In week one it was Justin Anderson, in week two it was Me’co Brown. Saturday it was Montell Clanton.

In each of the first three games of the season, NIU has had a different running back lead the team in carries.

NIU head coach Jerry Kill has yet to commit to anybody, even though Justin Anderson became the ninth straight Huskie to rush for 1,000 yards a year ago and was second team All-MAC.

“This isn’t an individual game, it’s a team game,” Kill said. “If we have a guy that’s way ahead and is just rocking and rolling, were going to play that guy all the time. But if we’ve got guys that are very similar, then we’re going to utilize them the best to move the ball and win the game.”

After the Huskies 48-3 victory over Indiana State Saturday afternoon, Kill brought up a similar situation he was in at Southern Illinois when he had two future NFL running backs on the same team.

“I coached [current New York Giant] Brandon Jacobs, [former Viking and 49er] Arkee Whitlock, and Terry Jackson [rushed for 1,317 yards at Minnesota before transferring to SIU)]. All three of them were great tailbacks and I had them all at one time,” Kill said. “One of them is in the NFL playing pretty good, the other one just got cut the other day. All three played in one season, all three carried the ball. Not one of them ever complained for one second, all they cared about is winning.”

In the season opener against Minnesota, Anderson led the Huskies in carries with 13. The junior struggled, gaining only 39 yards (2.6 per carry).

At Western Michigan it was Brown. The true freshman fared better than Anderson did in the opening week, with 13 carries for 63 yards (4.2 per carry).

Clanton, coming off two knee surgeries after getting injured against Southern Illinois a year ago, carried the load on Saturday.

The Rockford native ran 10 times for 61 yards (6.1 per carry) against an inferior Indiana State squad that has won just one game since 2004.

Clanton was the team’s leading rusher until a 55 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put Chad Spann in the lead.

“Anybody in that running back room, they’re all starters in my mind,” Clanton said of the team’s three-headed backfield. “Whoever goes out there and produces and does their job, that’s who’s going to play.”

Quarterback Dan Nicholson also said he likes the idea of having the running backs split carries.

“I love it the way it is, we’ve got all those guys fresh. Rolling fresh bodies out there, I don’t think you can ask for a better situation,” Nicholson said. “I’m just really happy for Montell, he’s been through a lot with the two knee surgeries.”

Only time will tell which back steps up and gains the job. Anderson ran for 1,245 yards in 10 starts in 2007. Clanton was ahead of Anderson on the 2007 depth chart before he got hurt during the second game.

One thing is for sure, the Huskies don’t have to worry about depth at running back.