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University of Minnesota Athletics
Daniels Named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week
9/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Big Ten has announced today that Gopher sophomore running back Alex Daniels has been named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week along with Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith for his performance in a 44-0 shutout in the Gophers’ season opener at Kent State last Thursday.
In his first game at running back since being moved to the position from linebacker last season, Daniels broke loose for a game-high 155 yards on 24 carries (6.5 yards per rush) and scored three touchdowns to lead the Gophers to the road victory. The 6-3, 255-pounder from Columbus, Ohio scored his first rushing touchdown from three yards out in the first quarter to give Minnesota a 14-0 lead. He opened the second half by carrying all seven times on a 56-yard scoring march, culminating with a one-yard score, and added a six-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter.
Daniels earned his first 100-yard rushing game of his career and became the 12th player to record a 100-yard rushing game during Glen Mason’s tenure at Minnesota (1997-present), joining Thomas Hamner, Byron Evans, Billy Cockerham, Tellis Redmon, Thomas Tapeh, Marion Barber III, Asad Abdul-Khaliq, Terry Jackson II, Laurence Maroney, Gary Russell and Amir Pinnix. Daniels’ three rushing touchdowns represented the first time a Gopher player has had three rushing touchdowns in a game since Gary Russell had three last season at Indiana (11/5/05). With a three-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Daniels became the first player since Jermaine Mays in 2002 to score both an offensive and defensive touchdown in his career for the Gophers. Daniels scored on a 13-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown last season against Colorado State (9/10/05).
Daniels picks up his first conference weekly laurel and became the fifth different Minnesota rusher to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors in the last three seasons, joining teammate Amir Pinnix (2005) and former Gophers Marion Barber III (twice in 2004), Laurence Maroney (2003 and 2005) and Gary Russell (2005).
In his first game at running back since being moved to the position from linebacker last season, Daniels broke loose for a game-high 155 yards on 24 carries (6.5 yards per rush) and scored three touchdowns to lead the Gophers to the road victory. The 6-3, 255-pounder from Columbus, Ohio scored his first rushing touchdown from three yards out in the first quarter to give Minnesota a 14-0 lead. He opened the second half by carrying all seven times on a 56-yard scoring march, culminating with a one-yard score, and added a six-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter.
Daniels earned his first 100-yard rushing game of his career and became the 12th player to record a 100-yard rushing game during Glen Mason’s tenure at Minnesota (1997-present), joining Thomas Hamner, Byron Evans, Billy Cockerham, Tellis Redmon, Thomas Tapeh, Marion Barber III, Asad Abdul-Khaliq, Terry Jackson II, Laurence Maroney, Gary Russell and Amir Pinnix. Daniels’ three rushing touchdowns represented the first time a Gopher player has had three rushing touchdowns in a game since Gary Russell had three last season at Indiana (11/5/05). With a three-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Daniels became the first player since Jermaine Mays in 2002 to score both an offensive and defensive touchdown in his career for the Gophers. Daniels scored on a 13-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown last season against Colorado State (9/10/05).
Daniels picks up his first conference weekly laurel and became the fifth different Minnesota rusher to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors in the last three seasons, joining teammate Amir Pinnix (2005) and former Gophers Marion Barber III (twice in 2004), Laurence Maroney (2003 and 2005) and Gary Russell (2005).
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