By BILL SPELTZ of the Missoulian | Posted: Saturday, November 5, 2011 9:47 pm
Some of his teammates call him Sweet-Feet Pete.
He runs the football like a mouse making his way through a maze in fast forward. A hungry one that's finding a lot of Limburger lately.
Peter Nguyen stands all of 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Yet for two weeks now, No. 28 has stood exceptionally tall in Montana's offense.
On Saturday, seven days after running for 81 yards in a sensational first half against Weber State, Peter piled up a career-high 149 in a 32-7 win over Western Oregon. Griz coach Robin Pflugrad called him the spark. Western Oregon coach Arne Ferguson couldn't get Mighty Mite out of his mind.
"It really took us a while to get adjusted, especially to the speed of (Nguyen) and the things they were doing with him," he said.
It's been one heck of a ride for Nguyen (pronounced win) since his senior year of high school in Seattle. He's transformed from a self-admitted selfish kid with questionable motives to a humble, spiritual sort who attends church twice a week and studies scripture in between.
From a football standpoint, Nguyen's best asset is not his quickness, it's his toughness - physical and mental.
He's never missed a college game because of an injury. How many prominent Griz running backs can you say that about? For that matter, how many come to a news conference after absorbing the type of shot Peter took on the Western Oregon 1-yard line in the third quarter?
"He pretty much knocked me out," Nguyen confided. "I was kind of dizzy after that hit so I just laid there. After I got my mind back on track I came back to the sideline. It was a good hit."
Resiliency also serves Nguyen well in his ongoing battle with the F-word: Fumbling. He's dealt with it for three years, drawing the ire of more than one coach.
How does he address such a sensitive issue without getting a complex? It helps having a position coach like Mick Delaney. But it goes even deeper for Nguyen.
"There's a scripture that says, ‘Forget what's behind and strain toward what's ahead,' " he said. "For myself, stuff comes up in my mind. I try to erase it or forget about it. That's helped me in being able to keep my mind straight and play the best I can, playing like there's nothing to lose."
Knock on wood, Nguyen hasn't lost a fumble since the Idaho State game. In those four weeks, he's found another gear.
"His vision has become better as the season has progressed," Pflugrad observed. "Sometimes he can hide behind those big linemen and then spurt out and get some extra yardage, and he did a tremendous job today. The rest of the team really rallied around him."
The top ground gainer for the Griz (595 yards), Nguyen has been a godsend the past two weeks, working overtime in the absence of injured Jordan Canada and Dan Moore.
Word is that all three may be available for the showdown in Bozeman in two weeks. Judging by how gingerly Peter was walking and how much athletic tape he was wearing on his battered and bruised arms after Saturday's game, Nguyen would probably appreciate a little help.
Then again, you'll never catch him turning down a tote, especially against the Cats.
"All I know is I'm excited," he offered. "I know everybody is."
Just Nguyen, baby.
Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 orbill.speltz@lee.net.
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