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OGDEN — Josh Davis’ first season of college football didn’t go anywhere near how he wanted.
The former Alta High star running back was hurt just one game into his freshman year with the Wildcats, who went on to win a school-record 11 games and advance to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
So Davis, who ran for 5,289 yards and 56 touchdowns en route to KSL 5A MVP honors as a senior with the Hawks, was forced to watch from the sidelines.
Not anymore.
Davis has been a driving force for the Wildcats’ 2018 season, and the 185-pound tailback piled up 1,288 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground for Weber State, which will open the FCS playoffs against Southeast Missouri at 2 p.m. MST Saturday at Stewart Stadium.
For the second time in as many years, Davis’ season may never have happened, though.
“Treshawn Garrett got hurt, and I just tried to step in,” he said. “I have a great line, great fullbacks and great receivers blocking for me — and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Davis won’t be watching from the sidelines when the Wildcats (9-2) welcome the Bears (9-3) to Stewart Stadium this weekend. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
“I’m ecstatic to play in the playoffs with this team,” he said. “We’re 9-2 right now, and the thing that is getting better than 9-2 is getting to 10-2.
“I’m just ecstatic to play SEMO.”
Not everyone at Weber State will be playing in their first playoffs. But the Wildcats, by nature of the No. 2 overall seed in the playoffs, could get a chance to host every game before the Jan. 5 championship in Frisco, Texas.
If they keep winning.
“This will be the third playoff I am playing in, so it’s nothing new to me,” said defensive lineman Filipe Sitake, a senior who prepped at Mountain View. “We just have to go out there and do our thing. Everything the coaches have taught us, we just have to go out and execute.”
A big part of that plan will involve Davis. The redshirt freshman was thrust into the featured back role when Garrett went down for the season Oct. 27 against North Dakota. The senior had rushed for just 198 yards and three touchdowns, including 80 yards and all three scores in a win over Montana State.
But Davis seized his opportunity — and the Wildcats are glad he did.
“We knew about Josh when we recruited him, and the potential he had,” Weber State coach Jay Hill said. “The games he’s had are just a fulfillment of what we thought would happen.
“He’s dynamic, he’s tough and he’s carried a heavy load since Treshawn went down.”
Garrett could return for part of the playoffs, along with injured running back Kevin Smith — if the Wildcats keep winning.
But for now, they’ll ride Davis.
And more than 1,200 yards into his first full season of college football, that’s not such a bad thing.
“There’s been pressure, but every week we went in, we expected to win,” Davis said. “A couple of the games were close, but we just want to win every game from here on out. One and done.”
