With three running backs threesome gulping yards like buttered popcorn and quarterback Brandon Phelps easily finding his receivers whenever he took the notion to throw, Snider’s offense forced Northrop to pick an option Friday night. It was not a pleasant decision.

Getting touchdowns from six different players, and Phelps throwing for three scores, Snider bulldozed Northrop 49-14 at Spuller Stadium in an SAC showdown that wasn’t much of a show.

The grand total was 484 yards of offense for the Panthers (3-0, 3-0 SAC).

“We’ve got three backs who can run the ball,” said Phelps, who passed just eight times, completing five, with three going for touchdowns. “We can throw the ball. We’ve got big guys up front that make holes and we have tight ends that are giants, and the defense is outstanding, too.”

That pretty much covers it, as Snider rolled to a 35-7 halftime lead that enabled Panthers coach Kurt Tippmann to turn to his lengthy bench.

But back to the big guys who make holes, starting off with 260-pound Tyler Freimuth; Andrew Meyers, 275; Shane Hurt, 220; Travis Leonard, 270; and Ruben Holcomb, 290.

From the beginning, when senior running back Tyrell Swain rambled 45 yards, and then, two plays later, for a 14-yard touchdown, the physical presence of Snider had been established.

Next series, different runner in Je’Norie Smith, whose 35 yards in three carries were enough to bait Northrop into looking inside. Except that’s when Phelps lofted a 32-yard score to Quinton Daniels.

And so the theme was established: Run, and run some more, then have Phelps toss it. With 3:23 left in the first half, Phelps threw a 50-yarder to Shaquan Scott. And then to begin the second half, a nine-yard drive ended on Phelps’ 10-yard fade route to one of his giant tight ends, 6-foot-4 Addison Dellinger.

Then there was Nick Reese, who not only teamed with Devontay Reese to block a punt that turned into an end zone recovery by Sedrick Hides, but also ran for 78 yards and a touchdown that came on the heels of a Northrop (0-3, 0-3) fumble.

Between Swain, Nick Reese and Smith were 29 carries, 240 yards and three touchdowns.

“That’s one of the biggest offensive lines we’ve seen this year,” Bruins coach Tim Martone said. “The ground game, they just blew us back.

“Offensively, I saw some good things, though.”

Mostly from Bruins junior quarterback Colin Brockhouse, who completed 19 of 40 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

But as Tippmann explained, “It all starts with the offensive line.” And ends with (pick a running back – any running back), a quarterback who throws it and a couple giants who catch it.

stwarden@jg.net