This date in Texas history: En route to a Heisman Trophy, Ricky Williams runs over Rice

This date in Texas history is part of a daily Longhorns newsletter put together by Texas football beat writer Danny Davis . For this and more phenomenal American-Statesman coverage delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for the newsletter here .

Today is Sept. 26, 2024. And on this date in Texas history, Ricky Williams had a historic performance against the Rice Owls .

As Texas improved to 2-2 during the 1998 season with a 59-21 win, Williams rushed the football 30 times. Those 30 carries led to 318 yards and six touchdowns.

With that performance, Williams joined Roosevelt Leaks as the only Longhorns to rush for 300 yards in a single game. Leaks ran for 342 yards against SMU in 1973. Two more Longhorns − Williams again later in the 1998 season and D'Onta Foreman in 2016 − have reached that 300-yard rushing mark.

Williams, who eventually won the 1998 Heisman Trophy, also tied a school record with those six touchdowns. The Longhorn he tied? Himself. To open the 1998 season, Williams scored six times against New Mexico State.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: This date in Texas history: En route to a Heisman Trophy, Ricky Williams runs over Rice