Evan Royster needs only 31 yards against Michigan to break Penn State's all-time rushing record, currently held by former back Curt Warner, but the senior certainly doesn't seem to enthusiastic about it right now.
"I'll be glad when it's over," Royster said, when asked about the record for the umpteenth time. "I just want to stop hearing about it, have it behind me and kind of move on."
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"Honestly, I don't really think about [the record]," said Royster, who has 3,368 career yards. "It's not that big of a thing for me at this point. I'm sure I will look back [later] and be happy that it happened. I'd rather win games.
The first seven games of this season likely haven't been what Royster was hoping for when he decided to return to school in the spring. NFL scouts told him at that time that they'd like to see him carry the ball more and build up some stamina before turning pro, but so far in 2010, Royster is averaging only 12.5 carries per game, hardly the total that will get scouts excited. Over the summer, many thought Royster would have had the record by now, but with only 450 yards, he remains short of it.
On top of that, Royster might not even be the best runner on the team right now. Freshman Silas Redd is currently averaging six yards per carry and had a big game against Minnesota on Saturday, leading Penn State with 71 yards rushing on nine carries.
With five games plus a possible bowl game left, Royster has an opportunity to break the record against Michigan this weekend and establish some momentum for the remainder of his college career and possibly earn a few more kind words from head coach Joe Paterno, who at his news conference on Tuesday said only "I think he's doing a good job" when asked about Royster's contributions.