Dayne Goes for the Record Against Porous Hawkeyes

As Wisconsin tailback Ron Dayne stands 99 yards from the major college career rushing record, he says it’s the little, hard-fought gains that stand out most in his mind.

“I don’t really remember this run or that run,” Dayne said. “I just try to put the same effort into every single time I touch the ball. That’s what I remember.”

The No. 9 Badgers play host to Iowa today, when the nation’s fifth-best rushing offense will face the 109th-best rushing defense.

Dayne is 99 yards from surpassing Ricky Williams’ record--an achievement he owes not only to talent and grit but longevity. He has remained at Wisconsin four seasons to have this shot at the record.

“It seems like Ron always runs the hardest when we need him to the most,” Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez said.

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Woody Widenhofer and Vanderbilt agreed to a four-year contract extension to keep him as coach through the 2005 season, the school announced Friday. Terms of the deal weren’t revealed.

Vanderbilt, 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Southeastern Conference, plays host to Kentucky today, seeking its first winning season since 1982. Widenhofer, 56, took over as coach in 1997 after two years as defensive coordinator under Rod Dowhower.

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Through the good times and bad at Arizona State, cornerback Courtney Jackson could always count on one thing: a victory over Stanford.

Jackson and the Sun Devils are 3-0 against Stanford going into today’s game at Tempe.

“The last couple of years, our offense has really been more physical than their defense, and they were a lot younger,” Jackson said. “This year they have a lot of seniors. They’re a lot more mature. They’ve been through the struggles and been knocked on the head, but I think it’s going to be the same thing, if we can go out and be physical with them.”

Last year’s game, won by Arizona State, 44-38, in overtime, featured two teams headed nowhere. This one means something. The winner gets its sixth victory to qualify for a bowl game and will still be alive in the Rose Bowl race.

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Oregon defensive back and return man Michael Fletcher apparently will rejoin the Ducks for today’s game against California.

Fletcher missed three days of practices after his mother died Tuesday night from liver cancer.