By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

In 2009, Ricky Jacques led Butler County Community College with 699 rushing yards in an I-formation, run-heavy offense that passed on just 37.3 percent of its snaps. Last fall, Ed Smith picked up 1,600 yards and 21 scores for Miami Southwest High School; many of his yards came on cutbacks and beating defenders with his speed. The duo had to make several adjustments when they came to Fort Hays State University this year. Jacques learned the spread offense, a scheme that spreads the field and often has running backs catch the ball.

"Have to learn new footwork, learn where the seams are," Jacques said. "Have to learn how to read defenses different. Being in the I, you are eight or nine yards behind the center. Now in the spread, you are straddling the guards' legs and you are coming sideways instead of just downhill. It takes some getting used to."

Smith needed to catch up to the speed of the college game and had a new running style.

"In the high school level, sometimes you can jog and score," Smith said. "But now there is no more jogging. It is all full go."

Last Saturday, both players delivered solid games in their new environment in the Tigers' season-opening 45-20 victory against Western State (Colo.) College. After senior running back James Walker finished the first half with 125 total yards, coach Kevin Verdugo rested Walker after intermission and turned the game over to Jacques and Smith. Jacques had 10 rushes for 58 yards and caught a team-high five balls for 40 yards. Smith collected nine carries for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

"I learned to run straight ahead just like them," Smith said, alluding to Walker and Jacques. "Moving side to side won't get nothing but loss of yards."

Jacques, a former all-state running back at Liberal, ran effectively for Butler County, a junior college powerhouse that has won six national championships and finished 8-3 last season.

He caught just two passes out of the backfield in an offense that Jacques labeled "trying to ram it down people's throats about 60 or 70 times a game" with the rushing attack. After junior college, he came to the Tigers' spread, an offense that threw the ball 48.2 percent of the time and enjoyed a four-win jump to a 6-5 record in 2009.

"It's been a world of difference coming out of high school and seeing Fort Hays and seeing Fort Hays since I left Butler," Jacques said.

"Feel as though leaving Butler and coming here, the mentality is almost the same, putting up big points, beating opponents as bad as we can, wanting to win games."

FHSU wide receivers coach Al McCray, formerly a high school in Tampa, recruited the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Smith. At first, Smith was hesitant when he heard of a team in Kansas, but has enjoyed the program. In the first half, Smith carried the ball twice for three yards.

He was nervous early and kept on looking for the cutback instead of running straight ahead. Before the second half, the coaches told Smith he would see more carries -- and to run hard. Despite missing several reads, Smith picked up 50 second half yards and showed his speed.

"He will get better as he goes and I thought he did some good things," Verdugo said.

"He surprised me. He did a couple of nice things in pass protection, which most young backs don't do."

Jacques, a bigger back at 6-feet, 225-pounds, had to hone his skills as a route runner and pass catcher. In the past, if Jacques wasn't carrying the ball, he was blocking or helping linemen. Now, if no defenders were coming, Jacques had to swivel around and look at senior quarterback Mike Garrison for a pass.

The new offense helped Jacques tie for fourth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in receptions and 11th in total yards after the first week.

"He catches the ball well," Verdugo said.

"He has got good hands for a back. ... The big thing with him is when he gets downhill, gets his shoulders square because of his size, I think he can do some good things for us."