Simonton Rushes Into PAC-10 Record Books
October 28, 2000 | Football
Oct. 28, 2000
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State's Ken Simonton rushed for 169 yards Saturday night, becoming the first running back in Pacific-10 history to gain at least 1,000 as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Simonton, who had touchdown runs of 2 and 5 yards in the Beavers' 38-9 victory over Washington State, has rushed for 1,163 yards this season.
Simonton went past 1,000 on a career-long 53-yard run on his second carry early in the first quarter. The run, which set up a field goal, broke Simonton's previous career best of 49 yards, against Stanford in his freshman year.
The 5-foot-8, 194-pound tailback has 3,677 career yards in just 31 games. He began the season 42nd on the Pac-10 career list, but has moved into the top 10. He moved past Washington State's Rueben Mayes, who had 3,519 yards from 1982-85, and is just 12 yards short of No. 9 Ricky Bell, who had 3,689 yards at Southern California from 1973-76.
Only five other players have recorded three 1,000-yard seasons in the Pac-10: Washington's Napoleon Kaufman (1992-94), Cal's Russell White (1990-92), Stanford's Darrin Nelson (1977-78, '81), and USC's Charles White (1977-79) and Anthony Davis (1972-74).
Nelson is the only other player besides Simonton to gain at least 1,000 as a freshman.
