Mike Bass (Chronicle)

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Football: MSU tailback filling big shoes

By TIM DUMAS, Chronicle Sports Writer

Michael Bass is built low to the ground.

So low that just one player in the Big Sky Conference is listed as being smaller than Bass' 5-feet, 6 inches: Northern Arizona's Brandon "Speedy" Anthony, at 5-5.

Bass, who like Anthony is a running back, hasn't let size matter.

"I'm in my fifth year of college, so it's worked out," said Bass, a Montana State senior tailback.

Things didn't quite work out at his last stop, however.

As a true freshman at the University of Hawaii, Bass led the Warriors with 558 rushing yards. But his numbers tumbled in each successive season, and last year, he carried the ball twice for five yards before a knee injury ended his season - and his Hawaii career.

Aloha.

Because of the injury, Bass was granted a medical redshirt - and one final year to play.

Once again, things fell into place.

"I'm not saying that it's good that I got hurt," he said. "But that's the reason that I'm here. It worked out all right."

Bass was heavily recruited out of Centennial High in Corona, Calif., where his accomplishments included a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 5 championship and several individual accolades.

After a monstrous senior season in which Bass ran for 2,875 yards and 41 touchdowns, he was named Division 5 player of the year, Mountain View League MVP and ESPN.com listed Bass as one of Southern California's top athletes.

Centennial's offensive coordinator Frank Kalil said he "was the next coming of Barry Sanders," when Bass signed on at Hawaii after garnering interest from Colorado, Tulsa, New Mexico and Fresno State.

No one questioned his size then, but the subject routinely comes up.

"It's been like that since I was in sixth grade," he said. "It's never held me back. People talk, they're going to think because of my size ... I just do what I do. Short or not, I haven't had any problems."

"He uses that to his advantage," Montana State running backs coach Jay Dumas said. "He hides behind our linemen and uses his bursts to stretch plays out. His quickness is uncanny; the way he can make people miss in small spaces."

At Hawaii, Bass' playing time slowly dwindled - partly due to injuries and partly because the offense centered around quarterback Timmy Chang, who went on to set the NCAA all-time passing record. Time to transfer.

At MSU, the offense unquestionably revolves around signal caller Travis Lulay, but the Bobcats are more likely make an attempt at establishing a running game.

So when Bass signed to become a Bobcat in May, his reasoning was simple: "They run the ball."

Bass got a little taste of Big Sky Conference football as a freshman, when Hawaii played the University of Montana in Maui. He gained 72 yards that day in a 30-12 win.

When asked to compare Division I-A to I-AA, Bass said, "just watching practice, we've got a lot of athletes out there; some just as good, if not better, that I had at the University of Hawaii. I don't look at it as I-AA. It's Division I football."

And Bass has big plans for this, his last year at the collegiate level.

"I'm not going to be here that long," he said. "I'm just looking to have a good senior year, go far, win a national championship, basically.

"Even though I'm new to this program, I'm no longer a rookie."

Offensive backfield

AT A GLANCE

COACH: Jay Dumas (RBs, 3rd season); Don Bailey (QBs, fifth season)

RETURNING STARTERS: Sr. QB Travis Lulay (6-2, 205); Sr. RB Justin Domineck (5-11, 206).

RETURNING REDSHIRT: Fr. RB Evin Groves (5-8, 185).

NEWCOMER: Transfer Sr. RB Michael Bass (5-6, 190).

KEY LOSSES: None.

STRENGTHS: Lulay is a proven winner, even when trailing in the fourth quarter. Domineck (power) and Bass (quickness) should compliment each other's styles.

KEY QUESTIONS: Can Lulay lead the Bobcats to a third Big Sky title in four years? Will the lack of one all-purpose running back become a hindrance?

DID YOU KNOW?: Bass' younger brother Ray - now at San Diego State - was impressive at a Nike camp two years ago, running a 4.31 40-yard dash and vertical jumping 40.4 inches, both tops in a field of several hundred players.

OUTLOOK: If a running game is established, look out. Lulay can also run and has improved his deception on play-action since last year.

ETC: Lulay needs 36 passing yards to become the program's all-time leader (Kelly Bradley amassed 8,152 from 1983-86) and 3,323 total yards to become Big Sky's all-time leader (Jamie Martin, Weber State, 12,287).

QUOTE: "We have diversity," Dumas said. "Dom(ineck) is a downhill runner, he's good in the open field. Mike Bass is great in spaces and he's quicker than Dom."

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