SDSU’s Faulk Rushes to NCAA Record : Football: Playing only his second collegiate game, Aztec freshman gains 386 yards, scores 44 points in a 55-34 victory over Pacific.

Marshall Faulk spent the evening running into the record books, but he didn’t even begin to have an idea that the magic was with him until after his third of seven touchdowns.

“I didn’t sense it until the third touchdown,” he said. “I was like, ‘Golly, this kind of stuff doesn’t happen much to freshmen.’ ”

But as San Diego State’s 55-34 victory over Pacific unfolded Saturday night, each of the 24,408 people inside San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium was touched by a little of the magic dust as well.

Faulk, a freshman running back who has yet to start a game for the Aztecs, set an NCAA rushing record Saturday night in his second collegiate game.

He gained 386 yards on 37 carries, surpassing the NCAA Division I-A record of 377 yards set by Anthony Thompson of Indiana in 1989 against Wisconsin. Thompson took 52 rushes to accumulate his yardage.

Faulk also surpassed the NCAA record for all divisions, which was 382 yards, set by Pete Baranek of Carthage against North Central on Oct. 5, 1985.

After that third touchdown, Faulk’s mind started racing as quickly as his feet through the Pacific line.

“I was telling myself, ‘Keep your head on straight,’ ” he said. “ ‘Keep playing, keep playing.’

“I guess that all you do is dream of stuff like this. Tonight, it just happened to come true.”

Memo to the SDSU administration: Make sure this kid gets first priority on any class he wants. Have somebody pick him up and drive him to practice. Put a guard in his dormitory to keep people quiet so he can get his sleep at night.

Faulk, from Carver High in New Orleans, was spectacular. The pages of every available record book were turning all night:

* Faulk surpassed the previous NCAA freshman rushing record of 322 yards set by Greg Allen of Florida State in 1981 against Western Carolina.

* His seven touchdowns and 44 points are the most ever by a freshman in NCAA Division I-A competition.

* His 386 yards were the most ever allowed to a running back by Pacific, surpassing the previous record of 264 set by Mercury Morris of West Texas State on Sept. 30, 1967.

* He bypassed Jim Allison in the SDSU record book for most yards rushing in a single game. Allison gained 271 yards in a game against San Francisco State in 1964.

* He also set an SDSU record with 44 points--seven touchdowns and a two-point conversion. The previous Aztec record for points in a game was 36, held by Tim Delaney against New Mexico State in 1969. Faulk’s seven touchdowns were also a school record, as were his seven rushing touchdowns.

It certainly didn’t start out to be a record-breaking evening. Faulk didn’t get his first carry until 3:55 was left in the first quarter, when SDSU starting tailback T.C. Wright had to leave the game with a bruised thigh.

But Faulk, taking over in SDSU’s one-back offense, had 323 yards by the end of the third quarter. He scored on touchdown runs of 9, 5, 61, 7, 47, 2 and 25 yards.

“Once I got in there, everything just seemed to go good,” Faulk said. “(The offensive line) blocked like hell for me. They worked their butts off.”

Despite playing the role of the workhorse, Faulk said he never felt over-exerted.

“I didn’t get tired,” he said. “When I first came to fall camp, that was the most running I did in my whole life. I was in condition, but practice was hard.

“I probably got a little fatigued (Saturday night), but I never got over-fatigued.

“I practice hard--I deserve (the record). The line blocks hard--they deserve it.

“But I’ve never even thought about it.”

After a while, it was nearly ridiculous. Faulk said that after several touchdowns, he would go to the sideline and receivers Will Tate and Keith Williams would talk to him.

“Every time I would go to the sidelines after scoring, they were like, ‘You can’t get any more,’ ” Faulk said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’ll show you.’ ”

Faulk said he had never scored more than five touchdowns in a game during his high school career.

SDSU signed Faulk--one of three Aztec recruits this year from Louisiana--last February after he had taken recruiting trips to Miami, Louisiana State, Texas A&M; and Nebraska as well as SDSU.

Curtis Johnson, SDSU receivers’ coach and primary recruiter in Lousiana, said Faulk told Johnson after his trip to San Diego that he planned to sign with the Aztecs. But, Johnson said, Faulk told him two days before signing day that he was thinking of Nebraska. Johnson convinced him to change his mind.

“It came down to the wire,” Johnson said.

What helped the Aztec cause was that the two were fogged in together at the Houston airport for more than two hours on their way to San Diego, and by the end of the ordeal, Faulk had found a new friend.

“We got tight,” Faulk said. “I found out he was more than a coach. He was real cool.”

Lost in the shuffle Saturday was the accomplishment of SDSU kicker Andy Trakas, who kicked five extra points and moved into first-place as SDSU’s all-time scoring leader. Trakas now has 207 career points.

SDSU played without star receiver Patrick Rowe, who has a shoulder injury, and without linebacker Andy Coviello, who has tendinitis in his left knee. The Aztecs (2-0) were sluggish in the first half, scored 26 third-quarter points and then let Pacific back into the game. The Tigers (0-3) pulled to within six, 40-34, early in the fourth quarter before SDSU pulled out of reach.

SDSU allowed 554 yards of total offense. The Aztecs had 699 yards in total offense.

“I never got the sense anything special was happening other than we were scrambling for our lives both offensively and defensively,” SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said. “Defensively, we had them down twice, and neither time did we go for the throat.

“We took a real step backward defensively tonight.”

And Faulk took several steps forward. Asked if he thinks he might make his first start next week at Air Force, Faulk smiled.

“Not really,” he said. “I don’t expect to start. I’m playing the back-up role. T.C. is a senior, and he is more experienced than me.

“It was just a night when everything went right for me.”

Aztec Notes

It was a costly game for SDSU. The Aztecs suffered three first-half injuries--running back T.C. Wright suffered a bruised thigh, free safety Damon Pieri suffered a groin strain and offensive tackle Tony Nichols sprained an ankle. Nichols was the only one to return. Trainer Brian Barry said Wright and Pieri each will probably not practice much next week. . . . Pacific quarterback Troy Kopp moved past Eddie LeBaron in the Pacific record book with 51 career touchdown passes.