Shreveport Times: Moats could be ready

[Ikus]

Moats could be ready for Mustangs
By Jimmy Watson


Day to day is probably the best way to leave the Ryan Moats' situation for the Louisiana Tech football team.

Even if he's healthy and ready to go, there's no sense tipping your hand to an SMU team that hopes to upset coach Jack Bicknell's Bulldogs on Saturday in Dallas.

Moats, who is the nation's third best rusher at 154.7 yards per game despite gaining no yards on Saturday against Auburn, injured his ankle midway through the first quarter of the contest and did not return.

"A guy peaked early from the left side and pushed me just as I was planting my foot. My ankle just folded right over," Moats said on Monday. "When it folded over, he stepped on it at the same time, which probably helped it out a little bit."

Most Tech fans know that Moats is a gutsy player and if there's any way he can be ready for the Mustangs, he will be. As a Dallas native, the junior also wants nothing more than to showcase his ever-growing talents in his hometown.

"It's a very big deal for me to be ready this week, because I've never played in Dallas. Two years ago, when I was a freshman, I just sat on the bench," Moats said. "My whole family is from there, so I'm excited."

The speedster is taking it easy in practice this week while receiving treatments on the ankle. The good news is that he's walking without a lot of pain.

"We're icing it, stemming it, poking it "¦ whatever we can do to get it back," Moats said. "I think I'll be ready. I'm just pumping along trying to get the mobility all the way back."

While Bicknell is hoping to get his No. 1 halfback back, he was pleased with the performance of true freshman Freddie Franklin, who logged in 75 yards on 13 carries when Moats went down. If it takes holding Moats out of the SMU game to make sure he's healthy for the stretch run, the coaching staff will probably do that.

"Ryan has a decent ankle sprain and he's questionable, but we'll have to wait and see what he can do in practice this week," Bicknell said on Monday. "We are not a one-man team. I thought Freddie Franklin did some good things (against Auburn). Obviously, Ryan is one of the top running backs in the country and a huge part of our success. Hopefully, he will be ready to play Saturday."

Moats said the decision about whether or not he can play will be left up to the Tech training staff.

"I'm always ready in my mind," Moats said. "We'll keep treating it this week until it starts feeling normal again."

[Pony4Life]

Since the game's being played in his home town, I have to believe Moats will hobble out there on crutches if they'll let him.