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RIGHT ON THE MONEY ity to every snap, not just those in the red zone. "He really didn't have to say it after the Ohio State game,'' Ball said, "but I knew that he was heading towards it: that my mentality in the red zone is a lot different than it is for a third-and-1. "I may have had a different approach to want- ing to score a touchdown compared to a third- and-1 somewhere else on the field. But getting that one yard is like a touchdown if it keeps a drive going. "I agreed with him because it was true.'' Hammock has also emphasized finishing runs by making that last tackler miss. "Being a running back,'' Ball said, "the offen- sive line's job is to get you to the linebackers and the secondary and it's your job to not get tackled by one person. "Coach Hammock is always talking about football being about muscle memory. That's why we practice so much on running through the ropes to get to where we're stepping through a tackle. "I also make sure that after every run in prac- tice I sprint a good five to 10 yards past the cones on the field. It's about muscle memory again so that when you're in the open field, it's second nature.'' It has been well-documented how Ball's par- ents, Montee Sr. and Melissa, moved to the Madison area to be closer to their son. Current- ly, they're living in Sun Prairie. Last Saturday night, he presented them with the ball that he scored his 27th touchdown with. "I'm going to have my offensive linemen and fullback sign it because obviously they block for me,'' Ball said. "My name is going into the books. But it's a big achievement for them, too. Thinking about his mom and dad, he said, "This football will mean a lot to them.'' Thinking about himself, he said, "It means overcoming adversity and finishing.'' By the looks of it, Montee Ball is just getting started. ยป Ball and the rest of the best Montee Ball's mind-numbing numbers stack up with the best in college football this season. Here's a rundown of how Ball compares to some of the best running backs in the game (reflects NCAA rankings): Total Touchdowns 1. T4. Trent Richardson, Alabama 8. Montee Ball, Wisconsin Rex Burkhead, Nebraska T10. LaMichael James, Oregon T16. Marcus Coker, Iowa NR David Wilson, Virginia Tech Rushing Yards 1. David Wilson, Virginia Tech 4. 6. 7. Montee Ball, Wisconsin LaMichael James, Oregon Trent Richardson, Alabama 11. Marcus Coker, Iowa 13. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska Rushing Yards Per Game (vs. FBS) David Wilson, Virginia Tech LaMichael James, Oregon Montee Ball, Wisconsin Marcus Coker, Iowa Trent Richardson, Alabama Rex Burkhead, Nebraska Touches per Touchdown Montee Ball, Wisconsin Trent Richardson, Alabama LaMichael James, Oregon Rex Burkhead, Nebraska Marcus Coker, Iowa David Wilson, Virginia Tech Total Rushing Yards Lost Montee Ball, Wisconsin Marcus Coker, Iowa Rex Burkhead, Nebraska Trent Richardson, Alabama LaMichael James, Oregon David Wilson, Virginia Tech 27 19 16 14 13 8 1,360 1,242 1,207 1,205 1,158 1,072 133.1 131.3 128.2 124.1 120.5 110.8 7.4 12.2 12.8 14.2 19.2 30.5 17 23 37 47 47 76 39