University of Tennessee Athletics
Foster Rushing Into Tennessee History
November 23, 2007 | Football
Eleven yards.
That's all Arian Foster needs to gain on the ground in Tennessee's remaining two-possibly three-games to become just the 13th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
If the San Diego, Calif., native can gain those yards, he will join a club that includes the likes of Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, James Stewart, Charlie Garner and Johnnie Jones, who is the only Volunteer ever to reach the 1,000-yard threshold twice.??
"I know that the 1,000-yard mark is something a lot of people talk about," Foster said.?? "But to me, its about doing my job to help the team. If 600 yards was enough for us to be successful this season, then that would have been fine with me. If I get to 1,000 and we don't accomplish our goals, then it's not the same."
Foster's 2007 campaign has the signature of back who isn't in it for himself. He has just four games with at least 100 yards rushing, but has four more games with at least 80 yards on the ground. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has scored 12 rushing touchdowns, more than one quarter of Tennessee's total offensive touchdowns through 11 games.
His longest carry of the season was a 59-yard touchdown scamper against Arkansas, but only 24 of his 181 carries have been for more than 10 yards, and only 12 of those 24 have gone for more than 15 yards. He has failed to reach the line of scrimmage on just nine carries.
To say that he is not a game-breaking back is an understatement. He pounds defenses, methodically wearing them down, never letting the first defender make the tackle.
"At that position, you do have to be a tough guy," running backs coach Kurt Roper said. "He takes a beating on every carry, and then a tremendous amount is asked of him in pass protection. It's a physical test for him every Saturday, and he has pushed through and stayed sharp every day."
The 1,000-yard mark would be a triumph for Foster, who split time last season with Montario Hardesty and LaMarcus Coker, gaining only 322 yards on 91 carries. Foster became the feature back midway through the 2005 season - after an injury to Gerald Riggs Jr. - and gained 879 yards on 183 carries.
There was also the fumble. Foster's last memory of the 2006 season was his fourth-quarter fumble that resulted in Penn State's winning score in the Outback Bowl. That should have been something he struggled to overcome.
"I'm over it," Foster said. "I turned it into motivation. It motivated my workouts and my work ethic at everything I did during the offseason. It fired me up more than anything, and I have used that fire to my advantage this season."
This season, Foster set himself apart with his consistency doing the little things, something Roper feels started shortly after the loss to Penn State in the Outback Bowl.??
"I think there was a mindset within him last offseason," Roper said. "How he trained, how he prepared and how he worked all changed. He became consistently good at every part of his job out there on the field, and I think you see it show up on Saturdays."
The future looks bright for Foster as well. His senior season could be characterized by an assault on Tennessee's career rushing record. He currently stands just 888 yards from Travis Henry's record of 3,078.
If he stays healthy, he could play as few as 14 more games in his college career or as many as 17. The math says Foster would need to average 63.5 yards per game in the minimum 14 games and just 52.3 yards per game in the maximum 17 to break Henry's record.
"It would be an honor," Foster said. "There are a lot of great backs that have come through here; just to be among them would be great. It's always good to have personal goals, and that will be one of mine next year, but you have to take things one game a time."
The next game for Foster is Saturday at Kentucky. A solid performance in that contest goes a long way in helping the Vols earn a shot at an SEC Championship this season.
Nonetheless, hard work, perseverance and a tough mental resolve have put Foster in a position to become one the best running backs in Tennessee's storied football history.??
There is still football to be played this season, and its way too early to think about what next season may bring for the Volunteers.?? But for Foster, it all starts with 11 more yards.
