Heisman Expected to Be a Runaway for Williams

After a season that began with high hopes in Westwood that Cade McNown would become UCLA’s second Heisman Trophy winner, Texas running back Ricky Williams is the overwhelming favorite to walk away with the award today.

Williams is expected to be called to the podium at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York after rushing for 2,124 yards this season and breaking Tony Dorsett’s NCAA Division I rushing record with 6,279 yards during his career.

The other finalists are all quarterbacks--Tim Couch of Kentucky, Michael Bishop of Kansas State and McNown. All three said they would vote for Williams if they could.

The awards keep rolling in for Williams--Associated Press college player of the year, Walter Camp, Maxwell, Doak Walker awards--after a season in which he set or tied 16 NCAA records and 40 school marks.

“There was a lot of pressure about the Heisman at first,” said Williams, who played at San Diego’s Patrick Henry High. “Everyone was looking at you and every team was trying to stop you. But as the season went on, I didn’t think about it as much. I just went out and played hard.”

Williams would be only the second Longhorn to win the Heisman. Earl Campbell was the first, in 1977.

Only two running backs have won the award this decade--Eddie George of Ohio State in ’95 and Rashaan Salaam of Colorado in ’94.

McNown sought to become UCLA’s second Heisman winner, joining Gary Beban, who won in 1967. He could still become the only Bruin to finish second.

Five UCLA players have finished in the top four--Beban did it twice, Troy Aikman was third in 1988, Paul Cameron was third in 1953, Donn Moomaw was fourth in 1952, and McNown will be next.

He passed for 3,130 yards and 23 touchdowns this season, but had his best performance in the Bruins’ only loss, against Miami as they tried to close out an unbeaten regular season to earn a spot in the national championship game.

McNown completed 26 of 35 passes for a school-record 513 yards and five touchdowns against Miami, but Williams already had established himself as the clear favorite, and McNown’s performance probably was too late to influence many more votes.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.