Kansas University hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since June Henley in 1996.

Running back Clark Green is on pace to end that drought, but don’t expect the sophomore to get too excited about stats.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Green said. “I would like that to happen, but I’m just out there trying to fight and do whatever I can to help the team win. If it means passing or rushing, I’m just out there trying to get it done.”

Green is getting it done.

The Tampa, Fla., native leads Kansas (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) in receptions (19), rushing yards (452) and all-purpose yards (643) heading into today’s game at Colorado (2-3, 0-1).

“He’s doing well. He’s progressing,” coach Mark Mangino said. “Clark’s a hard-charger now. Every snap he plays hard. We’ve had to take him out of some games in what were relatively mild temperatures because he cramped up. Not because he’s out of shape, but because he goes so hard every single play he just beats himself up. Clark has been a real workhorse for us.”

Green (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) led KU with 813 yards rushing as a freshman and was second on the team with 37 receptions for 408 yards.

He could crush those numbers this season, running behind a revamped offensive line and with help from backup John Randle.

Randle (6-0, 175) has shown potential in his freshman season with 238 yards and a touchdown. The former Wichita Southeast back has been a solid complement to Green.

“John’s style is to get around you and hit that burst,” senior offensive lineman Danny Lewis said, “while Clark’s is to run you over and hurt you a little bit,”

And that contrast can wreak havoc on opposing defenders.

“You get the defense used to Clark, whose forte is not trying to make you miss,” Lewis said. “He wants to run over as many people as possible. The defense gets used to that, and they might not notice John gets put in the game. They just see a running back coming at them. They plant and brace for someone to run over them. The next thing you know, he’s around them and gone. It helps keep the defense on its heels.”

Randle has had double-digit carries in each of the last two games, but Green wasn’t worried about his backup cutting into his playing time.

“We watch out for each other,” Randle said. “We’re like brothers back there. If we get criticized by a coach — and that’s their job — we keep each other up. We keep each other motivated and don’t let each other get down.”

Opponents can’t forget senior quarterback Bill Whittemore, who leads the team with five rushing TDs and is second with 279 yards.

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“Basically, we’ve got three running backs in the backfield,” said Green, who has three TDs. “Bill can throw the ball or take off at any time. Then you’ve got me. Then you’ve got John, a change of pace that’s going to keep people on their toes.”

Green remains the featured back in an offense that has reaped the benefits of a new-and-improved offensive line. Lewis is one of four new starters. The fifth starter, junior Tony Coker, moved from tackle to guard in the preseason shakeup.

“It’s night and day,” Green said of the line’s performance. “They work their asses off in the weight room, on the practice field and watching film. The whole thing has changed.”

KU running back Clark Green eludes a Jacksonville State defender. Green had one of his two 100-yard-plus games against the Gamecocks.

Whittemore passed for more than 200 yards in each of KU’s first four games. When Missouri concentrated on stopping the pass in the Jayhawks’ last game, Kansas countered with a dominant run game. Green, Whittemore and Randle combined for 215 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-14 victory.

“We played nowhere near a perfect game against Missouri, and we did pretty well,” Lewis said. “We thought, ‘If we did that with some mistakes, let’s clean this up and see what we can really do.'”

KU enters today’s game ranked 17th in the nation in rushing offense, while Colorado’s run defense ranks 62nd.

Green needs 548 yards — an average of 78.2 per game — in KU’s final seven games to reach 1,000. If he runs over the Buffs today, he’s not likely to show much emotion.

“Clark is very quiet,” Lewis said. “We know not to talk to Clark during games because he’s very focused on what he needs to do. He doesn’t say a word. Every now and then when we come off the field you’ll get a couple of sentences out of him. But other than that, he doesn’t say much out there.”

Green will let his stats speak for themselves.