TheSabre.com Offensive Player Of The Game: Perris Jones

Prior to Saturday’s win against Richmond, Perris Jones owned 3 total carries in 4 previous seasons. With the starting job in hand for the season opener, Jones had a much bigger role against the Spiders. He delivered.

Jones turned 19 carries into 104 rushing yards with a touchdown and added 2 catches for 14 yards with a touchdown. The Hoos won 34-17.

Message board posters selected him as TheSabre.com Offensive Player of the Game.

“I mean I prayed for it and I worked very, very hard for it,” Jones said. “I was hopeful that whenever my opportunity came, I just wanted to make sure I was ready. Today, the work that I put in over the years showed itself and I’m happy for that.”

Jones showed decisiveness in his cuts and determination for extra yards on several occasions. There was one play where he moved the pile forward with his legs churning with a low center of gravity. There was also his first touchdown when he dove out of an ankle tackle for the score. On that play, Jones said it started with a good push from his offensive line and then he tried to get it to the house.

“I saw that there was a lot of push in the middle so I just kind of wanted to add to it,” Jones said. “Then a crease broke out and I just had to do what I do and get in there.”

Cavalier coach Tony Elliott said he was happy that Jones came through when he got the chance. For a back that had played sparingly on offense previously in his career and didn’t get a carry in the Spring Game until after halftime to rise up the depth chart and then capitalize on the opportunity, it proved to be quite a moment. Jones walked on after his prep career at Episcopal High School in Alexandria.

“You don’t know because he didn’t have a ton of game experience prior to this,” Elliott said. “You try to make the practices harder than the game, but when you get out there and bullets are flying, you just don’t know. So really, really happy for him. He’s an unbelievable young man. He’s the epitome of what commitment looks like. He works hard every single day. I was glad I was next to him during the Good Old Song so I got to rub on his head and tell him how proud I was of him because he stayed the course. A fifth-year guy. Probably wasn’t looking very promising when I came in. A new guy, probably going to change a lot of things. But to see him have that success is really, really awesome.”