You gotta love it when a kid leaves his mark on the game. – Reno Mahe
Jamaal Williams busted it good.
BYU’s new single-game rushing leader is an energetic, spirited parcel of speed and power, a young man hungry to perform and produce.
This is Williams, the BYU senior who ran for a school record 286 yards in a five-touchdown performance Friday in the Cougars' win over Toledo. It is Williams' persona, however, that has endeared him to teammates, coaches and fans. He’s like a Mack truck with a Lotus engine in a chassis that gleams on and off the field.
“You gotta love it when a kid leaves his mark on the game,” said his coach Reno Mahe. “It’s especially great when it is a kid who plays with so much emotion like Jamaal.”
Head coach Kalani Sitake said Williams’ performance reminded him of the night San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk ran for 299 on the Cougars back in 1992.
It was that unique performance from this star who came to Provo as a 17-year-old from Fontana, California.
In Friday’s record-busting performance, Williams broke loose for large chunks of yardage. But he also bit off hard-to-get inside power gains, his legs pumping, dragging tacklers with him for an extra yard or foot. His vivacious personality makes him adrenalized in the huddle and when on attack.
In correct form after a record is surrendered, Williams gave credit to his offensive line, his backfield mates and the receivers who made blocks that enabled him to spring free on that historic night.
“I’m grateful. But honestly, I couldn’t do it without everybody blocking for me. The record belongs to the entire team,” Williams said.
“I’ve been working on being patient, waiting for the linemen to open up holes for me. I’m learning things every time out and practicing at it.”
The 286-yard performance broke a 54-year-old record held by Eldon “The Phantom” Fortie, who gained 272 against George Washington University Sept. 29, 1962. Forte, who was the first Cougar to have his jersey retired, had his single-game record last threatened in 2013 by current quarterback Taysom Hill, who gained 259 against Texas.
It also surpassed some of the best performances in school history by some famous names of Cougar lore including Ronney Jenkins, Pete Van Valkenburg, who led the NCAA in rushing in 1972, and former all-time leading rusher Curtis Brown.
If you gain 100 yards in a game as a running back, it is considered a top performance. If you go over 200, it is considered spectacular. But closing in on 300 is a remarkable feat, albeit against non-Power 5 opponent Toledo. Williams nearly gained three games worth of yardage in a single night.
Credit must be given to offensive coordinator Ty Detmer and his game plan to ride Williams and make Hill a game manager, saving play action runs by Hill for late in the game.
And significant praise is in order for offensive line coach Mike Empey, who inherited an O-line that had two starters unable to return to the team in late fall, then losing one of his best players, tackle Lui Lapuaho after the Utah game to a nagging knee injury. Empey has retooled, switched bodies around, refined techniques and increased the ability for blockers to target opposing tacklers. This time last year, Empey was in the medical equipment business.
Before teams kicked off Saturday, Williams had become the NCAA’s leading rusher with 703 yards on the season. This led the No. 2 rusher, San Diego State senior Donnel Pumphrey, who played at South Alabama Saturday night and had 599 yards this season before that kickoff.
That Williams has gained 703, with parts of it against Arizona, Utah, UCLA and West Virginia, is impressive. Pumphrey got his 599 against New Hampshire, California and Northern Illinois.
Williams needs 266 yards the remainder of the season to surpass Harvey Unga as the school’s all-time leading rusher.
“I told him it’s been so much fun playing with him,” said Hill. “The kid deserves it, he’s worked so hard, he deserves everything he’s done because he’s earned it.”
“Jamaal has so much fight in him,” said linebacker Adam Pulsipher. “He has so much fight in him. We see it every day.”
Now Williams and company head to East Lansing where they’ll face a Big Ten defense at Michigan State.
Top five BYU rushing games
1. Jamaal Williams, 286, Toledo, 9-30-16
2. Eldon Fortie, 272, George Washington. 9/29/62
3. Taysom Hill, 259, Texas, 9/7/13
4. Pete Van Valkenburg, 241, Long Beach State, 10/7/72
5. Jamaal Williams, 219, Nevada, 11/30/13, and
Curtis Brown, 219, Air Force, 10/29/05
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