|
|
|
Forum Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/25/2006 8:58:37 AM
Posts: 68,
Visits: 115
|
|
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky University's all-time rushing leader isn't protective of his football record. In fact, Willie Taggart uses his mark of 3,997 yards as motivation for the man who likely will eclipse him this fall.
Lerron Moore needs only 493 yards to surpass the mark of Taggart, now the assistant head coach for the Hilltoppers. The senior tailback should be plenty motivated since Taggart has been whispering in his ear about the record since Moore was a freshman.
"From Day One I've been challenging him," Taggart said. "I always tell him every year, 'I think you'll break the record.' I've always challenged him to go get it. He's a great back. When I came in, I wasn't thinking about the record. I had a lot of guys tell me, 'You should do it. Break the record.' So I encourage him. The rushing record belongs to a running back. It's not supposed to be a quarterback."
Taggart, who starred at quarterback for Western from 1995-98, accumulated his yards while leading an option attack. Moore does it the old-fashioned way. In 33 games he has amassed 3,505 yards and scored 34 touchdowns. And with Taggart constantly motivating him, Moore will be well-aware of his progress this season.
"Coach Taggart is definitely an inspiration," said Moore, who currently ranks fifth on the school's all-time rushing list. "He wants me to get the record and just bury the record. He wants me to take it so that nobody else can have that record. It would mean that I was successful in my career here. It means I came to play every day and that I was very successful."
But can he remain healthy? Moore has battled nagging injuries the past two seasons, keeping him from matching his freshman-season marks of 1,490 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged a career-best 6.0 yards per carry last season, but a shoulder injury derailed what could have been a career year after he had compiled 759 yards and six TDs through six games.
The injury suffered against Western Illinois limited him over a three-game span and forced him to miss the 23-20 double-overtime loss to Northern Iowa. He returned in the Gateway Conference finale at Youngstown State and looked like his old self in the season-ending loss at Florida International, rushing for 181 yards and two scores. He finished the season with 1,037 yards and 10 TDs.
Moore battled hamstring problems as a sophomore but seems confident that his injury bug is behind him. He praised Brad Ohrt, the team's strength and conditioning coach.
"He's done a tremendous job of coming in and getting us ready conditioningwise," Moore said. "I really don't see any problems for this year. Knock on wood. Hopefully I'll have good luck on my side."
Defenses might even see more of Moore this season.
"We'd like to be able to use him more as a weapon in the passing game," offensive coordinator T.J. Weist said of Moore, who has nine career catches.
But it's rushing yards that Western fans will be following most, starting with the season opener at Georgia on Sept. 2.
"It matters," Moore said of the record. "I would be lying if I said it didn't. That's a huge accomplishment. But like I said, if I got 1 yard and we got a national championship, that would be a great season-ending, career-ending thing for me. Coach Taggart, he set the bar. For me to be able to pass him would be awesome."
Michael Grant can be reached at (502) 582-4069.
WESTERN'S ALL-TIME
RUSHING LEADERS
Player (years) Yds.
Willie Taggart (1995-98) 3,997
Antwan Floyd (1993-96) 3,775
Joe Arnold (1985-88) 3,570
****ie Moore (1965-68) 3,560
Lerron Moore (2003-) 3,505
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
- George Carlin
|
|
|
|