Skip to main content

On the run: Donnel Pumphrey climbing career rushing chart

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

SAN DIEGO (AP) San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey enters what's likely to be his final home game needing 153 yards to pass San Diego native Ricky Williams for second on the NCAA's all-time rushing list.

Pumphrey has 6,127 career yards going into Saturday's home game between his Aztecs (9-2, 6-1 Mountain West Conference) and Colorado State (6-5, 4-3).

Williams, who went to San Diego's Patrick Henry High, had 6,279 yards for Texas.

Pumphrey is averaging 168.6 yards per game. He needs 271 yards to pass Ron Dayne's career record of 6,397 yards.

With three games left, including the Mountain West Conference championship game and a bowl game, he would need to average 90.3 yards to pass Dayne's mark. Pumphrey is second nationally with 1,855 yards rushing and 12th with 14 rushing touchdowns.

What makes Pumphrey stand out?

''Obviously he has great skills but I think that with his athletic ability it's his competitiveness,'' coach Rocky Long said. ''He's one of the best competitors I've ever been around. He wants to be really, really good all the time. Every day in practice he wants to be really, really good. Every game he wants to be really, really good. He wants to win at everything he does. He's roommates with Rashaad Penny on the road and they compete in video games. And when I walk in there yacking about who's ahead and DJ always wins.''

SDSU has clinched the West Division title and a spot in the MWC championship game, but its loss at Wyoming makes it a longshot the Aztecs will host the game.

---

More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25