McCaskill: ‘I’m here to break records’
Star freshman fueling run to AAC title game
As he celebrated on the sideline, Alton McCaskill held up a football, which had a piece of black athletic tape attached to commemorate the recordbreaking moment. On the tape read: “Most rushing touchdowns at Houston by a freshman.”
“I’m here to break records,” McCaskill said after his 14th rushing touchdown Saturday in the University of Houston’s 37-8 win at Temple.
A top-rated high school recruit at Oak Ridge, McCaskill could have played most anywhere in the country. He surprised many by staying at home, beginning a journey, he said, to leave a legacy at the University of Houston.
Through 10 games, McCaskill has totaled 15 touchdowns, including one receiving, as the featured back for UH, which has won nine in a row, has secured a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, and debuted at No. 24 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.
Along with the school’s freshman record, McCaskill’s 14 rushing touchdowns are tied for third in a single season in school history, behind only Jackie Battle (15 in 2006) and Greg Ward Jr. (21 in 2015).
With four games left, including UH’s bowl, McCaskill has a team-high 732 yards and is on pace to be the school’s first 1,000yard rusher since Ward in 2015.
“I’m here to be legendary and break records,” McCaskill said Tuesday as he addressed the media for the first time this season. “That’s kind of just been my mindset. I definitely want to put a stamp on this university with Alton McCaskill’s name on it.”
It’s hard to argue he can’t do it.
A knee injury suffered late in preseason camp slowed McCaskill in the season opener against Texas Tech, a 38-21 loss that is the Cougars’ only setback to date. The following week, McCaskill had three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) against Rice and staked his claim as the Cougars’ featured back.
McCaskill had 114 yards and two touchdowns against Grambling State, three rushing touchdowns in a road win against Tulsa, and a 25-yard scoring run — showing his ability to break free of tackles — on the first play of overtime to beat East Carolina. For the season, McCaskill's rushing total is tied for eighth, regardless of classification, in FBS.
As the wear and tear finally catches up, it’s common for a player, especially at a heavy workload position like running back, to slow down late in the season. That has not been the case for McCaskill, who has posted two of his best games in recent weeks — a combined 254 yards and five touchdowns against South Florida and Temple.
McCaskill had a careerhigh 22 rushing attempts against USF and 21 against Temple, a workload he attributes to UH’s “best in the nation” strength staff and trainers for “keeping our body strong and healthy.”
As far as teammates are concerned, McCaskill has lived up to expectations — and more. Quarterback Clayton Tune, at the urging of a recruiting staff member, watched high school highlights of McCaskill shortly after he committed to UH.
“Mainly, any offensive commitment we get, I like to look at their film and see what kind of player we’re getting,” Tune said. “Our recruiting guy came up to me and said we got this great player and go check him out. I went and looked at his film and saw how explosive he was, and sure enough, he’s doing the same thing here.”
“One of a kind,” wide receiver Cole McGowan said.
“Something special,” safety Gervarrius Owens said. “From the day he stepped on campus, you could tell he wasn’t a regular freshman. He came in ready. Every Saturday, he puts on a show.”
That show also includes an upright running style with power and explosiveness that has drawn comparisons to Eric Dickerson, a member of SMU’s famed “Pony Express” and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“At first it was a coincidence,” said McCaskill, who is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. “Since my sophomore year, that’s what recruiters were telling me. I had never realized it. I watched highlights and film to see what type of runner he was and how he slices through defenses and one cut and he doesn’t get touched. That’s how I like to score touchdowns. I just want to make one cut, and nobody can touch me.”
McCaskill said his first college football season has been “everything that I would have hoped for and more, honestly.” And while records are nice to reflect on, McCaskill said the goal is for UH to go undefeated in conference play for just the second time in school history — the Cougars play their final AAC game Friday against Memphis at TDECU Stadium — and win the league’s championship game.
“I’m so blessed that coaches really trust me to be out there to showcase what I can do,” McCaskill said.