After losing two running backs in the offseason, Toney Baker to the draft and Jamelle Eugene to graduation, coach Tom O’Brien was left with the tough task of finding a compliment to redshirt junior quarterback Russell Wilson. In freshman running back Mustafa Greene, O’Brien has found a young back capable of stabilizing the running game and giving Wilson a target out of the backfield. And his coach hasn’t been the only one pleased with Greene’s early start. While at Irmo High School in Columbia, SC, Greene was named a four-star recruit during his senior year. He also earned the nickname ‘Moose,’ which has carried over to his young college career. “It feels great to hear people calling me Moose,” Greene said. ”[Fans] have been calling me ‘Moose’ since high school, but to hear that from college fans is a great feeling. The fans are a great energizer. I feed off of them, and so does the line. That’s what gets us pumped up.” To fans familiar with the “U” chants used in years past to celebrate big plays by Eugene, Carter-Finley sounds familiar after Greene’s big plays. But now, the usual chant of “U” has been changed to “Moose.” Through four games, Greene is leading State in rushing, with 242 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per attempt, with four touchdowns. “He is certainly the right type of kid and he’s very humble,” O’Brien said following the Georgia Tech game. ”We know he’s going to work hard and study what he is doing. Hopefully he can’t do anything but get better.” Though he may not be one of the biggest players on the football team, at 6’0″ and 190 pounds, Greene has showed his toughness. Against Georgia Tech, Greene burst through the line untouched on several occasions, running free for substantial gains before meeting Yellow Jacket linebackers, who he drug forward for extra yards. “To have the other players there with me during big plays like that is a huge motivator,” Greene said. ”They motivate me to just keep on moving and fight for more yards.” Fans may be getting their first taste of what type of talent Greene can bring to the Pack, but O’Brien said he learned quickly of Greene’s star potential back in August. “[Mustafa] was a guy who stood out in preseason, which is why he got the opportunity to play,” O’Brien said. ”He made a habit of making runs like the fans have seen against our defense before the season started. We’re happy for him and we’re happy for our offense to have a back that is capable of making those plays.” Another valuable aspect of Greene’s game is his competitive nature. This year, he has competed with several players to earn his carries. During preseason workouts, the coaching staff was looking at several different running backs, including redshirt junior Curtis Underwood, sophomore James Washington and fellow freshmen Tony Creecy and eventual starter Dean Haynes. After Haynes and Greene were named the top two backs, he found himself in a competition to earn more snaps and prove he could be productive. “We both work hard out there,” Greene said. “We both just keep pushing each other. We say, ‘Who’s going to get the touchdown first?’ We both try to make the right reads and find our blocks. It’s all a competition out there for us.” Greene will look to continue his crowd-pleasing touchdown streak and help the Pack take down the Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday at 3:30 p.m. “They have a very fast team,” Greene said. ”But I’m really ready to be able get back and be able to listen to the crowd this week. I’m going to be throwing my hands up and trying to get everyone else pumped up.”