LEWISTON – The Tufts defense knew what was coming. At least, it thought it did.

They had seen the 6-2, 250-pound defensive end wearing No. 94 line up in the offensive backfield before. It was third-and-one then, not fourth-and-one like this time, and the ball was on the one-yard line instead of the 30.

The first time, Eric Obeng had punched the ball over the goal-line for Bates’ first score of the game. Tufts wasn’t that impressed by the defensive end lining up in the backfield. Heck, William “Refrigerator” Perry weighed 100 pounds more than Obeng when the Chicago Bears made him a short-yardage running back. Any lineman could run a yard or two and fall over into the end zone. But as Bates coach Mark Harriman explains it, putting Obeng in the backfield in short yardage isn’t a gimmick.

“It’s not just getting two or three yards,” said Harriman. “He has the potential to break a big play.”

Obeng did exactly that on his fourth-and-one carry, shedding several tackles before breaking down the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown run that pulled the Bobcats within a field goal of upsetting Tufts.

Two-way players aren’t unusual in Division III or NESCAC football, but it’s hard to imagine anyone equaling Obeng’s nine tackles and one sack on defense and two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns on offense. Even Obeng was caught off guard, at least by the two touchdowns.

“We’d always practice (short-yardage situations) twice a week, but I didn’t realize the impact it would have in a game like last Saturday,” he said.

Obeng can probably count on getting the ball in big, short-yardage situations even more this season, perhaps even in tomorrow’s home opener against Williams. But the sophomore isn’t eyeing a move up the depth chart.

“We have two great running backs, one a rookie of the year (2003 NESCAC rookie Ken Adams) and another one (Jamie Walker) who’s just as talented, so I’m not here to see any dominant role on offense,” said Obeng, a Wellesley, Mass. native majoring in African-American studies. “My role is just whenever they tell me to carry the ball to make sure I do the best I can.”

Actually, running with the football comes more naturally to Obeng at this point in his football career than chasing after it. Obeng played fullback and was the team MVP at Wellesley High School. When he came to Bates, Harriman looked at the depth Obeng’s class already had at running back in Adams and Walker. The coach realized that Obeng was trying to overcome some knee problems and decided his athleticism would come in handy on defense.

Obeng spent most of his freshman year learning how to play defensive end, but he saw time in all eight games. He’d also practice with the offense’s “jumbo” package, too, but didn’t see considerable playing time on offense until late in the season when Adams was sidelined with a concussion. He played two games at running back, helping to spell Walker, and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. In Bates’ season-finale against Hamilton, he rushed for 119 yards on 19 carries. Harriman told him he could expect to play in short-yardage situations again this year, but to focus on improving on the defensive side of the ball. Now, defense is starting to come as naturally as running the ball. Harriman termed Obeng’s game a “breakout performance” and said the young lineman is starting to get comfortable.

“The biggest thing is, he’s starting to cut loose a little bit and let his athleticism take over,” Harriman said. “He’s obviously a very talented athlete and I think he was maybe thinking a little bit too much with the new position.”

“What he did on Saturday was what we want to see him do every week,” he added.