Zander Horvath can run over foes, he can run around them and he even can leap over them. Fans witnessed that in Purdue’s opener vs. Iowa, when the 6-3, 230-pound junior caused jaws to drop when he hurdled a hapless Hawkeye.
“I wish I could take credit for that,” said Purdue running backs coach Chris Barclay. “He's a gifted athlete. For him to be the size that he is, the things he's able to do on the football field, still they amaze me at times. ... "
With sophomore King Doerue out with a hamstring injury, Horvath has been a one-man gang carrying the ball for the Boilermakers so far in 2020. In fact, he's the only running back on the roster with a carry this season.
"But my hat's off to Zander," said Jeff Brohm. "He's carried the load. We haven't been able to rotate at that position like we need to and like to, so for him to have to play the entire game two weeks in a row at the running back position doesn't happen a lot in college football."
And Horvath may have to keep lugging the load with Doerue's return unknown and redshirt freshman running back Da'Joun Hewitt still learning the nuance of the position.
But Hovath won't be able to add to his total this week, as Purdue's game at Wisconsin has been cancelled with the Badgers trying to contain a COVID-19 outbreak. The next time we'll see Horvath and Purdue is Nov. 7, when Northwestern visits West Lafayette.
Through two games for 2-0 Purdue, Horvath ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten in rushing with 43 carries for 231 yards and a TD. He also has eight catches for 60 yards. And get this: Horvath has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last three games dating to 2019, a season in which he ran for 377 yards and two TDs with 17 receptions and a score.
The last Purdue player with 100 yards rushing in three consecutive games was Edwin Watson in 1997. Not bad for a guy who was headed to Indiana to be a walk-on linebacker out of Marian High in Mishawaka, Ind.--where he ran for 3,373 yards and 50 TDs--before opting to come to Purdue as a walk-on running back in 2017.
“I really like blocking for Zander,” said true freshman center Gus Hartwig. “Runs hard and he's the kind of back you like blocking for. The run game, I think we’re just getting started. We’ll continue to progress and continue to add more yards as the year goes by.”
Horvath’s bump-and-grind style is reminiscent of another guy who wore No. 40 at Purdue: Mike Alstott. It often took multiple people to tackle that No. 40, too, back in the 1990s.
“There's some reps on film that you can see where there's like four or five people (trying to tackle me),” said Horvath. “But if I can just keep doing that throughout the game, it kind of tears a team down, puts their spirits down a little bit, taking five people to take me down and then getting right back up for the next play. … “
That physical style often wears on a defense, making Horvath difficult to stop late in games when fatigue is wearing on defenders. That was evident in the opener vs. Iowa, when Horvath gained 93 of his 129 yards rushing in the second half.
“Not a lot of players are like that,” said Horvath. “But I think just trying to maintain my body throughout the week, too, and just getting reps throughout practice that are similar to game-like reps, just been kind of helping me over the years and stuff, too. But I think just being able to wear down teams on defense and stuff, just really is going to help our team overall … If I can just keep that mentality up and just push myself through it until the game's over, I think it's ultimately gonna help us.”
Horvath had his mental toughness tested last week when he lost two fumbles in a 31-24 win at Illinois, when he ran 21 times for 102 yards and a TD.
“Like coach always says, put the last play behind you,” said Horvath. “Two in a game is really bad … Talking to coach a little bit, getting my mind-set back on the right place, moving forward from the two fumbles, just focusing on the next play is really crucial on that part.”
What did Barclay tell Horvath on the sideline after the fumbles, one of which occurred on the goal line?
“I said, 'You just need to get a football in your hands,' ” said Barclay. “I've been there. I've been in the shoes, I played the position, I had games where I put the ball on the ground …
“I really wanted to reach him at a place where he was really low and help him understand that, 'Hey, we're OK, son. Just put it behind you. Get a football in your hands. That's what it feels like.' Make sure that we're holding it with the right technique … Don't overthink this thing, get back to the fundamentals and play ball.”
While it’s his running that makes headlines, Horvath’s ability to catch the ball is noteworthy.
“That's kind of an underrated trait that a lot of people don't really give him credit for” said Barclay. “Since he got here, he's really shown great hands, and he rarely drops the football … We’re really trying to work on his route running now.”
But it’s that leap that still has people buzzing. Was it instincts that took over for Horvath, who had another leap over a defender at Illinois?
“Yeah, there was a lot of film watching throughout the week, just to see the defenders, how they play the run and everything,” said Horvath. “But, I mean, at the time on the sideline, too, I think it's just more of instinct. It’s just kind of something that comes up on you quick. There’s not many things you can do, so you just kind of have to make a move and trust it's gonna work.”
So far, so good.
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2020. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
