Something Big for MAC Again

L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 7, 1999 12 AM PT

If you mentioned the word MAC to a college football fan even just a few years ago, their first instinct probably would be to associate it with golden arches rather than quality football.

But even after Randy Moss made Marshall University a household name in 1997, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) continues its battle toward national respectability.

Enter Travis Prentice.

Prentice, a running back, earned the conference some additional brownie points Saturday after his record-breaking performance in Miami of Ohio’s 32-23 victory against visiting Akron at Oxford, Ohio.

Bye, bye Ricky Williams. Prentice broke two of the former Texas running back’s year-old NCAA records by scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 376 yards on 41 carries.

Prentice holds the NCAA career records for points (456) and touchdowns (76). He has four more points than Williams and one more touchdown. His 72-yard fourth-quarter touchdown not only earned him the points record, it also clinched the game.

And who cares if only 10,687 witnessed the feat or that there was no national television audience to speak of. None of that mattered.

“I’m on cloud nine,” Prentice said. “It won’t hit me until I read the paper in the morning. I was just running past guys on the ground all day.”

Besides the NCAA records, Prentice set a school mark with his rushing total, which also ranked as the fifth-best single-game effort in Division I-A history. Prentice’s career total of 5,364 yards also ranks as fifth-best in Division I-A, as he passed Darren Lewis and former Heisman Trophy winners Herschel Walker and Archie Griffin in the process.

Additionally, Prentice’s 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter set a school record for distance, as did his 411 yards of total offense.

This season Prentice has rushed for 1,423 yards and scored 19 touchdowns for Miami, which improved to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in conference, trailing a familiar foe, undefeated and 13th-ranked Marshall.

SPEAKING OF RECORDS . . .

Prentice wasn’t the only player etching his name in the NCAA record book Saturday.

Also stepping up was Nevada wide receiver Trevor Insley, who became the NCAA career leader in receiving yardage but couldn’t prevent his team from losing to Idaho, 42-33.

Insley, a senior from San Clemente, caught 14 passes for 254 yards, increasing his career total to 4,660. Twelve of his catches came in the second half after suffering a mild concussion in the second quarter.

Insley has 113 catches for 1,715 yards this season, both national bests. He broke the NCAA career record of 4,518 receiving yards, set by Wyoming’s Marcus Harris from 1993-96.

With 19 more receptions, Insley will surpass the Division I-A record of 295 set by former Nevada receiver Geoff Noisy. If Insley can get 25 more catches, he will break the all-divisions record of 301, set by Jerry Rice, who played at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84.

WHERE’S HIS HYPE?

After what Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne did against Purdue on Saturday, many have conceded the Heisman Trophy race to the burly Badger.

So where does Thomas Jones of Virginia fit into all of this?

Apparently not in the middle of things, although that’s perfectly OK with him at this point.

Even though Jones entered Saturday’s game as the nation’s leading rusher with an average of more than 159 yards per game, he long ago gave up on joining the Heisman chase.

In a season when the tailback’s candidacy has been sabotaged by an average team record--4-4 before Saturday--Jones has been praised heartily by Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden and broadcaster Mike Gottfried, and has kept working hard.

Perhaps he earned a bit of redemption Saturday after Virginia stunned No. 7 Georgia Tech, 45-38.

All Jones did was rush for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries.

“The only motivation I have is to win,” Jones said this week. “As far as the Heisman goes, honestly at this point, it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve gone out every week and I think I’ve put up pretty decent numbers, but as far as getting recognition and things like that for the Heisman, I haven’t gotten much. I want to get this win first and foremost.”

Jones earned his undergraduate degree in psychology at Virginia in three years and has never missed so much as a practice with the Cavaliers. His start Saturday was his school-record 32nd in a row.

In No. 31, he rushed for 164 yards against top-ranked Florida State, the most against the Seminoles in two years, overtook Tiki Barber as the Cavaliers’ career rushing leader on a 71-yard jaunt and prompted Bowden to call him the best running back in the nation.

Virginia Coach George Welsh has been telling people the same thing all year, saying no one playing today compares favorably to his tailback.

“I think he’s as good at his position as anybody in the country,” Welsh said.

And who can argue?

GIVING THE SHIRT OFF HER BACK

And getting one in return.

It was a strange and wonderful day for Alabama Birmingham defensive back Rodregis Brooks, who went from the horror of a neck injury early in the game against No. 18 East Carolina to later scoring on a 91-yard interception return to help the Blazers to a 36-17 upset.

Brooks, who leads the nation with eight interceptions, was carried off the field on a stretcher in the first half as a precaution after suffering an apparent neck injury in the second quarter. But doctors cleared him to play after X-rays showed he wasn’t badly hurt.

“It was kind of scary,” said Brooks, who was injured making a tackle. “At first it did not bother me. Then the pain started shooting down my left arm and body.”

There was another problem: Trainers had to cut away Brooks’ jersey to examine him, and the team didn’t have a spare. So Brooks returned to play wearing last season’s jersey, borrowing it from his mother who had worn it to the game.

“I was proud to have a shirt to give to my son,” said Cathey Brooks.

There was no word if Mrs. Brooks needed to do some borrowing of her own.

GLAD TO BE BACK

Senior defensive back David Byrd wasn’t about to miss his final home game for the Syracuse Orangemen.

Six days after he was repeatedly stabbed during a melee in front of a city bar, Byrd made an emotional appearance in the Carrier Dome before the Orangemen played Temple.

After Syracuse’s 27-10 victory, Syracuse Coach Paul Pasqualoni read a statement from Byrd:

“It felt good to grab my jersey and walk out and see all my teammates, fans and friends that have supported me when I needed them the most. I was able to get here at kickoff and let everyone know that I was OK, and that I was pulling for them as they had been pulling for me all week. The emotion I felt walking onto the field, with my name being called for the last time, was unbelievable.”

Byrd, 21, from Schenectady, N.Y., underwent several hours of surgery after being stabbed five times early last Sunday. Junior defensive end Duke Pettijohn, 22, and sophomore reserve lineman Giovanni DeLoatch, 20, also were wounded. All three were at the game.

Byrd returned to University Hospital after his brief appearance. Pasqualoni said he expected Byrd to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.

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Touchdown Travis

Miami of Ohio’s Travis Prentice overtook Ricky Williams as the NCAA Division I-A career touchdown leader:

76 x-Travis Prentice, Miami, Ohio (1996-99)

75 Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-98)

69 x-Ron Dayne, Wisconsin (1996-99)

65 Anthony Thompson, Indiana (1986-89)

62 Marshall Faulk, San Diego St. (1991-93)

59 Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh (1973-76)

59 Glenn Davis, Army (1943-46)

57 Troy Edwards, Louisiana Tech (1995-98)