Got a chance to speak with former Texas State running back Claude Mathis last night. Mathis, who is now the head football coach at DeSoto High School, is at the top of the Bobcats’ record books in many regards, including career rushing (4,694 yards), rushing touchdowns (45) and single-game yardage (310 yards).
Here is what Mathis had to say about redshirt freshman Terrence Franks’ rushing performance last Saturday night, among other things. Franks rushed for 234 yards against Southeastern Louisiana.
On what it takes for a running back to have that kind of night — “You have to be in the right mentality that night, thinking that you’re going to dominate the game. It also really helps to have a strong offensive line, because without them, you’d go nowhere. When I ran for 310, I broke some really long runs, so you definitely need to hit a few big gains in there.”
On if fatigue got to him during his record-breaking night — “It didn’t, because I was so excited that we were winning the game. The next day I was kind of sore, but when I did it, winning outweighed everything.”
On how big it is for a [redshirt] freshman to have that kind of night — “It’s special. That’s the only way I can put it.”
On how long it will take for any of his records to be broken — “As much as I would love to always have those, they’re going to be broken one day. I would just want to shake the hand of the guy that breaks my single-game record, because 310 is a lot of yards.”
Note: Mathis will be inducted into the “T” Association Hall of Honor in the upcoming class.
