Boston College Football: 2000 Things To Know About Andre Williams

Oct 5, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles running back Andre Williams (44) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Army Black Knights at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Can you imagine that guy screaming in at you full speed? I’ve seen it live: fun to watch, but devastating to experience (I’m assuming; I’ve never been stiff-armed to the dirt by Andre). These next couple of things to know are really things to see. Because, well, Andre Williams is a beast on the football field. 

21. Ho hum. The second game of the year against Wake Forest, Andre had his first of 5 games with at least 200 rushing yards (he finished the game with 202). Here are the game highlights, which are resplendent with moments of Andre being Andre.

22. Then after losing to USC in Andre’s worst game of the season (17 carries for 38 yards… I’m sorry to have to sprinkle this sadness into Andre’s magnum opus) BC flexed its muscles, giving Florida State a run for their money. Dre ran for 149 and a TD that game. The beast came out a number of times during the losing effort, but none more Andre 2000-esque than this one.

23. Andre then set a BC record the next week with 5 touchdowns against Army. He ran for 263 yards, one yard shy of breaking Montel Harris’ BC record. Looks like that record will stand for Harris forever (I’m lying). Here is the game highlight: aka an Andre highlight reel. Jump to the 41 second mark if you don’t want to listen to the annoying commentators at the beginning.

24. Then, on October 12, BC traveled down to the Clemson Death Valley to play one of the best teams in the country. Andre had a tough day going 20 carriers for only 70 yards; but he did do this. Absolutely embarrassed #27 for Clemson. Unfortunately Tahj Boyd and company got the last laugh after a number of late mistakes by BC. But this is about Andre.

25. In another tough loss for BC (but they haven’t lost since then) Andre ran for 172 against UNC. I have no clips for you from that game.

26. The following week the Eagles stunned Virginia Tech behind a casual 166 yards on 33 carries for Williams. The thing to know about Andre after this one is not that BC won, or that he absolutely dominated, but his kind, genuine, and soft spoken nature. He calls himself a killer on the field, but in the locker room and the community he is the nicest guy around. Witness that here with his interview following the Tech game.

27. Starting November 9th in New Mexico against New Mexico State, Andre has been on a tear. He is averaging 299 yards the last three games, including his 295 which set the BC single game rushing record against NM State. Andre put the team on his back late in this game, with two touchdown runs of 80-yards and of 48-yards in the fourth quarter. It is really this and the next two games that have put Andre Williams in position to be a Heisman finalist.

28. Andre obliterated NC State. NC State’s head coach said that they schemed all week to stop one person: Andre Williams. They were confident of shutting down the one-dimensional attack of the Eagles.

Yea that didn’t happen. On 42 carries Williams ran for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns. That 339 is the ACC single game record. It also shattered the BC single game record set… By Williams just two weeks earlier. Here is Andre in all his glory against NC State. Also, if you just want a taste instead of the whole dinner platter (I don’t know why you would but I’m obliging) here is a shorter clip of Andre punishing a poor NC State defender on a play in the game.

29. In the game against NC State, Andre also became the single-season rushing leader for both Boston College and the ACC.

30. Against Maryland just a few days ago, Andre again ran for a casual 263 yards and two touchdowns helping BC to an improbable come from behind win on the Terps’ senior day. Early in the game Andre stiff armed a Maryland defender into next month. That run got the team amped and set the tone for one hell of a football game.

31. On his 72-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter against Maryland, Andre broke the 2,000 yard rushing mark for the season. He is now one of just 15 players in FBS history to do so, and he still has 2 games (yes, BC is certain to go bowling) to add to that total.

32. Right now he is 11th on the single season list, behind the likes of: Barry Sanders Oklahoma State (1988): 2,628; Kevin Smith UCF (2007): 2,567; Marcus Allen USC (1981): 2,342; Troy Davis Iowa State (1996): 2,185; Ladainian Tomlinson TCU (2000): 2,158; Mike Rozier Nebraska (1983): 2,148; Matt Forte Tulane (2007): 2,127; Ricky Williams Texas (1998): 2,124; Larry Johnson Penn State (2002): 2,087; and Byron Hanspard Texas Tech (1996): 2,084.

33. If Andre rushes his per-game average (188.4 yards) against Syracuse this week, he will stand at 4th all-time behind only Barry Sanders, Kevin Smith, and Marcus Allen. That is elite company. And he would still, in theory, have one more game to play to pad those numbers. I can only pray for a team that has to defend Andre after a month of game prep and time to get healthy.

34. Clinton Portis, a second round pick out of the University of Miami and an 8-year veteran of the NFL, thinks Andre Williams is a better running back this year than he was. Of course, being Clinton Portis, he adds some caveats. But in the end one of the better college running backs in recent decades has given the stamp of approval to Williams. It’s fun to watch Portis talk through his logic too.