BYU football: Jamaal Williams breaks BYU all-time career rushing record

With a 9-yard run in overtime against Mississippi State, Jamaal Williams planted himself at the top of BYU’s career rushing list, breaking Harvey Unga’s record and becoming the all-time top rushing yards gainer in BYU football history.

The feat was set up by an unprecedented streak that saw Williams running roughshod over BYU opponents also at a school-record pace.

• Jamaal Williams’ historic play has BYU football running •

By running for 618 yards in games against West Virginia, Toledo and Michigan State, Wililams had already become the first BYU player to rush for more than 400 yards in a two-game stretch and more than 600 yards in a three-game stretch.

The oft-happy, energetic Williams uses a good mix of speed, vision and strength to make hay on the ground, and has looked exceptionally good this season after missing a year off the roster in 2015 and leaving the 2014 season injured after taking carries in six games.

After rushing for a promising 775 yards and 12 touchdowns as a 17-year-old freshman, Williams ran for 1,233 yards in 2013 before beginning to be hampered by injuries and personal problems.

Now, Williams can reasonably have in his sites other records. Those would include:

• Becoming the first BYU rusher to hit 4,000 career yards
• Entering the game against Mississippi State, he needed 9 rushing touchdowns to grab the school record from Luke Staley.
• The single-season rushing TD record is in play (24, Staley)
• Single-season yards (1,582, Staley)

Whatever he ends up accomplishing, it will have always been a pleasure to have watched Jamaal Williams run the rock at BYU.