Sophomore Jump

Sporting News, The, Oct 30, 2000

On the heels of five straight 100-yard games, Saints running back Ricky Williams has rushed for 772 yards overall and is now on pace to rush for 1,765 yards this season. While Williams' newfound production (he also has seven touchdowns) comes a year too late to help former coach Mike Ditka, the former Heisman winner does have a shot to join a rather exclusive club: players who doubled their rushing output from their rookie seasons to their sophomore seasons.

Williams, who rushed for 884 yards a year ago, needs 997 yards in the Saints' final nine games to double his 1999 output. Although that sounds like a lot, it is merely a continuation of his current 111-yard pace. Among players who finished their careers with 5,000 or more rushing yards and ran for at least 1,000 yards in their second year, only six have achieved the doubling feat:

                                      Rookie-season   Second-year
Player, team, years                       yards          yards

Jim Nance, Patriots, 1965-66               321          1,458(*)
Walter Payton, Bears, 1975-76              679          1,390
Wilbert Montgomery, Eagles, 1977-78        183          1,220
Earnest Byner, Browns, 1984-85             426          1,002
Rodney Hampton, Giants, 1990-91            455          1,059
Terry Allen, Vikings, 1991-92              563          1,201

(*) Led league

SUNDAY'S GAMES

TITANS 14, RAVENS 6

Tennessee   0   7   7   0   14
Baltimore   3   3   0   0    6

First Quarter Bal.--FG, Stover 21, 9:56.

Second Quarter Bal.--FG, Stover 38, 4:16. Ten.--Thomas 9 pass from McNair (Del Greco kick), 14:16.

Third Quarter Ten.--Godfrey 24 interception return (Del Greco kick), 1:38.

A--69,200

                         Ten.       Bal.

First Downs              7        24
Rushes-Yards            26-90     29-113
Passing                101        255
Punt Returns             2-37       3-11
Kickoff Returns          3-57       3-75
Interception Returns     4-27       1-19
Comp-Att-Int            11-21-1    25-46-4
Sacked-Yards Lost        0-0        5-35
Punts                    7-46       5-37
Fumbles-Lost             2-1        7-0
Penalties-Yards          4-20       8-52
Time of Possession      23:59      36:01

RUSHING-- Tennessee, Thomas 18-53, McNair 7-33, E. George 1-4. Baltimore, Ja. Lewis 17-58, Holmes 6-30, Banks 4-13, Differ 2-12. PASSING-- Tennessee, McNair 11-21-1-101. Baltimore, Banks 17-32-3-229, Differ 7-13-1-58, J. Lewis 1-1-0-3. RECEIVING-- Tennessee, Sanders 3-60, Thomas 3-13, Mason 2-17, Wycheck 2-5, Thigpen 1-6. Baltimore, Sharpe 8-104, Ismail 4-76, Taylor 3-25, J. Lewis 3-18, Holmes 3-5, Ja. Lewis 2-36, Coates 1-22, Johnson 1-4. MISSED FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS-- None. INTERCEPTIONS-- Tennessee, Godfrey 2-25, Booker 1-2, Sidney 1-0. Baltimore, Herring 1-19. KICKOFF RETURNS-- Tennessee, Mason 3-57. Baltimore, Harris 3-75. PUNT RETURNS-- Tennessee, Mason 2-37. Baltimore, J. Lewis 3-11. SACKS-- Tennessee, Holmes 2, Bishop 1, Fisk 1, Kearse 1.

PANTHERS 34, 49ERS 16

San Francisco   0   13   3   0   16
Carolina        7   17   7   3   34

First Quarter Car.--Byrd 3 pass from Beuerlein (Nedney kick), 7:33.

Second Quarter S.F.--Owens 32 pass from Garcia (kick failed), :08. Car.--Biakabutuka 2 pass from Beuerlein (Nedney kick), 6:09. Car.--Minter 30 interception return (Nedney kick), 6:28. S.F.--Rice 16 pass from Garcia (Richey kick), 9:19. Car.--FG, Nedney 30, 13:56.

Third Quarter Car.--Biakabutuka 8 pass from Beuerlein (Nedney kick), 2:44. S.F--FG, Richey 38, 9:41.

Fourth Quarter Car.--FG, Nedney 38, 6:29

A--73,169

                         S.F.       Car.

First Downs             20         26
Rushes-Yards            18-128     25-98
Passing                283        292
Punt Returns             0-0        1-13
Kickoff Returns          5-77       1-19
Interception Returns     0-0        1-30
Comp-Att-Int            25-39-1    28-44-0
Sacked-Yards Lost        3-24       3-17
Punts                    1-37       2-42
Fumbles-Lost             3-1        0-0
Penalties-Yards         13-82       6-63
Time of Possession      26:23      33:37

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--San Francisco, Garner 10-87, Beasley 3-7, Smith 2-20, Garcia 2-12, Owens 1-2. Carolina, Biakabutuka 19-85, Beuerlein 2-3, Floyd 2-2, Hetherington 1-4, Hoover 1-4. PASSING-- San Francisco, Garcia 25-39-1-307. Carolina, Beuerlein 28-44-0-309. RECEIVING-- San Francisco, Garner 7-112, Owens 6-96, Beasley 4-32, Rice 3-35, Clark 2-14, Swift 1-8, Streets 1-6, Stokes 1-4. Carolina, Muhammad 9-127, Hayes 6-90, Biakabutuka 6-42, Walls 3-22, Byrd 2-24, Floyd 1-2, Mangum 1-2. MISSED FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS-- None. INTERCEPTIONS-- Carolina, Minter 1-30. KICKOFF RETURNS-- San Francisco, Smith 5-77. Carolina, Byrd 1-19. PUNT RETURNS-- Carolina, Uwaezuoke 1-13. SACKS-- San Francisco, Ulmer 1, Killings 1, Pleasant 1. Carolina, Rucker 1, White 1, Peter 1.

COWBOYS 481 CARDINALS 7

Arizona    0    0    0   7    7
Dallas    14   13   14   7   48

First Quarter Dal.--Smith 1 run (Seder kick), 11:34. Dal.---McGarity 59 punt return (Seder kick), 13:59.

Second Quarter Bal.--Warren 32 run (Seder kick), 4:08. Dal.--FG, Seder 32, 13:30. Dal.--FG, Seder 23, 15:00.