Running Back in Better ‘Mindset’ After Wyoming Debut

LARAMIE -- As his teammates and coaches made their way to the northeast corner of Falcon Stadium to respectfully stand for Air Force's alma mater, a dejected Damashja Harris, in his crisp, clean white uniform, slowly made his way to the visiting locker room, helmet dangling from his right hand.

His body language spoke loud and clear.

Get our free mobile app

And this wasn't the first time.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back, who spent last season at North Texas and the previous three at Lamar, can often be spotted sitting all alone on the Wyoming bench long after the final whistle.

Harris just stares straight ahead, once again, not a drip of sweat cascading off his forehead.

Until late in last Saturday's 28-0 blanking of Border War rival Colorado State, the Tallahassee, Fla., product had yet to enter the lineup.

He never lined up in the backfield, buried on a deep depth chart. A shoulder injury sustained in fall camp certainly hasn't helped matters.

He never even took a single snap on special teams, a tough pill to swallow for the former First Team All-Southland kick returner and Dave Campbell's All-Texas Team Specialist of the Year in 2023.

"It has definitely been a battle," Harris said on Monday. "Coming here, especially coming off of an injury last year, like just wanting to be on the team, wanting to be playing, wanting to be an asset. It's been a struggle."

Yes, Jay Sawvel scolded the graduate transfer for the early exit in Colorado Springs.

Yes, the second-year head coach also understands the disappointment Harris is going through.

"He and I have had a number of talks recently about certain things," Sawvel said. "It's been hard on Damashja a little bit, right? He's not been playing. He had an injury coming out of fall camp. We had a high expectation. He's not met that expectation, necessarily. But that's also something that, we feel like there's still the possibility of him meeting expectations."

Harris agrees, wholeheartedly.

His first opportunity came with just 7:16 remaining in regulation. Harris rolled up six hard-earned yards on that initial carry. On his third attempt, he blew through the line, showing off his vision and one-cut ability on a 20-yard gainer.

"When he got in and he broke the run, it was just like, 'Oh, my God, he's gone,"' wide receiver and locker neighbor Chris Durr Jr. said. "He said his legs weren't warm, so that's why he got caught. Damashja is fast. Next time he gets one, I think he's going to the house."

The moment certainly wasn't lost on the man himself, who capped his Wyoming debut with 30 yards on five carries.

"It was a blessing, honestly," Harris said. "To be a part of a big win like that and just finally getting the opportunity to show that I can help us win, it was amazing."

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* PODCAST: Can Cowboys Keep Rolling in Sunny San Diego?

* Behind the Numbers: Front Five Shines in Border War Rout

* SDSU Notebook: CSU Shutout Was Just as Impressive on Film

* Bou Knows Offense: 'He Had a Handle On Everything'

* Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What's Next for UW Football

* Cowboys Dominate Rams 28-0 in 117th Edition of Border War

* Rants and Raves: CSU Edition

* Final Live File: Wyoming 28, Colorado State 0

* 2024 Failure Fuels Wyoming in Border War Blanking

* PODCAST: 1996 Rewind With Macus Harris, David Saraf

* Wyoming's Tegen Seeds Creeping Up Depth Chart

Harris appeared in just three games during his brief tenure in Denton, rushing for 193 yards on just 22 carries. Nearly 150 of those came in a single outing against Stephen F. Austin. The following week on the road at Texas Tech, the former zero-star prospect suffered a meniscus tear that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Why Wyoming?

He simply wanted to play ball again, he said in late July.

The logjam in the backfield, however, hasn't made that ladder an easy one to climb, Harris admitted.

Senior Sam Scott got the bulk of the carries in the opener. The emergence of rookie Samuel "Tote" Harris and the power, speed and elusiveness of Terron Kellman has also caused a road block.

Still, Sawvel said, his belief in his big back hasn't wavered. That means the world to Harris, who said though times have been tough, the thought of quitting never crept into his mind.

"There have been days I asked myself, like, 'Am I who I used to be? Do I still have it?' That's definitely been a thought, for sure," he said. "So, I've just been praying, talking to God, just trying to find myself again. In that moment, like, it just all clicked for me. It was like a full-circle moment. Delay is not denial."

Sawvel said the two shared a unique pregame moment before the Cowboys secured their fourth win of the season and recaptured the coveted Bronze Boot for the first time since 2023.

"I've never had a player in my entire career grab me before a game -- I mean, this is on the sideline and we're about to receive the kickoff -- and he goes, 'Hey, thanks for believing in me,"' Sawvel said with a smile. "I believe in him, and I think he's got a chance to do really good things here. So, look, I hope he pans out."

Harris hopes that sneak peek of his talents last Saturday night can lead to a large role in the offense, or even in the kicking game. If not, he said his mindset has shifted since the air was cleared with his head coach.

If it's meant to be, he said, it will be.

His focus is on winning.

"I feel like this is just really a season where God has sat me down and is teaching me, this is more about just being the star. Sometimes you just got to sit back and be a leader, you know? So, I think that's where I'm at."