Steve Minton wasn't looking for this opportunity so soon.

But he sure is making the most of it.

Two weeks into the Thiel College football team's season, the Seneca Valley graduate was the fourth halfback on the Tomcats' depth chart.

What a difference four weeks can make.

The freshman started Thiel's third game against Bluffton (Ohio) because of injuries to the top three running backs.

All he did was rush for 109 yards and two scores in a 45-14 win.

He followed that performance up with 182 yards in a win over Bethany (W.Va.) and 83 yards in a loss to Washington & Jefferson.

Needless to say, there's nobody above Minton on the depth chart now.

"He's our man," said Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer. "He's a strong and physical kid."

"Before the season, I was just planning on waiting my turn," said Minton. "I knew I would eventually get a chance to shine. But then I found out that I was starting against (Bluffton) five days before the game.

"I am a bit surprised at my numbers so far," he added. "But we've got a good offensive line here, so anything I'm able to do, I've got to give credit to them."

Minton's 374 rushing yards lead the team. He's also averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

The Cranberry Township native injured his left knee in Seneca Valley's second game last season. The injury kept him out of one game, but he returned to pace the Raiders' ground attack with 527 yards and a 4.7 average.

"That injury taught me that you never know when your career is going to end," said Minton. "And nothing is going to keep me from going out and playing hard."

"When we were recruiting Steve, we knew he was a good running back and felt he could eventually contribute to our offense," said Leipheimer.

"We opened this season with a veteran backfield. But the injuries forced us to make a decision. Based on what he had done in the junior varsity games, we felt Steve was the best choice," he added.

Minton, a criminal justice major, has proven his coaches right.

The Tomcats' ground game will be put to the test Saturday when it faces a staunch Grove City College defense, which is giving up just three yards per rushing attempt.

"We're to the point now where we want to give Steve the ball 25 to 30 times a game," said Leipheimer. "But we're looking for Grove City to have eight or nine guys in the box. They know we want to run the football from our Wing-T formation."

Leipheimer was no stranger to Minton's hard work ethic.

Steve's older brother, Chris, is currently a senior defensive tackle for the Tomcats (3-2, 1-1).

"He's a four-year starter for us," said Leipheimer. "Both of them are similar type guys. You basically have to drag them off the practice field.

"Chris has gone through two knee surgeries and will probably have a third following the season. Right now, he is playing with a broken thumb."

Now that he is the leader of Thiel's running game, Steve Minton has a specific goal.

In the 113-year history of Thiel's football program, no player has ever rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.

"That's my goal," said Minton.

He's off to a good start.