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Thursday, October 30, 1997

Williams is nation's leading rusher

By CHIP BROWN / AP Sports Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- Ricky Williams has proved to be one of the lone bright spots on a Texas football team that has stumbled to 3-4 and put coach John Mackovic squarely on the hot seat.

After running for a school-record three straight 200-yard games, Williams is the nation's leading rusher (168.3 yards per game) and could well be playing his final season of college football.

"It's hard to enjoy being the top rusher because we have a losing record, so it doesn't really mean much," said Williams, a junior who is already projected as a high first-round pick in the NFL draft should he come out early.

He has been one of the most outspoken players in support of Mackovic, who this week was the subject of a newspaper report that said the school's board of regents had reached a consensus to get rid of him after the season's end.

UT officials and some regents have blasted the report as unfounded.

"I was pretty sure I would be coming back for my senior year," Williams said. "Now, I'm just kind of upset with a lot of people around here and the way they've been treating coach Mackovic.

"He's done a lot for this program that people are looking past right now. Everyone's just looking at our record, and it's not his fault we're dropping passes or missing tackles.

"If he's not going to be around, then I don't really want to be here."

While most speculate that Williams will go to the NFL next year, one temptation for him to come back for a senior season is the chance to break all of Earl Campbell's rushing records. Williams has the nickname "Little Earl" because of his physical similarities to the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner.

"I know if I stayed, I could become a legend like he is and if I leave, I'll just be another great player to come and go," Williams said. "It would be nice to walk away with all the records."

To break Campbell's single-season rushing record of 1,744 yards, which he set in 1977, Williams would have to average 141 yards a game against Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas and Texas A&M.

Williams has rushed for 3,440 yards, second only to Campbell, who finished at Texas with 4,443 yards.

"It's scary," said Campbell. "He reminds me more of myself than my sons. I've been hearing 'Little Earl' stories ever since I left Texas, but he's the only one who's lived up to the expectations."

Mackovic said Williams is one of the smartest and most talented backs he's ever coached.

"Ricky picks things up so quickly and has such incredible vision that he sees things other people don't see," Mackovic said. "He's strong enough to run inside and fast enough to go outside and can catch. You can't ask for more than that."

Williams said he began running with more emotion in a 38-31 victory over Rice in which he had 249 yards on 28 carries. After being held to only 79 yards on 16 carries against Oklahoma State, he has run for 200-plus yards against Oklahoma (223), Missouri (235) and Colorado (201).

"When I play with emotion, it gets the rest of the offense fired up," Williams said. "The line, tight ends and receivers all want to block."

Despite his success, he says he doubts he has much of a chance in the Heisman race because Texas is struggling.

Only Notre Dame's Paul Hornung has won the Heisman while playing for a losing team. The Irish were 2-8 in 1956.

"I'm probably out of it," Williams said.