By Tyler Barto
Twitter: @Tyler_Barto
tbarto@trentonian.com

Paul James thought he had worked enough on his burst in the offseason. Then defensive back Davon Jacobs caught him from behind on a 96-yard run during Saturday's scrimmage.

“I didn’t hear him," James said afterward. "They were playing the loud crowd (music), so I couldn’t hear if there were any footsteps coming behind me. I wasn’t too sure, and then I felt my ankle get swept. I was like, ‘Ah.’”

James could laugh it off, especially since it didn't happen in a game, like the two moments during his season-opening debut a year ago at Fresno State.

His follow-up act begins in less than two weeks against Washington State.

“It felt great to be back out there in a lot of game situations and working on them," said James, who finished with nine rushes for 115 yards and a touchdown in the scrimmage. "It felt good to back in the motion of doing things with the team, driving the ball down the field.”

“It’s a great reminder of what he is," head coach Kyle Flood said. "He’s a big back, but he can run and it would’ve nice if he got in the end zone. The reality is it was coming back anyway. We had a sideline penalty."