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Demario Brown only 40 yards from setting USU rushing record
By Wade Denniston
All that stands between the 6-foot-1, 213-pounder and his becoming the all-time leading rusher in USU history is a mere 40 yards and the University of North Texas defense. If all goes well, it shouldn't take too long for Brown to become the most prolific rusher in Aggie history as the Mean Green rushing defense ranks 101 out of 114 Division I-A teams. It also helps that No. 21 has had huge games against North Texas throughout his career. As a freshman, Brown rushed for 165 yards on 25 carries. In his sophomore season, Brown carried the rock 19 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, Brown helped Utah State come from behind and beat North Texas with a 130-yard performance on 28 carries. The Aggies erased a 27-18 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Mean Green 28-27 in the season finale at Romney Stadium. This time, the game will be played at Fouts Field in Denton, Texas, and will also be the season finale for both teams. However, who would've thought coming into this season that Brown could even come close to Abu Wilson's record of 3,933 yards? The native of Ridgecrest, Calif., had never surpassed 1,000 yards in one season, had been hampered by injuries and needed a whopping 1,417 yards to break Wilson's mark. Unthinkable, right? Wrong. Brown said before the season began that he had worked out all summer and was in the best shape of his life. That was good news for USU and bad news for opposing teams' defenses. Before this season, Brown took over as the starting running back from Wilson in the eighth game of the season as a freshman. He finished the 96 campaign with 700 yards rushing, and a 166-yard performance against Boise State University that is a freshman record for a single game. As a sophomore, Brown earned first-team all-Big West Conference honors, despite missing three games because of a knee injury he suffered in the first game of the year against the University of Utah. Still, Brown finished 97 with 971 yards. Brown was fourth in the Big West and 40th in the NCAA in rushing as a junior with 94.0 yards per game. Despite missing two games because of injuries, Brown still racked up 846 yards, garnering Honorable Mention all-Big West honors. This year, Brown has run wild against Aggie opponents. In USU's first game against the University of Georgia, he racked up 101 yards against a defense that is one of the tops in the nation. But that was just the beginning of a magical season. Except for the Kansas State University game on Oct. 16, Brown has rushed for at least 91 yards. Counting the Georgia game, he has hit the century mark four times and twice the All-Big West Candidate for 1999 has rushed for 225 yards, or more. In his most previous game against the University of Nevada on Saturday, Brown carried Utah State to a win with his 253-yard performance (career best) and four touchdowns (also a career best). The Aggies and Mean Green will kickoff at 1:35 p.m. MST. |
Archived Months:
September
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