'Big old puppy dog' Dayne throws his weight around in pursuit of Big Ten title

Driving up Interstate 90 into Wisconsin, you would notice the usual farmland, cowfolk, giant signs that scream "cheese."

As you approach Madison, however, the signs change. They say "Now entering Dane County."

So to get to Wisconsin, you have to go through Dane.

Also, to beat Wisconsin, you have to go through Dayne - Ron Dayne, that is.

The Badgers' behemoth running back is a pure marvel of physiology. At 5-foot-10 and listed at 258 pounds, Dayne is just about the size of a small county. Well, at least the size of the average defensive lineman.

But most defensive linemen aren't able to run the ball with any degree of success, which is what makes Dayne different. He's gigantic and athletic.

"He's just a big old puppy dog," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. "He will light up a room."

For the record, there has never been a puppy dog that weighs 258 pounds. Dayne has been able to light up opponents, however. This season, the Wisconsin tank has rumbled to 1,131 yards on 229 carries, good enough for a 4.9 yards per carry.

He has also scored 11 touchdowns and is averaging 141.4 yards per game.

Despite his success in shouldering the load for the Badgers through this undefeated season, Dayne has shied away from notoriety and publicity.

"Ron doesn't have a whole lot to say," Alvarez said. "He's very unassuming."

How can someone so large be unassuming? Well, if you've seen the offensive line in front of Dayne, you know the answer.

Senior lineman Aaron Gibson, already considered a shoe-in for the Outland Trophy, tips the scales at a lean, mean 6-7, 368 pounds. Fellow trenchman Chris McIntosh is no slouch, either, listed at 6-7, 310 pounds. Bill Ferrario (295 pounds) and Dave Costa (285) toss around their weight, as well.

Behind those gargantuan lineman, Dayne has not only propelled himself atop the national scene this year, but his career numbers are staggering.

As a freshman, Dayne ran for an NCAA record 1,863 yards on 295 carries with four 200-yard rushing games and 50 carries in a single game. He is one of 12 players to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a season - 2,109 as a freshman in 1996, including the bowl game.

Although he was slowed down last season with a leg injury, he finished with 1,412.

"It was frustrating being injured," Dayne said. "I worked hard to recover for this season."

With his totals this season, Dayne is now third all-time on the NCAA's three-year rushing list - 4,415 yards - trailing only Herschel Walker's 5,259 and Marshall Faulk's 4,589.

"He wants to talk about the offense, not himself," Alvarez said. "He wants to deflect any publicity or press about the records he's broken. He doesn't even know he's broken a record. He's very team oriented."

No defense has stopped Wisconsin's offense this season, which means nobody has stopped Dayne. Last year, due to his leg injury, Dayne was unable to play against Michigan's top-ranked defense.

"Ron Dayne is an outstanding running back," Michigan linebacker James Hall said. "We have never had to tackle him because he didn't play against us last year. But he's never run against a Michigan defense before, either."

This season, the Wolverines have been shutting down the run, but they haven't faced someone like Dayne. Then again, there really isn't anyone like Dayne.

"We don't have anybody who can simulate Ron Dayne," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "We've talked about it but Ron Dayne is not an ordinary kind of guy. Even if we had a guy (who could act as Dayne), I wouldn't want him to hurt our guys."

Carr will just have to wait until Saturday for the hurt - Dayne will make sure of that.

11-12-98