Quentin Castille Season 2008

2009 Outlook
Quentin Castille has been a vital part of the Nebraska running game in each of his first two seasons in the program, and his role is expected to grow in 2009. The 6-1, 235-pound Castille and fellow junior Roy Helu Jr. are expected to give Nebraska one of the nation's top running back tandems and help the Huskers develop a strong rushing attack.

Castille first aided Nebraska as a true freshman as a power back in short-yardage situations. He dropped more than 15 pounds before his sophomore season which allowed him to refine his all-around skills and show the ability to be an every-down back in the Husker offense. He gained nearly 500 yards on the ground last season, capped by his best career performance in the Gator Bowl victory over Clemson.

2008 (Sophomore)
Castille was Nebraska's third-leading rusher with 467 yards and six touchdowns on 106 rushing attempts. He also caught nine passes for 109 yards. After rotating at I-back with Helu and senior Marlon Lucky throughout 2008, Castille broke out against Clemson. With both Helu and Lucky slowed by injury, Castille gained 125 yards on 18 carries and caught a 20-yard pass. His effort included second-half runs of 58 and 40 yards, and allowed Nebraska to rally from a pair of 11-point deficits for the victory. The runs were the two longest rushes of Castille's two-year career.

Castille carried six times in each of the first two games, with a touchdown against San Jose State. In the opener against Western Michigan, he had a career-high 38 receiving yards on three catches, including a career-long 31-yard catch. He rushed 10 times for 75 yards in a 38-7 win over New Mexico State. Castille bulled his way to 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries at Iowa State. He added 49 yards on five carries against Kansas and six carries for 51 yards and a score at Kansas State. Included in his effort at KSU was a then-career-long 37-yard touchdown run on a 4th-and-1 play in the first quarter. He capped the regular season with 12 carries and his sixth touchdown in the 40-31 victory over Colorado.

Castille's play helped the Husker running game flourish in the second half of the season. In Big 12 games, Nebraska ranked third in the conference in rushing, with more than 180 yards per game, including better than 210 yards per contest in the final six games.

2007 (Freshman)
Castille was Nebraska's second-leading rusher with 76 carries for 343 yards and four touchdowns. He had four games with 50 or more rushing yards, and had five or more carries seven times. He lost only four yards on his 76 rushing attempts and added three catches for 33 yards.

Castille carried 18 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns in his college debut against Nevada, helping NU roll up more than 400 rushing yards. Castille had six carries for 28 yards at Wake Forest, then had five carries for 16 yards and a touchdown in a one-point win over Ball State. He also had his first career reception against the Cardinals.

Castille had his top game with 20 carries for 102 yards against Oklahoma State, including a season-long 23-yard run. He added nine carries for 60 yards and a touchdown a week later against Texas A&M. Castille rumbled for 50 yards on 11 carries against Kansas State, and caught one pass each against KSU and Colorado.

Before Nebraska (La Porte HS)
Castille posted huge numbers for La Porte High School and Coach Jeff LaReau as a senior when he rushed for more than 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns, while averaging nearly eight yards per carry. Castille also caught 12 passes, including a pair of receiving touchdowns. Castille had three 200-yard outings as a senior, including better than 300 yards and six touchdowns against Dobie and 250 yards in a win over Port Arthur Memorial. Castille was a second-team all-state pick and first-team all-district selection for his efforts.

As a junior, Castille rushed for approximately 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns, while averaging 7.5 yards per tote. His performance as a junior earned him a unanimous all-district selection. Overall, Castille racked up more than 4,000 rushing yards during his prep career. Castille ranked among the top 40 prospects in Texas and the top 250 nationally, while earning recognition as one of the top fullback prospects by several recruiting outlets. Castille chose Nebraska over Louisville.

Personal
Quentin is the son of Wanda Castille and was born on April 25, 1989. He is a sociology major and has been a volunteer at the F Street Recreation Center and assisted with local hospital visits.

Castille's Career Statistics

 

Year

G/S

Att.

Gain

Loss

Net

Y/A

Y/G

Long

TDs

2007

12/0

76

347

4

343

4.9

28.6

23 vs. OSU

4

2008 13/1 106 505 38 467 4.4 35.9 58 vs Clemson 6

Totals

25/1

182

852

42

810

4.5

32.4

58 vs Clemson

10

 

Single-Game Bests:
Rushing Attempts–20 vs. Oklahoma State, 2007
Rushing Yards–125 vs. Clemson, 2009 Gator Bowl
Long Rush–58 vs. Clemson, 2009 Gator Bowl
Rushing Touchdowns–2 vs. Nevada, 2007