It All Comes Together for Texas

AUSTIN, Texas —  Ricky Williams got to be the hero and almost the bad guy.

Williams became the NCAA Division I-A career rushing leader, but it took four field goals by Kris Stockton, the last with five seconds to play, and a fierce defense for Texas to beat No. 6 Texas A&M;, 26-24, Friday.

The loss ended a 10-game winning streak for the Aggies (10-2 overall, 7-1 in the Big 12 Conference), who will play Kansas State for the conference title on Dec. 5.

Williams entered the game with 6,020 yards, needing 63 to break Tony Dorsett’s record of 6,082. He finished with 259 yards in 44 carries for a career total of 6,279. He broke the record on a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Williams also lost two fumbles that led to Aggie touchdowns, the second coming in the fourth quarter when Texas A&M; scored 17 points and took a 24-23 lead before Stockton got the game-winner.

“I hope I’m considered one of the best,” Williams said. “I’m just happy that I can make people proud of me, but I never thought when I was a freshman that things would turn out this way.”

This season, Williams has rushed for 2,124 yards, the fifth-best total of all-time, behind Barry Sanders (2,628), Marcus Allen (2,342), Troy Davis (2,185) and Mike Rozier (2,148).

Stockton had field goals of 22, 24, 49 and the 24-yard game-winner after Texas A&M; rallied from a 23-7 deficit. The Texas defense held the Aggies to 173 total yards.

“I felt like all year I’ve been a part of history, because Ricky has been setting records pretty much every game,” wide receiver Kwame Cavil said. “As soon as he took off on [the 60-yard touchdown run] I knew he was going to get into the end zone.”

Williams got the rushing record early. After gaining 52 yards in his first 13 carries, he ended the suspense late in the first quarter with his big touchdown run for Texas (8-3, 6-2).

Williams was met near the goal line by Brandon Jennings and Jason Webster. But Jennings was blocked and Williams carried Webster with him into the end zone with 1:45 left in the period.

“When it was time to crank it up against the No. 2 defense in the country, he did it and proved that he is the best player in the country,” Texas Coach Mack Brown said.

A Texas record crowd of 83,687 cheered wildly after Williams’ dash. He was mobbed on the sidelines by his teammates and received congratulations from Dorsett. After the game, Heisman Trophy winners John David Crow, Earl Campbell and Dorsett joined in honoring Williams.

Williams also became the eighth player in NCAA Division I-A history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, and he tied Allen for most 200-yard games in a career with 11.

Williams had 295 all-purpose yards for a career total of 7,206, breaking the career record of 7,172 by Napoleon McCallum of Navy.

“He’s one of the great backs and he had a good day,” Texas A&M; linebacker Dat Nguyen said. “You give him any creases and he will take it. You can’t give him the big plays because he will break it back.”

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Williams on Records

The 16 NCAA Division I-A records owned or tied by Texas running back Ricky Williams, with old records in parentheses:

* Career rushing yardage: 6,279 (6,020, Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1973-76)

* Career rushing TDs: 72 (64, Anthony Thompson, Indiana, 1986-89)

* Career total TDs: 75 (65, Anthony Thompson, Indiana, 1986-89)

* Career points scored (overall): 452 (423, Roman Anderson, Houston, 1988-91)

* Career points scored (non-kickers): 452 (394, Anthony Thompson, Indiana, 1986-89)

* Games with a TD: 33 (31, Ted Brown, North Carolina State, 1975-78; Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1973-76; Glenn Davis, Army, 1943-46)

* Games with two or more TDs: 21 (20, Anthony Thompson, Indiana, 1986-89)

* Most TDs in consecutive seasons: 53 (52, Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1987-88)

* Seasons with 2,000 or more all-purpose yards: 2 (tied with six other players)

* Consecutive 300-yard games: 2--318 vs. Rice, 350 vs. Iowa State (1 by several players)

* Yards in consecutive games: 668--318 vs. Rice, 350 vs. Iowa State (628, Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 1996, 289 vs. Illinois and 339 vs. Hawaii)

* Fastest to 1,000 rushing yards: 5 games (tied record held by seven other players)

* Rushing TDs in consecutive games: 11: 6 vs. Rice, 5 vs. Iowa State (tied record set by Kelvin Bryant, North Carolina, 1981, 6 vs. East Carolina and 5 vs. Miami, Ohio)

* Highest career avg. yards per carry (min. 781 att.): 6.22 (6.13, Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1972-75)

* All-purpose yardage: 7,206 (7,152 Napoleon McCallum, Navy, 1981-85

* 200-yard games: 11 (tied with Marcus Allen, USC, 1978-81)