Zach Bauman plays a lot of different roles for the Northern Arizona football team.

Starting tailback is the most obvious part he plays, but not necessarily the most important.

Bauman is also a solid receiver, an unspoken leader and one of the main reasons the Lumberjacks have found the success they have so far this season.

And Bauman does it all without trying to take credit for any of it.

"I pray a lot, God, and have to give shots out to my offensive line and fullback," Bauman said humbly. "I'd be nothing without them."

Little does he know the team wouldn't be what it is without him.

The biggest indicator of that fact is just how much preparation opposing teams put into their games against NAU with Bauman in mind. They have to figure out how to stop him -- or at least try to -- or Bauman will do what he did to Idaho State in September and burn a defense for 219 yards.

NAU head coach Jerome Souers said Bauman brings a quiet confidence and a swagger to the Jacks' offense that can be a surprise, considering Bauman is just a sophomore.

"He's very unassuming and he's not a braggart, but when he's on the field and he's got the ball in his hands his presence is known," Souers said. "He's a very gifted young man and we just love having him in our program."

With the offensive production Bauman gives the Lumberjacks on such a regular basis, what's not to love?

Bauman has 634 yards on 131 carries through six games and has scored six touchdowns with an average of 105.7 yards per game. His long is a 59-yard run for a touchdown.

"He inspires our offensive line, he inspires our receivers to block and he makes people around him better with the effort and passion and love for the game he has," Souers said.

For Bauman -- whose dad helped make him what he is today by showing him the ropes when he was little -- gaining tough yards is all in a day's work.

"I prefer to run between the tackles," Bauman said. "Ever since I was little, I didn't have great speed like I have now, so I was an in-between-the-tackles runner, and as I got older I got faster, but between the tackles feels like what I'm best-suited for."

That doesn't mean that Bauman can't do damage on the edges. He's the third-leading receiver for the Jacks, catching 16 passes for 160 yards and leads the team in all-purpose offense with 794 yards and 132.3 per game.

"As a receiver, I like to think of myself as a great receiver," Bauman said. "I played in the slot in high school and my dad was a receiver. I have confidence in myself and I think I'm a great receiver."

But it's his running game that's has earned him the No. 15 spot among Football College Subdivision running backs in the nation. Bauman also surpassed the 2,000-yard career all-purpose yards in his sophomore season and currently stands at 2,119 yards through his first 17 games.

All this from a guy who Souers said is not the most vocal when it comes to leadership.

"His play has been very consistent," Souers said, "but I'd love him to impact his teammates more and challenge his own comfort zone to affect players verbally. As guys get older and more comfortable they do that, and I'm sure he will. It's difficult to come in as a true freshman and say anything, but Zach speaks with his pads and he speaks loudly."

And that's why every defense the Lumberjacks face has a plan on just how to handle Bauman.

"Teams load up on the run and it's made it easier to throw the ball," Souers said. "Cary (Grossart) and a lot of his success, a lot of that has to do with our run game drawing a lot of attention.

"Balance in the offense and the ability to hurt people both ways will really pay off for us in the long run," Souers added.

And Bauman will be there for a big chunk of that long run Souers was talking about. When asked about what he thinks he can improve on, Souers could only say that Bauman has been very consistent, while Bauman said he needs to be sure to keep up the work ethic that's gotten him this far.

"You see a lot of the older guys who have great work ethic, so I'm trying to follow in their footsteps and keep working hard," he said. "I need to also become more of a student of the game each year."

That shouldn't be too much of a task for Bauman, according to Souers.

"He's a blue collar guy, he comes to work every day and he never misses an opportunity to get better," Souers said.

Bill Harris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com, or 556-2251.