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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Tuesday, September 29, 1998 With 318-yard game, Texas runner back on track By MICHAEL HOLMES Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - He's been watching running back Ricky Williams since spring practice, but Texas coach Mack Brown says he only now realizes what he's been seeing. History in the making. "We're watching history every time Ricky touches the football," Brown said Monday. "It hit me last night for the first time what Ricky Williams is really doing here. He's 286 yards away from outrushing Archie Griffin (Ohio State, 1972-1975). He's 368 yards away from outrushing Herschel Walker (Georgia, 1980-1982). Both of those guys won the Heisman Trophy," Brown said. Two games ago, Kansas State held Texas' Heisman hopeful to only 43 yards and snapped his 11-game scoring streak. But after rushing for 318 yards and six touchdowns Saturday night against Rice, Williams is rolling again. He already holds 35 Longhorn records, including rushing yards (4,891); rushing touchdowns (60); rushing yards per game (125.4); 100-yard games (21); 200-yard games (eight); and total touchdowns scored (62). Nationally, he climbed to 10th on the career rushing list. Another 122 yards and Williams will be fifth. He still needs 1,192 to break Tony Dorsett's all-time record of 6,082, set at Pittsburgh from 1973-1976. "I thought it was impossible at the first of the year to get (the record), so I didn't think much about it," Brown said. But now? "As a college football fan, it's really fun to watch Ricky and be part of his success as he continues to shatter records that have been set for many, many years in college football." Williams insists that he's not thinking about Dorsett's record, either. "It's so early in the season and the record is so far off, I just want to go out there every weekend and just play hard. If the yards come, then they come," he said. Williams is ahead of the pace he was on last year in leading the nation in rushing and recording a Texas record 1,893 yards (172.1 per game) and 25 touchdowns. After four games, he has 736 rushing yards (184 per game) and 15 TDs. That compares with 519 yards and nine TDs at this point last year. His combination of speed (4.38 in the 40) and strength (he can bench press 406 pounds) allows him to break tackles. Coaches say nearly 63 percent of his rushing yards have come after contact. That impresses someone with a good view of the action - UT quarterback Major Applewhite. "There was a draw play where I handed the ball off to Ricky. I saw Ricky running upfield. He hit the hole. It was just him and a free safety. And I was just thinking to myself, 'Is he going to run over him or is he going to run around him?' You know, he can do either one." So what happened? "He ran around him and ran over another guy," Applewhite said. "It's really neat to watch Ricky run. He's something special." Texas (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) hosts Iowa State (2-2, 0-1) Saturday night. 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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