He Finds Humility Isn’t Easy

Louisiana State tailback Harvey Williams was watching on television Saturday as freshman Emmitt Smith gained 224 yards in 39 carries to lead Florida to a 23-14 victory over Alabama.

“I was looking at Emmitt Smith, checking him out from my bed,” Williams said. “The freshman turned me on.”

That night, Williams gained 196 yards in 10 carries, an average of 19.6 yards per carry, as LSU beat Rice, 49-16.

Said Williams: “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not bragging. Y’all say Harvey Williams is cocky and has a big head, but I really consider myself the best in the Southeastern Conference.”

Thank you, Humble Harv.

From the New York Times’ advance on Saturday’s Columbia-Harvard game, in which the Lions were hoping to end a 31-game losing streak, the longest in college football: “The Lions will open with 40 players on their squad who can run the 40-yard dash in less than five seconds. Only seven players on the squad last year managed that.”

Unfortunately, it was a football game, not a track meet. Harvard won, 35-0.

Add Columbia: It was a bad day all around for the Lions. Their soccer team, unlike their football team, was working on a home unbeaten streak of 32 games extending back to 1977, but it also lost to Harvard.

For What It’s Worth: The Rams’ record with Jim Everett at quarterback is 3-6.

Trivia Time: Who is the only player in World Series history to get five hits in a game? (Answer below.)

Would-you-believe-it dept. While the Philadelphia Eagles were holding Rueben Mayes of the New Orleans Saints to 20 yards in 13 carries, Junior Tautalatasi of the Eagles was gaining 54 yards in 13 carries. When Mayes played at Washington State, his backup was Tautalatasi.

Said San Diego Manager Larry Bowa after watching Houston’s Nolan Ryan rack up 11 strikeouts against the Padres Saturday night: “I wish he would retire. He’s as competitive as he was when I faced him in 1966, when I was playing for Spartanburg. He was the first pitcher I faced in pro ball and he struck me out four times. I said if this is pro ball, get me out of it.”

23 Years Ago Today: On Sept. 21, 1964, Gene Mauch’s first-place Philadelphia Phillies lost, 1-0, to the Cincinnati Reds on a steal of home by Chico Ruiz. It was Philadelphia’s first of 10 straight losses, a streak that would cost them the National League pennant. They had a 6 1/2-game lead with 12 games remaining.

Among the pitchers acquired by contending clubs for the stretch drive were Doyle Alexander by Detroit, Rick Reuschel by San Francisco and Steve Trout by the New York Yankees. Alexander is 7-0, Reuschel 5-1 and Trout 0-4.

That’s depressing enough to George Steinbrenner, so don’t remind him that Alexander and Reuschel both are ex-Yankees.

Said St. Louis pitcher Joe Magrane after hitting a homer Saturday night: “The last time I hit a home run, I was a senior in high school. Some dry spell, huh? I got into my home-run trot and realized I overstepped first base so I had to go back and touch it.”

Trivia Answer: Paul Molitor of Milwaukee in 1982.

Quotebook

Kyle Rappold, University of Colorado middle guard: “Football is great. You get to kick, bite, sweat, spit, fight, win, and afterward you hug a blonde.”