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College Player of the Week – Running Backs, Darren McFadden and Kevin Smith

Mon, 11/26/2007 - 21:16 — Draft Insiders

College Player of the Week – Running Backs, Darren McFadden of Arkansas and Kevin Smith of Central Florida

Action Photo - Runner Kevin Smith of Central Florida
Nov.25 - Draft Insiders.com

Running backs Darren McFadden and Kevin Smith share the College Player of the Week award from Draft Insiders.com after outstanding performances last week. Both junior running backs are having record setting seasons that could entice them to declare for the NFL Draft ’08 this January.
Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden was named the offensive player of the week for his record-setting performance in the Razorbacks’ 50-48 triple-overtime upset of #1 LSU on Friday. Kevin Smith took over the national lead in rushing and became the first back in the state of Florida to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a season with a 219-yard rushing effort vs UTEP. His total gives him 2,164 this year, which is the fourth highest single-season yard total in NCAA FBS history.
McFadden led Arkansas to its first upset of a #1 team since the Razorbacks topped No. 1 Texas 42-11 in 1981. The junior tailback rushed for 206 yards and 3 TDs and was masterful at the helm of the WildHog offense completing three of six passes for 34 yards and another TD. With his 255 all-purpose yards against the Tigers, McFadden set a new SEC record for all-purpose yards in a season. His 206 rushing yards also set a new UA single season rushing record and moved him past Auburn’s Bo Jackson into third place on the SEC career rushing list. His tremendous effort vs LSU may have won him the Heisman Trophy award in what should be a very close ballot this December.
Over his short career at Central Florida, Kevin Smith has racked up 4,276 rushing yards to move past Florida’ Errict Rhett for 1st place on the all-time charts in the Sunshine State. Smith reached 219 yards on a school-record 46 carries, breaking the C-USA single-season record with his 11th 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Smith reached 219 yards on a school-record 46 carries, breaking the C-USA single-season record with his 11th 100-yard rushing effort of the season. The Miami native also recorded a TD run and 30 receiving yards on three receptions to lift UCF to its sixth-consecutive win.

Frank Coyle is a longtime member of the FWAA and votes in all the major college awards - the Heisman Trophy, Lombardi, Outland, Jim Thorpe including all the defensive awards. He is also a voter for the FWAA on the College team polls, the Grantland Rice Polls. He is a nationwide radio and TV personality and makes frequent appearances on sports talk shows from coast to coast. He has been a regular guest on major radio shows such as the Score in Chicago, Sporting News Radio, ESPN Radio nationwide, WEEI Boston, WFAN in New York and Sports Extra in San Diego as well as every major sports talk show nationwide. His Heisman Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award ballots are released annually in early December.