Daniel Lasco’s first carry as a college football running back was one to forget.
His next time with the ball — on the very next play — felt like a dream.
The Bears’ redshirt freshman from The Woodlands, Texas, ran 77 yards for a touchdown on the second carry of his career, capping the scoring in a 50-31 win over Southern Utah. And he did it in front of four family members watching at Memorial Stadium.
“Oh my gosh, my family is so excited,” Lasco said after practice Sunday. “My family couldn’t be more proud of me. It’s just exciting they were up in the stands and they got to cherish the same moment I did.”
Lasco’s relatives probably cringed seconds earlier. He was stuffed for a three-yard loss on the previous play, a rude introduction to college football for a guy who rushed for 3,821 yards during his prep career.
“I should have broke the first play,” Lasco said. “I watched it on film and the line opened up a huge hole. I just missed it.”
The Bears were trying to run the clock down and Lasco figured he was going to get the ball again.
“If we run it, you’ve got to make it happen,” he told himself. “Our offensive linemen drove their defensive linemen all the way back. While I was running I was like, `Wow, this hole is huge.’ I didn’t have to really do too much besides take the crease and get it.
“It was nothing but enthusiasm once I saw the hole open up and I started going, I was so excited. The fans started going crazy. My heart started racing. At first I thought it was a dream — too good to be true.”
In fact, given the number of penalty flags thrown at the Bears Saturday, Lasco actually looked around immediately afterward to look for one. “I saw my team running toward me and I was just so happy,” he said.
“To me this was a huge game — my second actual college football game, and I had a touchdown in it. That’s a lifelong dream.”
