Donnel Pumphrey realizes dream, breaks NCAA career rushing record
Basking in the afterglow of becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher in Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl, San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey had a hard time distinguishing fantasy from reality.
After the pint-sized Canyon Springs High product broke Ron Dayne’s career rushing record on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter of the Aztecs’ 34-10 win over Houston, he was overcome with emotion as he was mobbed by his teammates on the sideline. It was exactly as Pumphrey said he had envisioned it the night before.
“I pictured it (Friday) night. I feel like I had a dream about it,” he said. “Just to get that love from my guys, that really shows how close our team is.”
Pumphrey was then asked to expound on his dream.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t even think I had a dream. I just made that up,” he said, breaking up a room full of reporters in his postgame news conference at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Breaking Dayne’s mark of 6,397 yards was a surreal experience for Pumphrey, who overcame a slow start to rush for 115 yards against the Cougars and finish his career with 6,405 yards rushing.
Pumphrey, who entered needing 108 yards to break the record, was held to minus-1 yard on seven carries in the first quarter.
But he broke outside for a 30-yard run in the second quarter and had 58 yards at halftime.
“It definitely wasn’t easy. They didn’t want me to break it against them,” he said of Houston, which entered with the nation’s third-ranked rushing defense (97.9 ypg). “The first quarter, they came out with more intensity than we did. Our offensive line accepted the challenge.
“We saw they were clogging the box and blitzing inside, so we were able to get to the edge.”
Pumphrey, who earned game Most Valuable Player honors, made a one-handed, 26-yard catch on the sideline before exploding for a 32-yard touchdown run on the next play with 3:14 left in the third quarter to put the Aztecs ahead for good at 13-10. He savored the score, slowly strutting into the end zone as he pushed his rushing total to 97 yards.
“It was just an exciting run,” he said. “It was a a run to the left side, and I saw a hole to the right side. I was able to break one tackle, and from that point on, it was green from there.
“That’s the best part of celebrating. Celebrating with your teammates.”
He broke the record on the Aztecs’ next play from scrimmage, breaking outside 15 yards on a sweep with 12:33 to play.
“I hear all the fans chanting and all my teammates, they’re pumping me up,” he said. “From that point on, I was trying to hit the outside. I thought I was gone, but the guy had a good angle.”
He left the game on the next play to celebrate on the sideline.
“We’re just as fired up as he is,” said linebacker Calvin Munson, Pumphrey’s roommate, who had one of San Diego State’s four interceptions and one of its seven sacks. “He’s a big-time competitor. All of our defensive guys hate him in practice just because he’s good.
“But he gets us better. We’re all super excited about it.”
In addition to passing Dayne, Pumphrey passed Texas’ D’Onta Foreman as the nation’s leading rusher this season with 2,133 yards — the 10th-best single-season total in NCAA FBS history.
He also passed T.Y. Hilton (Florida International) for fifth place in NCAA history with 7,515 all-purpose yards and tied Cedric Benson (Texas) for ninth all time in total touchdowns with 67.
Pumphrey was grateful to be able to close out his college career back home in Las Vegas.
“To experience all this with my teammates, family and friends, it’s amazing. This is where it all started,” he said. “To be able to end my college career here, it’s amazing.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
