BOZEMAN — When asked about the motto for the Montana State running backs this season, Julius Davis smiled.
"When the pads get to popping, Juice Squad ain’t stopping," he stated.
"Juice Squad" has been the nickname of MSU's running back position for years, as the strong run game tends to bring the spark to the Bobcats' offense.
Within the running back room is last year's Big Sky freshman of the year, Adam Jones. This year, he's the Big Sky’s preseason offensive MVP and was named to the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list. He’s also a preseason second-team All American.
"I’ve got to go out there and prove it all over again," Jones said. "These preseason honors aren’t going to mean anything when it gets to January and February, and all that stuff comes out. I think doing whatever it takes to keep my name in the mix and doing whatever it takes to help this team win."
Davis had a stellar season in his first year with Montana State in 2023, but injuries sidelined him for most of 2024. Both Davis and Jones are excited to share the field with one another once again.
"I’m so excited, especially Adam, he’s grown and matured as a younger guy and proved himself," Davis said. "So, I’m just excited to get back on the field with him."
When Davis was injured last season, he became a like a second coach to the room. Constantly hyping up his teammates, according to Jones. Now he gets to repay the favor.
"Having Julius back and healthy, everyone is going to benefit from that," Jones said. "The energy he brings on game day, I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but it’s pretty contagious. It gets us all going, and I’m ready to pump him up because he was a really good teammate, a leader to me last year."
Davis explained how Montana State has helped him rediscover his love for the game since he transferred into the program in 2023. That was his main motivation for wanting to stay in Bozeman to compete for the Cats in his final collegiate season.
"I chose to stay," Davis said. "For me, there wasn't money that could beat playing here, playing for this community."
Running backs coach Josh Firm explained how much of an advantage MSU has with the 1-2 punch they provide.
"I mean, it’s really a running back coach’s dream, an offensive coach’s dream, just having those two," he said. "They call themselves the evil twins, but I really think they’re going to play off each other well."
"Evil twins" was a nickname Davis expanded on originally during spring ball. It comes from Davis being No. 32 and Jones being No. 23, both numbers the flipped version of one another.
Firm also explained the duo's ceiling.
"They both want to be great, and the other side of greatness is hard, and you have to push through the hard. So making it harder in practice for them is the challenge," Firm said.
Firm also expanded on how the depth is shaping up in the room halfway through camp, with Colson Coon and Jared White also in the mix for reps.
"Colson’s been really a Steady Eddy, but he’s taken a step up, same with Jared," Firm said. "Jared and Colson took almost every rep this spring. We were still double repping, and they were taking every single rep. They were warriors."
