Sophomore post 100 yards rushing and receving as Cowboys hold off Kansas for second Big 12 win
DALLAS (SMU) – Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II posted a career-best game in Saturday’s 39-32 win over No. 23 Kansas, recording 284 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 35 offensive touches. The performance earned him the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 14.
With those numbers, Gordon became the only player in the FBS this season and the first OSU player since 1989 (Gerald Hudson vs. Kansas) to record more than 100 rushing and receiving yards in a single game.
The sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, ran for 168 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries and added 116 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches. The rushing and receiving totals both led all players in the game and marked career highs.
His 282 all-purpose yards were the most by a Cowboy since All-American Chuba Hubbard posted 303 against Kansas State in 2019.
The Cowboys host West Virginia on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Other candidates for the honor in Week 7 included:
Marcus Carroll, Georgia State: Carroll rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown to lead Georgia State to a 41-24 win over Marshall as the Panthers improved to 5-1 to continue the best start in program history. After Marshall pulled within 27-24 on the final play of the third quarter, the senior from Union City, Ga., rushed for 68 yards on 11 carries in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. He scored the clinching touchdown on a 2-yard run with 1:42 to play.
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: In a 41-31 win over Miami, the sophomore from Clayton, N.C., had 24 carries for 197 yards and a two touchdown receptions for 20 yards and a score against a team that entered the game leading the nation in rush defense.
Kairee Robinson, San José State: Robinson scored four touchdowns as San José State knocked off New Mexico 52- 24 on the road Saturday night. The grad student from Antioch, Calif., rushed for 126 yards and had 63 yards receiving while scoring four touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving).
Sione Vaki, Utah: Vaki, a sophomore from Antioch, Calif., played both ways in the 34-14 win over Cal, starting in his traditional spot at safety while also adding 15 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns (one for 72 yards, one for 32 yards). Vaki is the first Utah defensive player to rush for two touchdowns in a game since Eric Weddle at Air Force on Nov. 18, 2006.
The Doak Walker Award presented by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum has been awarded to the nation’s top running back since 1990. Since 2022, the award has recognized a national running back of the week. A select 20-person committee from the award’s full voting body of media and past winners chooses the weekly recipient. On Aug. 9, a preseason candidates list was released and semifinalists for the award will be named on Nov. 21. A week later, the three finalists will be announced.
The 2023 Doak Walker Award winner will be unveiled live on The Home Depot College Football Awards, televised by ESPN on Dec. 7 or 8. The annual banquet, where the winner and the recipient of the 2024 PwC Doak Walker Legends Award will be honored, will take place in February in Dallas.
The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
For more information on the Doak Walker Award, contact Jeff Lockhart (lo******@sm*.edu) at the PwC SMU Athletic Forum, visit smu.edu/doakwalkeraward and follow on X at @DoakWalkerAward.
Week 1 (Sept. 2)……………………….Dylan Edwards, Colorado
Week 2 (Sept. 9)………… Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Week 3 (Sept. 16)…………………………Trevor Etienne, Florida
Week 4 (Sept. 23)……………………. DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Week 5 (Sept. 30)……………………………Ray Davis, Kentucky
Week 6 (Oct. 7)………………………. Trey Benson, Florida State
Week 7 (Oct. 14)…………….. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Submitted by Doak Walker Award
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