A&T’s Mike Mayhew, the MEAC’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, broke a more than 10-year-old school rushing record last week during the Aggie’s 21-18 loss to Morgan State.
Mayhew took the handoff from quarterback Lewis Kindle and did what A&T fans have become accustomed to seeing him do. He made the first tackler miss, bounced to the outside, avoided two more tackles before being stopped for an 8-yard gain to the MSU 10-yard line. The run changed A&T history as Mayhew broke Maurice Hicks’ 11-year old all-time rushing record.
Mayhew snapped the record in style as he earned his 12th career 100-yard game with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. In fact, if it were not for Morgan State’s last-second theatrics to win the game, Mayhew would have been the night’s hero. Both of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter on superb runs.
Mayhew has rushed for 2,882 yards in his career. He will become the first Aggie and 12th rusher in MEAC history to record 3,000 yards in a career.
“I’m happy for him,” said Coach Rod Broadway. “That’s a great milestone for that young man. He ran the ball hard tonight. He hit downhill a couple of times and put down his pads and ran like Mike Mayhew is capable of running. I hope he can continue to keep running like that. We’re going to be a good football team if he keeps running like that the rest of the season.”
The way Mayhew reached the milestone may make it even sweeter for him as his life progresses. Throughout preseason camp, he had to outwork Drake and Ricky Lewis for playing time. Drake’s improvement was apparent, and therefore, he started the first three games of the season. Mayhew had to earn his opportunities on Thursday, and his perseverance helped him make history in front of a national television audience on ESPNU.
“I’m always going to remember this experience,” said Mayhew. “This is probably going to be one of the biggest accomplishments I’ll ever accomplish in my life. I’m glad they (my family) were here to witness it.”
Even after reaching a significant milestone, it was still about team.
”It feels good,” said Mayhew. “But it would be a better feeling if we could have got the ‘W’ tonight.”
