See Ray run for a school record. Check. See Ray run for a bowl victory. Check. See Ray run for a Heisman Trophy? Not yet, although the Rutgers junior running back is making his case.

This year, Ray Rice has rushed for 431 yards and 8 touchdowns in three games. In a victory over Navy earlier this month, Rice rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns, eclipsing the school’s career rushing record of 3,114 yards set by Terrell Willis, in 1995.

To promote Rice's Heisman campaign, Rutgers created SeeRayRun.com, a Web site filled with Rice’s highlights and accomplishments. Not that they haven't been noticed — Rice gained national recognition as a preseason Consensus All-American, a Consensus First-Team All-BIG EAST, and a 2006 finalist for the Maxwell award, given to the top college football player in the country.

“Ray is a tremendous football player,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. “He's a great young man, he's an unselfish guy — a team guy.”

This story continues below
Advertisement

As a freshman in 2005, Rice rushed for 1,120 yards as Rutgers played in its first bowl game in 27 years, as he was named Freshman All-American by the Sporting News.

In 2006, Rice rushed for a Big East record 1,794 yards and led Rutgers to a an 11-2 record, including the first bowl win in Rutgers history, a 37-10 Texas Bowl victory over Kansas State.

Rutgers contended for the Big East title and berth in a Bowl Championship Series game until the game of the regular season, when it lost to West Virginia in overtime.

“He's a very strong runner,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. “He has good vision and good acceleration. He breaks a lot of tackles.”

This afternoon at 3:30 in front of a capacity crowd at Rutgers Stadium and a national television audience, Friedgen will see just how strong Rice is when he faces a Maryland defense that ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total yards (298.3). However, the Terrapins have struggled recently against the run. The last two weeks against West Virginia and Wake Forest, Maryland has surrendered 531 yards on the ground.

Rice is part of a talented Rutgers offense that features one of the best offensive lines in the nation — they have not allowed a sack in 2007; the highest-rated quarterback in the country, junior Mike Teel; and a pair of talented receivers, Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt, who have 31 receptions and six touchdowns this year.

Rutgers hopes to see Ray run to a victory today against Maryland so they can enter conference play with an undefeated 4-0 record.

“What you see on TV, and on tape,” Schiano said of Rice, “speaks for itself.”