Aztecs assistant Jeff Horton coached NCAA’s top 2 career rushing leaders
As an assistant coach at Wisconsin in 1999, Jeff Horton had a firsthand look at Ron Dayne when the big running back became the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher.
As San Diego State’s offensive coordinator, Horton hopes to help diminutive back Donnel Pumphrey break Dayne’s record in Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl against Houston at Sam Boyd Stadium.
“It’s real important. You don’t get close to those kind of things,” Horton said Wednesday after practice at UNLV, where he was head coach from 1994 to 1998. “I’m very fortunate. I’m glad (Pumphrey’s) in our program. He’s an unbelievable athlete and a great player.
“In our minds, he’s the best player in the country.”
Horton joked about the size difference between Pumphrey and Dayne before comparing their running styles.
“Two Pumps would equal one Dayne,” he said. “Ronny was about 265 (pounds), where Pump is about 160. That’s not far off.
“They’re both great competitors. They have different styles. Ronnie’s a bigger guy, obviously, but he was really light on his feet and had good instincts and good quicks. Donnel can make people miss. He has great lateral quickness and bursts and really knows how to set defenders up when he’s running. He’s better in those ways.”
Pumphrey, a Canyon Springs High product who has rushed for 2,018 yards this season, needs 108 rushing yards to break Dayne’s official NCAA career mark of 6,397 yards.
Horton said he hasn’t spoken with Dayne recently but plans to reach out to him this week.
“I need to try to call him before the game and get him on with Pump,” he said.
HIGH ROLLER HAUCK
Aztecs special teams coordinator Bobby Hauck stepped foot on the field at Rebel Park for practice Wednesday morning for the first time since he left UNLV in 2014 after five seasons as head coach.
“It’s fun to be out there. It was great. A bunch of the staff from here came out to say hi, and it’s good to see old friends and hug them up,” he said. “It’s fun to be back in Vegas, certainly.”
Hauck said he was looking forward to taking part in some of the bowl game’s ancillary events and plans on riding the High Roller at The Linq on Thursday.
“Absolutely. I haven’t been on it. That’ll be good,” he said. “When you live here, you don’t necessarily act like a tourist. It’s kind of fun to come in as a guest.”
GHOST OF BOWLS PAST
Horton was an assistant for UNR in the first Las Vegas Bowl in 1992, and coached UNLV to a 52-24 win over Central Michigan in the third bowl game here in 1994.
“The first, third and now 25th. That’s why I’ve got gray hair. That’s why I’ve got my hat on,” he said. “A long time.”
Horton, 59, said the game has really grown over the years: “I think we got one pullover back then. That was our bowl gift. Now you need a suitcase to carry everything out of there.”
A PENNY SAVED
Aztecs backup running back Rashaad Penny is 5 rushing yards shy of 1,000. If the junior reaches the milestone, San Diego State will become the first team to produce a 2,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard rusher in the same season.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
