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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Friday, October 30, 1998 Texas running back poised to collide with Cornhuskers By TIM KORTE AP Sports Writer LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Ricky Williams seems destined to become the NCAA Division I career rushing leader. The Texas running back knows a big game at Nebraska wouldn't hurt his Heisman Trophy chances, either. "The Heisman voters get their ballots this weekend, so they will have their ballot in front of them when we play," Williams said. "It will be a big game in the Heisman voters' eyes." But Saturday's showdown also is a big game in the eyes of the No. 7 Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1 Big 12), who have been increasingly stingy against the run in their last two games. Texas (5-2, 3-1) goes against Nebraska's 47-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium, where the Huskers returned to form on defense after poor showings on the road against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Two weeks ago, Nebraska beat Kansas 41-0, limiting the Jayhawks to 99 rushing yards. In last week's 20-13 win over Missouri, the Huskers held Devin West - who came in averaging 175 yards per game - to 72 yards. Nebraska is allowing 106.5 average rushing yards per game, but the Huskers realize stopping Williams - who leads the nation at 212 average rushing yards per game - is another matter. "It will not be a small feat," said Nebraska coach Frank Solich. "But over the years, our defense has met a lot of big challenges." With four regular season games remaining, Williams needs 444 yards to eclipse the NCAA Division I career rushing record of 6,082 yards set by Tony Dorsett at Pittsburgh from 1973-76. Williams, who ran for 259 yards in last week's 30-20 win over Baylor, also averages 20.6 points per game, meaning he's outscoring 34 Division I teams. With two touchdowns in the final 2:03 against Baylor, he became the leading scorer in Division I history. Williams now has 428 career points, topping the mark of 416 set by Roman Anderson of Houston in 1989. The stocky but swift fellow who wears his hair in dreadlocks is clearly the Heisman front-runner, even he doesn't see it that way. "I just know that I have to go out and keep playing hard," he said of his Heisman prospects. "If I have a good year and the voters think that I'm the best player in the country, then I will take the trophy." Nebraska defensive end Mike Rucker said Williams has exceptional talent. "What makes him different is he's big and fast," Rucker said. "He's got that combination, as a power back and a speed back. He gets around the corner, then uses his power to get those extra 15 yards after contact." Chad Kelsay, Nebraska's other end, compared Williams' visit to historic showdowns pitting the Huskers against backs like Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, who both played at Oklahoma State during the 1980s. "Nebraska in the past has faced some great running backs. When those guys came to Lincoln to play, our defense shut them down completely," Kelsay said. "That's the kind of outlook we have this week." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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