Nov. 29, 2014
Past Michael Klitzing 2014 football features
Aztecs make strong first impression (Aug. 30)
Pumphrey's dominance is no passing fancy (Sept. 27)
Injury bug can't keep these Aztecs off the field (Oct. 19)
Barrett's play helps SDSU keep goals within reach (Nov. 8)
267 yards later, Pumphrey has Aztec history within reach
By Michael Klitzing
@mikeklitzing
SAN DIEGO --- Marshall Faulk's accomplishments at San Diego State are the stuff of college football legend. If you're a longtime Aztecs fan you can probably recite much of the following by heart:
Faulk rushed for 386 yards and seven touchdowns in a single game. He tallied a ridiculous 23 100-yard rushing performances. He finished second (robbed, many would argue) in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1992 and was a finalist two other times.
But never in his three transcendent seasons at SDSU did Faulk rush for as many yards as Donnel Pumphrey has in 2014. Neither did Ronnie Hillman. Or Larry Ned. Or Adam Muema. Or any Aztec not named George Jones, for that matter.
And after Saturday, Jones is now hearing some awfully loud footsteps.
The Aztecs' stellar sophomore put a fitting finishing touch a masterful regular season in SDSU's 38-7 decisive win over San Jose State at Qualcomm Stadium. With a career-high 267 yards rushing -- the most yards by an Aztec in a single game since Ned gouged Eastern Illinois for 285 yards 13 years ago -- Pumphrey moved into second place on the Aztecs' single season list (he began the day eighth) with 1,761 yards through 12 games. And with a bowl game still on the horizon for the 7-5 Aztecs, his chance of claiming the program's single-season rushing record is very much within reach.
The current record holder is the bruising Jones, who bulled his way to 1,842 yards in 1995. That's just 81 yards to go for a back whose lowest rushing total this season is 85 yards versus Nevada.
In his postgame media session, Pumphrey dutifully deflected when asked about personal milestones, saying his focus was on winning games. But even head coach Rocky Long, the ultimate old-school type who ingrains a team-first mentality into his players, did not downplay the significance of what Pumphrey topping the program's rushing charts would mean.
"It would be great for him individually to be listed in that kind of category with the great backs who have gone through this program," Long said. "But it would also be good for the program as a whole that we were able to recruit players that allow somebody to break that record. He's a great back but he wouldn't have yards if the big guys up front weren't blocking for him. It's a testament to everyone involved and it's a testament to the program that we recruited well."
The Aztecs offensive line was more than a little involved in the latest effort, as it blasted gaping holes in San Jose State's defensive front with regularity en route to 393 yards rushing as a team.
"The offensive line has picked it up all year," Pumphrey said. "They're big lanes and all you see is green."
A frequent visitor to the green spaces of the Spartans' secondary, Pumphrey both evaded and powered through would-be tackers, casting his former reputation as a shifty little speedster in an even more preposterous light. SDSU's second drive Saturday provided Exhibit A: On one run, he shed two tacklers to find the corner and then hammered cornerback Cleveland Wallace to put an exclamation point on a 16-yard run. On the following play, he scored from 20 yards out while carrying safety Akeem King into the end zone -- his first of three rushing touchdowns, giving him 19 on the season.
Pumphrey had topped 150 yards less then a minute into the second quarter -- this despite sitting out one touchdown drive ably manned by backup Chase Price. It was total dominance, perhaps even briefly giving life to the wild-eyed notion that the NCAA's single game rushing mark could fall for a third-consecutive week.
While he couldn't keep up that ridiculous pace, Pumphrey did claim another record for his own. His 35-yard score in the third quarter vaulted him past Hillman for the best sophomore rushing campaign in school history.
Pumphrey notched these gaudy totals despite sitting out the fourth quarter after tweaking his ankle on his 22nd and final carry (not serious, he says). Regardless, he'll now have a few weeks to rest up as SDSU prepares for a certain bowl invitation. And while the possibility of notching the program's third postseason victory in five years looms largest off all, Pumphrey's pursuit of Aztec history will add even more intrigue to bowl season on Montezuma Mesa.
"We take a lot of pride in what the running backs are doing and we all put in the work with them," senior tackle Terry Poole said, speaking for his fellow offensive linemen. "We definitely want him to break the record. We tell him that every week."
With one more typical Pumphrey performance, they'll have their wish.