PINEVILLE – It might take just nine games for Louisiana College receiver Jordan Rideaux, who could topple the team's single-season all-purpose and receiving yards mark this weekend among other records, to set new marks in the Wildcats' record book.

Should he earn 64 more receiving yards, he'll surpass the Wildcat's single-season mark of 995 set by Justin Johnson in 2005.

Another 148 all-purpose yards will break the old mark of 1,733 all-purpose yards that Schyuler Anderson amassed in 2004.

“I wasn't expecting a season like this,” Rideaux, a native of Carencro, said. “I guess I've done pretty good. I've done what I could to help the team win … (Potentially setting a new record) means a lot to me.

The ones who hold those records, they were good to set the records they did. It means a good bit for me to be able to break them.”

Rideaux, who put 297 yards of total offense last week in a 26-0 win of Sul Ross, might have to get used to the idea of shattering records.

He could potentially set 10 new single-season records this season, to go along with the three records, he already holds (most punt return yards, most punt returns and most kick return touchdowns).

By the end of the season, he could set new highs in receiving touchdowns (he needs three), receptions (he needs 16), receptions per game (he needs to average eight per game), all-purpose yards per game, touchdowns scored (he needs four), most punt return touchdowns (he needs two) and total points scored (he needs 23 total points).

And all this while standing 5-foot-9 and weighing less than 165 pounds.

“You can't measure that kid's heart,” LC offensive coordinator Sherard Poteete said. “His heart is much bigger than his frame. He never stops working, never stops pushing. Even on running plays, he's down field making blocks for his running back. “

Apparently, there is nothing the junior, who last week caught eight passes for 174 yards and a touchdown and returned four punts for 100 yards and a 70-yard touchdown, a return which itself was a new record, can't do.

“The performance he had on Saturday was typical of what we've come to expect from Jordan Rideaux,” LC coach Dennis Dunn said. “To have just one game like that is amazing enough, but he's done it for eight games. I think he's playing at a level that is unmatched … If there's someone who's better than him in the nation, I'd have to see him. Jordan has had an All-American year already.”

Through eight games, Rideaux has caught 61 passes for 932 yards and eight touchdowns, returned 15 punts for 275 yards and a touchdown and returned 16 kicks for 371 yards and a touchdown.

That plus the rushing yards he's amassed on a few reverses adds up to 1,586 yards and 10 scores on the season, a year in which he has twice been named American Southwest Conference special teams player of the week.

He's also become famous, or infamous if one speaks to opposing coaches, for his mix of speed, vertical leaping ability, agility and deceptive power thanks long, highlight-reel returns and runs after catch that come complete with excessive speed, multiple fake outs, the occasional hurdle of a defender, total reversal of direction on a dime and enough spin moves to leave even the most seasoned fan dizzy.
Most coaches, both at LC and abroad are left scratching their heads as to what the young man's secret is.

"I don't know if I have a secret,” Rideaux said. “When I'm out there, I try to look at who is coming at me and picture what they are going to try to do to get me down. I'm thinking, 'If they do this, I'm doing that.'”

“It's called fast-twitch muscle-fiber,” Dunn says of Rideaux's secret to success. “Every week he does some new to amaze us. What he's got is God-given. It wasn't coached to him over the years. I'm just glad he's on my team and we don't have to find a way to defend him. That's got to be a nightmare.”

It's a sentiment echoed by LC defensive coordinator Buck Buchanan, who freely admits to having no desire to attempt to stop the diminutive wide receiver.

“Every time we're on the sidelines and he breaks something I the defensive coaches, 'At least we don't have to stop him,'” Buchanan said. “I don't know if you can really stop him. If I had to scheme against him, I'd just accept the fact that he's going to do something special and there's nothing you can do about it. You just try to not let him be the one who beats you.

“And, on a good note, I'd tell everybody to be thankful that we aren't playing under Canadian rules where he could get a running start on offense. If he got that running start, I don't think anybody, anywhere would be able to stop him.”

MCLAUGHLIN SETTING HIS OWN RECORDS

As impressive as Rideaux's potential 12 single-season records are, he's not the only Wildcat making his mark on the LC football record book.

Junior quarterback Ben McLaughlin recently, set the school's records for career passing yards, total touchdowns and passing touchdowns.

As of last week, McLaughlin threw his 61st career touchdown pass which also represented his 65th career touchdown accounted for.

To date, the three-year starter has also passed for 7,706 yards .

And, if he maintains his current pace, he'll leave LC as the career leader in passing efficiency, total offense per game and average yards per pass, among others.

Between Rideaux and McLaughlin, a total of 28 season and career records could potentially be broken by the end of the 2010 season.