DRC: Cobbs sets school record, effort spoiled by

OldTimer · September 25, 2005

Football: Cobbs sets school record, but effort spoiled by loss

09:29 AM CDT on Sunday, September 25, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Saturday’s game against Kansas State was not the way North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs hoped to grab his own little piece of Mean Green football history.

Patrick Cobbs

Not on the road in front of a stadium full of screaming Wildcats fans.

Not in a 54-7 loss.

And certainly not on a night when KSU held him in check.

Cobbs rushed for just 34 yards against the Wildcats, which proved to be just enough to push him past Ja’Quay Wilburn to the top of the Mean Green’s career rushing list with 3,133 yards.

Wilburn rushed for 3,120 yards in a career that spanned from 1997-2000.

Cobbs moved past Wilburn on a 19-yard run late in the first half and now has 3,133 career rushing yards.

“I guess I got it, but it could have come at a better time,” Cobbs said. “The scoreboard indicates how good a game we had. I got the record, but we need to win some games.”

Cobbs has helped UNT win more than his share during his tenure that began in the 2001 season, when the Mean Green won the first of their four straight Sun Belt Conference titles.

He has been one of the Mean Green’s few consistent offensive threats this season. He rushed for 100 yards in each of the Mean Green’s first two games to set up his run at the record against KSU.

The Wildcats made sure that Cobbs didn’t add a third 100-yard game on his way to the record book.

“It was one of those games where we needed to find out how well we are against the run,” KSU linebacker Maurice Mack said. “We shut them down. All the credit in the world to North Texas; they’re a good team. Today we were just clicking on all cylinders.”

Cobbs started, but shared time with sophomore Jamario Thomas, who led the team with 62 yards rushing. All of Thomas’ yards came in the fourth quarter after he lost three yards on four carries in the first three periods.

Cobbs faced the brunt of KSU’s defensive surge in the first three quarters, when he posted all 12 of his carries.

The outcome was particularly frustrating for both of UNT’s running backs. Cobbs won the national rushing title in 2003 with an average of 152.7 yards a game. A knee injury in the second game of the 2004 season forced Cobbs to turn his starting job over to Thomas.

Cobbs elected to spend the year as a redshirt and help coach Thomas, who responded by winning UNT’s second straight national rushing title with an average of 180.1 yards a game.

Cobbs is back at full strength this season, but has yet to find the success he enjoyed two years ago. UNT’s offensive line is struggling with a new mix of players and the Mean Green’s new starting quarterback, Daniel Meager, is struggling to make opponents pay for focusing on stopping the Mean Green’s running game.

Those factors added up to a disappointing day for Cobbs.

“It was a bitter way to get the record,” Cobbs said. “Our line has not jelled yet. But we can’t blame our passing game. We just have to capitalize on the opportunities we get.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.