball? The question is, how many times per game?

Enter McNulty, who went to his memory bank to make his point on the topic.

"When Ray (Rice) and Brian (Leonard) were here, the number was 50," said McNulty, referencing the combined number of touches he tried to get Rice and Leonard each game. "It's a high number, but if they got the ball 50 times, and four of them go in the end zone, we'll be OK. Then Kenny (Britt) could hit one, maybe Ti (Tiquan Underwood). It was 50. I don't know if we ever got there, but I remember times we killed Ray, so it was close.

"With a guy like Raheem, I don't think we want to give him 50, but we want to make them count when he gets them."

Beyond the eventual starter at quarterback, there is not a player on offense with more intrigue than Blackshear. He had 705 all-purpose yards last fall between rushing, receiving and returning kicks, There were key moments that stood out over 11 games, rushing for 102 yards and a pair of scores in a rout of Morgan State being one.

His coming-out party was at Illinois. In a 35-24 Rutgers win, Blackshear rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown, which came after he ran over a defender at the goal line at the end of a 19-yard run. That was the play that got everyone's attention.

If he can stay healthy, and if McNulty can work him in to the scheme multiple times per game, Rutgers becomes more diverse. How much McNulty goes to him bears watching. The 14 carries against Morgan State last season, all of it with the outcome long-decided, were by far Blackshear's single-game high. He never had more than six rushes in any other game

"He's a super kid and he's got tremendous talent, we just have to find as many ways as possible to get him the ball, and keep him upright for 13, 14, 15 whatever games," McNulty said. "I think we have a couple of home-run hitters on offense, and he's one of them, so we have to have him upright for the whole stretch.

"In saying that, we have make sure he gets the ball x-amount of times per game and give him a chance to put the ball in the end zone."

Staff Writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com; @Joshua_Newman