Andre Williams put the 2,000-yard mark in the crosshairs after a 339-yard performance that brought his name into the Heisman Trophy discussion as a dark horse. Williams entered Saturday needing just 190 yards in his final two games to be the first player since 2008 to join that exclusive club.
| NCAA: Most Rushing Yards in Season | ||
| Player, Team | Yards | Year |
| Barry Sanders, Oklahoma St. | 2,628 | 1988 |
| Kevin Smith, UCF | 2,567 | 2007 |
| Marcus Allen, USC | 2,342 | 1981 |
| Troy Davis, Iowa St. | 2,185 | 1996 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU | 2,158 | 2000 |
| Mike Rozier, Nebraska | 2,148 | 1983 |
| Matt Forte, Tulane | 2,127 | 2007 |
| Ricky Williams, Texas | 2,124 | 1998 |
| Larry Johnson, Penn St. | 2,087 | 2002 |
| Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech | 2,084 | 1996 |
| Donald Brown, Connecticut | 2,083 | 2008 |
| Andre Williams, Boston College | 2,073 | 2013 |
| Rashaan Salaam, Colorado | 2,055 | 1994 |
Williams, entering Saturday as the nation's leading rusher, became the 16th player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season against Maryland on Saturday. His 263-yard performance was the third straight game above 200 yards and, most importantly, resulted in the fourth straight win for Boston College.
The Eagles actually trailed 24-13 in the fourth quarter before Williams ran 72 yards for a touchdown, then his 36 yard run on the game's final drive set up a game-winning field goal from Nate Freese. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Williams' wild totals have been the timeliness as the Eagles, picked to finish dead last in the ACC Atlantic Division in the preseason, continue this impressive turnaround.
The Eagles are now 7-4 in Steve Addazio's first season since taking over for Frank Spaziani. After the game, the ever-humble Williams wanted to talk more about the team's success than his own individual accomplishments.
Andre Williams: my goal this year was to win. Accomplishments are a derivative of success. Our success is winning these games. #andre2000
— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) November 24, 2013 Now that the 2,000-yard mark has been surpassed, where will Williams finish on the all-time list for single-season rushing total? If he rushes his average next week against Syracuse (188.4 yards per game), Williams will finish in the Top 5 behind Barry Sanders, Kevin Smith and Marcus Allen.
Also, with Johnny Manziel and Marcus Mariota likely slipping from contention in the Heisman Trophy race, is there enough time for #Andre2000 to make his way onto ballots? Voters will receive their ballots soon and have two weeks to fill out a first, second and third choice. If Williams continues this late season tear against the Orange in Week 14, he could at least end up making the cut for New York.