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By DAVID PENCEK; Times Leader Sports Writer
 Sunday, November 29, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





UNIVERSITY PARK- During games at Red Bank Regional High School in New
Jersey, fans blew a train whistle every time its star running back Eric McCoo,
who was nicknamed "The Train," carried the ball. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During games at Beaver Stadium, Penn State fans affectionately salute McCoo
with their "McCooooooo" call. McCoo remembers first hearing the Nittany Lion
faithful salute him during a mid-October game against Purdue. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That bellow has only gotten louder and longer with each game at Beaver
Stadium, because Penn State's freshman tailback has provided a little spark to
an otherwise dreary offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Against Michigan State on Saturday, the "McCooooooo" call could be heard
all the way to Mount Nittany as the quick and flashy rookie rushed 28 times
for 206 yards and a touchdown in a 51-28 victory over the Spartans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was the most yards in a game by a Penn State true freshman, breaking
D.J. Dozier's record of 196 set in 1983. It also was McCoo's third game where
he rushed for at least 100 yards. He finished the season as the Lions' leading
rusher with 822 yards. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCoo actually could have had more against the Spartans, but his apparent
73-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter was nullified by a holding
penalty. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a great feeling to hear people saying your name," said McCoo, who met
with the media for the first time after Saturday's game. "You can't get caught
up in it, but I definitely hear it and it feels great." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCoo hadn't talked with the media before Saturday because of Penn State
coach Joe Paterno's long-standing rule forbidding freshmen to converse with
reporters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With the conclusion of the regular season, McCoo has literally taken center
stage on Penn State's offense. In the media room after the game, McCoo sat at
the main podium where the star players usually reside with at least 15
reporters hovered around him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the same time, quarterback Kevin Thompson was on the floor below the
podium sitting on a stool with only about five media people about him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCoo began to see more carries during the season when injuries to Cordell
Mitchell and Chris Eberly forced Paterno to play him. With Mitchell still out
with a shoulder injury and Eberly ousted from the team, McCoo had the ball
handed to him more times on Saturday than in any other game this season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I was more confident. That comes with getting adjusted to the offense,"
McCoo said. "The line was excellent. Any of our backs could have gone out
there and ran for just as many yards." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But it wasn't any of the upperclassmen who appeared to be a threat to break
a long run whenever he touched the ball. It took the humble freshman to give
some life to the offense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Coming into the year, I thought he would be a good third-down back with
Mitchell and (Aaron) Harris," Paterno said. "He's really come to the front. He
really does everything well. He blocks and catches well, and he's durable." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That durability showed when McCoo, who had 153 yards in the second half,
rushed four consecutive times during a fourth-quarter drive. He ran for 40
yards on those carries, and it led to a field goal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Coming into the season, McCoo said he didn't expect to see the amount of
playing time he has seen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "(Paterno) never really talked about minutes, and we never really talked
about redshirting either," McCoo said. "When we knew I was going to play, then
it was just coming out and helping the team any way I could." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McCoo's teammates quickly knew he would help the team this season. They
even made him feel at home by calling him "Choo-choo." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Linebacker Brandon Short

`the Train' Delivers For The Lions