On Oct. 3, Texas coach Mack Brown came to Ricky Williams with a deal: Three more plays to gain three yards and break a 25-year-old school record. It took two plays for Williams to break Roosevelt Leaks' single-game rushing record as he finished the game with 350 yards.

	MIDSEASON CUTS
	With November getting under way, it's time to narrow the field to five candidates for the podium at the Downtown Athletic Club. The five trimmed from the list have a chance to play their way back onto the list, but they'd better hurry:
	Michael Bishop: His team is still undefeated, but a cream-puff schedule and inauspicious passing totals have been overshadowed ... for now.
	Daunte Culpepper: His team is winning, but he's too far out of the spotlight to have a legitimate shot. "Why not? Simply because he plays for Central Florida," said Herschel Nissenson, the Heisman's New York City representative.
	Champ Bailey: The two-way threat has been solid on both sides of the ball. But he hasn't put together a highlight reel to rival Charles Woodson.
	Donovan McNabb: He keeps rolling, and his well-rounded stats compare closely with Michael Bishop's. The difference? Bishop's team is 7-0 and ranked No. 4 while Syracuse is 5-2 and on the fringes of the New Year's Day bowl chase.
	Akili Smith: A strong early showing had the Ducks dreaming the impossible. Two picks in Saturday's 38-3 loss grounded those hopes.

On Saturday at Nebraska, Mack asked Williams to seal the deal on Texas' first win over a ranked opponent since 1996. He did exactly that on the Longhorns' final drive, picking up the game-clinching first down in Texas' 20-16 upset, which ended the Huskers' 47-game home winning streak.

He finished the game with 150 yards on 37 carries, and filled one of the only voids on his Heisman résumé: a signature performance against a quality opponent. Yes, Williams was stuffed on four carries from inside the 5-yard line, but the lasting image will be of Williams walking out of Lincoln, Neb., as even the Husker faithful applauded his effort.

"Most places you go, the fans boo you," Williams said. "But here, it's nothing but cheers. This is the most fun I've ever had playing a game."

And Williams made a piece of Nebraska history, too. His rushing total was the most yards gained by a visiting running back since Barry Sanders had 189 yards in Nebraska's 63-42 victory over Oklahoma State in 1988. In case anyone has forgotten, Sanders won the Heisman that year.

And as the calendar flips to November, here's the deal with the Heisman: It's time to start thinking about the field of finalists. Williams' record-breaking season and performance Saturday have him atop the list while Tim Couch and his astronomical passing totals have him in second as ESPN.com ranks the candidates:

Candidates ranked

RICKY WILLIAMS		STATS
1.	Breaking it down: If anyone had any question about Williams' performance against quality opponents, check Saturday's game film. Facing Nebraska in Lincoln, Williams ran away with the show, helping the Longhorns hand Nebraska its first home loss 1991. Williams' 150 yards made a statement in the Heisman race, but the Longhorns' victory might have helped even more. It's starting to look a lot like 1996 when Texas won five straight to close out the season after a slow start. It's four wins and counting for Texas. Stock: Next: vs. Okla. St., Nov. 7	Opponent vs. N.Mexico St. Sept. 5 at UCLA Sept. 12 at Kansas State Sept. 19 vs. Rice Sept. 26 vs. Iowa St. Oct. 3 at Oklahoma Oct. 10 vs. Baylor Oct. 24 at Nebraska Oct. 31 Season	Car-Yds 36-215   29-160   25-43   30-318   37-350   31-139   39-259   37-150   264-1,634	TD 6   3   0   6   5   2   2   0   24
TIM COUCH		STATS
2.	Breaking it down: Couch's passing totals are sufficiently gaudy, and if he doesn't win the award it certainly won't be for a lack of stats. But the most critical number may come in the polls. The last player to win the Heisman playing for a team that finished the season unranked was Bo Jackson. Stock: Idle Next: vs. Miss. St., Nov. 7	Opponent at Louisville Sept. 5 vs. E.Kentucky Sept. 12 vs. Indiana Sept. 19 at Florida Sept. 26 at Arkansas Oct. 3 vs. South Carolina Oct. 10 at LSU Oct. 17 vs. Georgia Oct. 24 Season	Cmp-Att-Yds 29-39-498   32-41-372   38-53-301   40-61-406   47-67-499   29-42-315   37-50-391   34-46-326   286-399-3,108	TD-INT 7-0   5-0   1-4   3-2   3-1   3-0   3-1   2-2   27-10
JOE GERMAINE		STATS
3.	Breaking it down: Following last week's 342-yard passing performance against Northwestern, Germaine and a score of others were thoroughly unimpressed. "A quiet 300 yards," Germaine said of his performance. A quiet 300 yards? From a school known for three yards and a cloud of dust? Further proof that the world will soon stop spinning came when Germaine checked in with his fourth straight 300-yard passing game and fifth this season. Stock: Next: at Indiana, Oct. 31	Opponent at West Virginia Sept. 5 vs. Toledo Sept. 12 vs. Missouri Sept. 26 vs. Penn State Oct. 3 at Illinois Oct. 10 vs. Minnesota Oct. 17 at Northwestern Oct. 24 vs. Michigan State Oct. 31 Season	Att-Cmp-Yds 18-32-301   13-21-150   19-25-211   16-30-213   17-28-307   27-39-339   19-35-342   31-45-351   160-255-2,214	TD-INT 2-0   3-0   0-0   1-1   3-0   2-2   3-1   3-0   17-4
CADE MCNOWN		STATS
4.	Breaking it down: McNown has insisted 1998 is not about a Heisman campaign, but rather a national championship campaign. If he doesn't start putting up big numbers soon, there won't be a Heisman campaign to talk about. The UCLA quarterback hasn't put together the kind of season that makes Heisman voters drool, but he can take solace in his team's 17-game win streak. Stock: Next: at Oregon St., Nov. 7	Opponent vs. Texas Sept. 12 at Houston Sept. 19 at Miami Sept. 26 vs. Wash. St. Oct. 3 at Arizona Oct. 10 vs. Oregon Oct. 17 at California Oct. 24 vs. Stanford Oct. 31 Season	Cmp-Att-Yds 20-30-339   17-32-315   Postponed   14-27-205   10-24-171   20-36-395   15-27-182   19-31-254   115-207-1,861	TD-INT 3-1   1-1       1-1   2-0   3-2   2-0   1-2   13-7
RON DAYNE		STATS
5.	Breaking it down: The numbers aren't as big as they once were. As a freshman, he had five 200-yard rushing performances. As a sophomore, he had three. This season he has none. But there's something to be said for consistency, and Dayne has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his seven games this season. Before this season, he had never strung more than three consecutive 100-yard games together. Stock: Idle Next: vs. Minnesota, Nov. 7	Opponent vs. Ohio Sept. 12 vs. UNLV Sept. 19 vs. Northwestern Sept. 26 at Indiana Oct. 3 vs. Purdue Oct. 10 at Illinois Oct. 17 at Iowa Oct. 24 Season	Car-Yds 20-111   13-108   22-168   28-130   33-127   39-190   39-164   194-998	TD 3   0   1   1   1   3   1   10