SDSU FOOTBALL: DONNEL PUMPHREY NAMED MAXWELL AWARD PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pumphrey ran for 281 yards and three touchdowns in Aztecs’ 45-40 win over Cal

Source: goaztecs.com press release

Photo: Donnel Pumphrey against Cal via goaztecs.com

September 15, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State football’s Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas) has been named the Maxwell Award Player of the Week, the Maxwell Football Club announced Thursday.

Pumphrey, who was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, had a career-high 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries (9.7 avg.) on his way to breaking Marshall Faulk’s SDSU career rushing record. The 281 rushing yards were the fifth most in a game in program history, the most in the country this year by 32 yards and the most by a current “Group of 5” player vs. a current “Power 5” team since East Carolina’s Scott Harley had 361 yards vs. North Carolina State on Nov. 30, 1996.

It was Pumphrey’s 23^rd career 100-yard rushing game, which ties Faulk for the most in program history, and third career 200-yard game. He also added a team-high-tying four catches for 29 yards.

On the season, Pumphrey has rushed 50 times for 379 yards (7.6 avg.) and four touchdowns, while adding eight catches for 70 yards (8.8 avg.). Pumphrey leads the nation in rushing yards (379), and ranks second in all-purpose yards (449), seventh in rushing touchdowns (tied, 4), 12^th in points (24) and 18^th in rushing yards per carry (7.58). He needs one yard to tie Marshall Faulk’s (5,596) all-time all-purpose yards record.

On July 5, Pumphrey was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List for the second straight year, which goes out to the collegiate player of the year. The semifinalists for the award will be announced on Oct. 31 with the finalists set to be released on Nov. 21.  The winner of the Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 8, 2016.

The Aztecs travel to DeKalb, Ill., to take on Northern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. PT) Saturday. The Huskies (0-2) are 31-2 (.939) at home, the best home record in FBS play since 2010, and have won 35 of its last 37 at Huskie Stadium. NIU joins SDSU and Boise State as the only “Group of 5” teams to play in at least six consecutive bowl games.