For years, Miles Davis was talked about — often — for his potential.
The former BYU Cougar, a former wide receiver turned running back, had his moments before he transferred to Utah State . There were plenty of sequences in games, even whole games, when he looked like he could be a legitimate starting FBS running back.
It never came to fruition while he was at BYU. Saturday night in the Aggies' season opening win against UTEP, however, it may have.
Davis was, outside of maybe starting quarterback Bryson Barnes , Utah State's most important offensive player of the night. The senior led the Aggies in both receiving and rushing, proving Barnes' clear No. 1 target, a safety net if ever there were one.
Davis finished the game with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown (he averaged 7.3 yards per carry) and he also had six receptions for 61 yards, 60 of which came after the catch.
Maybe the most impressive part of his night was that he was only targeted six times by Barnes. When targeted, Davis caught the ball and it benefited USU every time.
He also had most explosive play of the game for either team, a 58-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that gave the Aggies a 10-7 lead, a lead they would not surrender.
Once Davis got around the edge, there wasn't a player on the field capable of catching of him, a brief but effective display of his speed and athleticism.
That Davis was as good as he was probably shouldn't have been a big surprise.
Leading up to the season, USU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was upfront about that the Aggies had targeted Davis in the transfer portal last winter.
"We saw the opportunity," Mendenhall said back in July . "We saw how he was performing his current role. We believed he is capable of more, would become more with an investment and an opportunity. Just thought that'd be a great fit, and we had a need."
Through one game Davis proved a great fit, even an excellent one.
"Miles Davis, in terms of his all-purpose yards and the number of things he did, really gave us a great chance offensively," Mendenhall said Saturday night.
Davis, for his part, credited his offensive line for his success, as any successful running back is wont to do.
"I want to just thank my O-line for that," he said of his touchdown, "and thank our offensive coordinator, coach (Kevin) McGiven, for even just calling that play. That's really it."
Davis wasn't flawless, nor was the Aggies offense. Take away his 58-yard touchdown — during which replay appeared to show that he stepped out of bounds — and Davis rushed for 30 yards on 11 carries. That is an average of 2.5 yards per touch. For a significant portion of the game, Davis — and the Aggies' offense as a whole — was ineffective.
Much of that has to fall on Utah State's offensive line, but the reality is Davis was frequently bottled up on the interior. He nor the Aggies could get much going on the ground. His fellow running back Javen Jacobs only managed to rush for 12 yards and four carries.
Davis' versatility, though, his receiving ability, proved he can make an impact for Utah State even when an aspect of his game isn't really working.
"I know everybody hears it about Bronco (Mendenhall), but this is the hardest program I've ever been a part of," Davis said. "These coaches push us to a limit that we didn't know we have. Then when we reach that limit, they push us even further.
"Stepping out there with my brothers and knowing that the work that we put in together, it felt good seeing plays made because I know the work that we've done."
It was a leap of faith that took Davis to Logan. He had played for the Cougars for five seasons and Utah State was a change, even if it is only two-plus hours away.
"You've just got to have faith," he said. "I think that's the main thing, is have faith in God. I had a journey. I've dealt with some injuries and been through a lot.
"It's really just trusting in God and trusting the process, and making sure your faith is really strong."
For a game at least, the leap of faith paid off, for Davis and Utah State.
