Washington State University Athletics
Happy Anniversary Rueben Mayes!
Monday marks the 30th anniversary of Rueben Mayes' NCAA record 357 rushing yards at Oregon.
To commemorate the anniversary, Mayes and Mike Dreyer, an offensive lineman who helped create the holes Mayes ran through that late October afternoon in Eugene, raised the flag Saturday prior to the WSU-Arizona game.
"I've never seen anybody do something like that in my entire life," remembered Dreyer of Mayes' performance that day. "I was honored to be a part of it."
Mike Dreyer and Rueben Mayes watch highlight of Mayes' NCAA record 357 yards on the Martin Stadium videoboard.
"I'm very honored to be with my buddy Mike Dreyer," Mayes said before the flag-raising. "We were joking I used to grab on to his back and try to figure out which way to run. He's a big part of what I did and how it was a team effort."
Mayes broke the mark of 356 yards set by Eddie Lee Ivery of Georgia Tech against Air Force in 1978. Mayes carried 39 times and scored on runs of 2, 69 and 12 yards to lead the Cougars to a 50-41 victory against Oregon, Oct. 27, 1984.
Mayes, who rushed for 216 yards in a 49-42 comeback victory over Stanford the week before, had 197 yards by halftime. He broke the record with a 4-yard run with 1 minute 12 seconds to play.
"Rueben is such a special person and a special player and 30 years later the legacy is still there," said Dreyer.
Mike Dreyer and Rueben Mayes raise the Cougar flag.
View highlights of that historic day below:
Go Cougs!
Jason Krump, WSU Athletics
