They’re both sophomore running backs that stand atop the MAC in rushing.

However, on the football field, their size and stature could be considered comparable to Gary Coleman’s on the television screen.

Central Michigan’s Jerry Seymour, who stands at 5-foot-6 and weighs 191 pounds, leads the MAC with 562 rushing yards while NIU’s 5-foot-7, 174-pound Garret Wolfe comes in second with 556.

So, who’s the better back?

Since most everyone busts out the stats chart first when comparing players, let’s take a look.

Though Wolfe has played in one more game, both the backs have 105 rushing attempts on the season. So, even though Wolfe has played more games, both backs have the same number of carries, negating the argument of Wolfe having played one more game.

However, Wolfe has also shared carries with fellow teammate and former starter A.J. Harris, who led the MAC in rushing until injuring his left ankle Sept. 24 against Bowling Green.

Wolfe didn’t even get the starting nod until he jetted for 204 yards in just the second half through BG’s “ghost” defense.

Now that Harris is back, Wolfe is still splitting carries, but managed to churn out a 142-yard game against Central Michigan.

Plus, Wolfe leads in the stat that counts at the end of a game: seven touchdowns on the ground, compared to Seymour’s one. Yes, one.

So, let’s give Seymour a chance to redeem himself and leave the ground game by looking to the versatility that makes these players special – their receiving ability.

Though there’s no doubt that Michael Turner was the greatest thing next to Cindy Crawford to grace DeKalb, “The Burner” was always knocked for his catching ability – or lack thereof.

Enter Wolfe’s 100-yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns.

Again, although Seymour has 170 receiving yards, he’s done it on 17 catches compared to Wolfe’s six, and CMU’s top back has exactly zero receiving touchdowns.

Thus, it suffices to say that Wolfe has made the most of his chances to find the end zone so far.

You could go as far to say that Seymour has finished his attempts to get to the end zone like the Cubs finished their run to the playoffs, but Seymour shouldn’t be degraded that much, as he’s still in his race with six games left.

Don’t forget, Wolfe shouldered the load for NIU against BG while sophomore quarterback Phil Horvath was still getting his feet wet. But senior quarterback Josh Haldi has since returned after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot, making Wolfe’s ground game all the more dangerous.

On the other hand, Seymour has had the pleasure of having CMU junior QB Kent Smith at the helm since the second game of the season, and CMU obviously doesn’t trust Seymour to punch it in the end zone when it reaches the red zone in its spread offense.

Granted, Wolfe is rushing behind one of the best lines in college football and Seymour’s a great back.

However, Wolfe has collected 13 total touchdowns to Seymour’s one and comes into every game with everyone south of the North Pole knowing NIU coach Joe Novak and company are going to ram the ball down their throats with the run, making Wolfe the better back.