Williams Fills In Nicely, Irvine Rolls Past Anaheim

It took only 14 seconds before everyone in the stands knew who Al Williams was. By the end of the first quarter, Anaheim football fans were wishing they had never heard his name.

Williams, replacing starting running back Jake Savona, who is suffering from shin splints, sparked Irvine’s 42-12 trouncing of Anaheim Thursday night.

On Irvine’s first play of the game Williams took the handoff from quarterback Jared Flint and blasted through the Colonists’ line, running 76 yards for the first of his three touchdowns.

Irvine (2-1) once again needed only one play on its next possession. After a recovered fumble, Flint connected with Ryan Brucker for a 28-yard touchdown pass with eight minutes and 19 seconds left in the first quarter.

Then Williams put the game out of reach. He gave Irvine a 21-0 advantage on an 11-yard run with 5:21 left in the quarter. Less than three minutes later, he silenced the homecoming crowd when he broke out of a gang tackle and sprinted 57 yards for a touchdown, giving Irvine a 28-0 halftime lead.

Williams, who before Thursday had carried the ball only 18 times for 185 yards and one touchdown in two games, finished with 15 carries for 204 yards and three touchdowns in less than three quarters of playing time. Irvine Coach Terry Henigan pulled his starters after their first possession of the third quarter, when Flint ran in from three yards out, giving Irvine a 32-0 lead with 9:38 left.

Third-string running back junior Edwin Bryant picked up the final Irvine score of the game early in the fourth quarter, when he broke free and ran 73 yards to the Anaheim three-yard line. He took it in on the next play for the 42-0 Irvine lead.