Running for a milestone

Ironically, they have a good chance of being listed together in the Vols' record book.

Houston, a senior, needs 57 yards against Texas A&M in the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl in Dallas to join Riggs as a 1,000-yard rusher this season.

They would be the first pair of Tennessee running backs to reach the 1,000-yard mark in the same season.

"For us to do that would definitely set our mark in the record books and put a statement on what we've been able to do since we've been here," Riggs said.

Houston started the first five games this season, Riggs started the next three, and Houston returned as the starter for the past four.

Riggs, a junior, is the team's leading rusher with 1,005 yards. He rushed for a career-high 182 yards in the loss to Auburn in the SEC championship game and became the Vols' first 1,000-yard rusher since Travis Stephens in 2001.

"It was good to accomplish that and reach that goal," Riggs said, "but I guess (it's time to) move on to the next ones right now, win the bowl game and get ourselves ready for a strong season next year."

Houston has rushed for 943 yards, his career-high for a season. He needs 38 yards to surpass Jay Graham for fifth place on the Vols' career rushing list.

Houston has 2,572 career rushing yards; Travis Henry (1997-2000) is the Vols' career rushing leader with 3,078 yards.

Riggs said setting a first-ever mark with Houston at Tennessee would be special.

"It would mean a lot because of all the great backs that have been here," Riggs said. "You have Jamal (Lewis) and Travis (Henry) and (Aaron) Hayden and Little Man (James Stewart) and some of those big-time backfield tandems that have been here throughout the years, and none of them had 1000 yards apiece (in the same year)."

Riggs realizes he and Houston have not received the national recognition of Auburn's Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Ronnie Brown, or even that of Texas' Cedric Benson and Vince Young.

Riggs and Houston's 1,948 yards is the third-high total nationally by teammates behind Benson and Young (2,651) and Williams and Brown (1,949).

Riggs isn't concerned with the lack of publicity.

"We don't really concern ourselves too much with it," he said. "We know once we took notice to where we were in that category, we kind of wondered why we haven't gotten as much attention, but understanding that Auburn was undefeated and that's their big story.

"Those guys have pretty much carried their team and Cedric Benson has been their story for the last few years, so when you look at it, you don't get too upset about it just because of the company that you're in."