Faulk Gaining Yardage at Record-Setting Pace

It has reached this point:

Marshall Faulk’s legend checks into town about a week before he does, about the time opposing coaches turn on the film projectors and begin drawing X’s and O’s.

And after Faulk leaves town, his legend grows.

After San Diego State’s 45-38 victory over Brigham Young on Thursday evening, spiced by Faulk’s 299 yards, the accolades continued to flow.

“He’s incredible; he deserves everything he gets,” BYU safety Derwin Gray said.

What he might get--eventually--are a few more lines in the NCAA record book:

* Faulk’s current per-game rushing average, 177.1, is the highest in NCAA history, ahead of the 174.6 average of former Cornell running back Ed Marinaro (27 games, 1969-71).

* Faulk has 1,948 yards rushing in his 11-game career (the 157 yards he gained against Tulsa in last year’s Freedom Bowl do not count in official NCAA statistics), placing him fifth on the all-time Aztec list and only 671 yards behind Norm Hygaard’s SDSU-record 2,619. At Faulk’s current 1992 pace (259 1/2 yards per game), he will become SDSU’s all-time leading rusher in three games--on Oct. 17, when the Aztecs host Texas El Paso.

* Projected NCAA numbers: At his current 259 1/2 yards per game, he would finish this season with 2,855 yards, which would surpass Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA record of 2,628, set in 11 games in 1988.

Also, Faulk’s current 177.1-yards-per-game career average projects to a career total of 7,438--if he remains at SDSU for the full four seasons--which would shatter Tony Dorsett’s career record total of 6,082, set for Pitt from 1973 through 1976.

Faulk had 165 yards in the third quarter alone against BYU--an eye-popping average of 23 1/2 yards per carry. The 299 total yards were the second-highest in his college career, behind only the 386 he chalked up last September against Pacific in what was then an NCAA single-game record.

The yardage comes so quickly and so impressively that observers trip over themselves offering praise. The Aztecs, not used to a national media crush, sometimes still are not quite sure what to make of it all.

Luginbill gave a terse reply to a seemingly innocent question Thursday night from a Gannett News Service reporter.

On Friday morning, asked about the interest in Faulk in general and that incident Thursday night, Luginbill was still bewildered.

“That might have been the stupidest question I’ve ever heard in my life,” Luginbill said. “That clown comes to town and right out of the box asks if (Faulk) has proven he’s for real? What does he have to do?

“I felt like the guy must have been in the dark ages. (Faulk) has been on national TV.”

Told that the reporter was not questioning Faulk’s ability so much as wondering if the national television performance might have enhanced Faulk’s stock--read, in part, Heisman Trophy stock--even further, Luginbill said: “I construed it as he was questioning his ability.”

With 220 yards against USC and another 299 against BYU, few will question Faulk’s ability. The Cougars on Thursday--perhaps after watching Faulk get outside on a 59-yard touchdown run against USC--attempted to take away the outside and force Faulk to take it up the middle.

“I think BYU looked at it as, how tough is this guy?” Luginbill said. “Will he hammer it inside?

“They found out.”

The Aztecs (1-0-1, 1-0 in the WAC) ended up with 310 yards rushing and only 136 yards passing. While they remain unbeaten through the most difficult stretch of their schedule, though, one part of their offense has been noticeably erratic: the passing game.

They are averaging only 149 yards per game passing, and only Faulk and receiver Darnay Scott have scored touchdowns for SDSU.

But having won their first game in Provo in nine attempts, the Aztecs were too jubilant afterward to be jealous. The schedule favors the Aztecs the rest of the way because their conference road games--at New Mexico, Colorado State and Wyoming--are against teams picked in the lower two-thirds of the WAC.

BYU, on the other hand, still travels to Hawaii and Air Force.

“This is the greatest feeling in the world, to beat them,” defensive lineman Ramondo Stallings said late Thursday. “I won a state championship in high school, but this is the best feeling in the world.”

Aztec Notes

BYU tied its own NCAA record Thursday by completing a touchdown pass in 37 consecutive games. . . . Defensive lineman Ramondo Stallings was called for SDSU’s first personal foul of the season in the second quarter when he shoved BYU quarterback John Walsh. SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said a racial remark by Walsh precipitated the incident. “Ramondo has got to be man enough not to react in a negative way to hurt his teammates,” Luginbill said. . . . Headline in Friday’s Salt Lake City Tribune: “Is WAC Race Over? Faulk Runs Aztecs Past Cougars” . . . SDSU came out of the game banged up. Defensive back Eric Sutton will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this morning and is questionable for the UCLA game on Sept. 26. However, the Aztec medical staff has assured Luginbill that defensive lineman Ty Morrison (groin strain), defensive back Gary Taylor (knee bruise), linebacker Tracey Mao (neck strain) and defensive lineman Jamal Duff (hip flexor) will be ready for the UCLA game. “If there is any doubt as to whether we can have those kids ready for our seven-game conference run (that begins Oct. 3 at New Mexico), then we will not play them against UCLA,” Luginbill said. “That seven-game conference run is the most important since we’ve been here. We cannot afford not to be healthy coming into Albuquerque.”