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University of Minnesota Athletics
Three Gopher Freshmen Earn Honors
12/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Rivals.com has announced its Freshman All-Big Ten teams. Three Golden Gophers were included among those honored by the website.
Running back DeLeon Eskridge (San Francisco, Calif.), offensive lineman Ryan Orton (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and kick returner Troy Stoudermire (Dallas, Texas) were all tabbed by Rivals as Freshman All-Big Ten honorees.
Eskridge was the No. 2 freshman rusher in the Big Ten behind fellow Freshman All-Big Ten honoree John Clay of Wisconsin. Eskridge also ranks No. 10 among all rushers in the Big Ten this season, averaging 54.3 yards per game. Orton started six games for the Gophers, including the last five regular-season contests. Stoudermire ranks No. 4 in the conference among kick returners and was the top freshman in the category, averaging 25.2 yards per return. He ranks No. 34 in the nation in average kick return yards as well.
These three Gopher freshmen and their teammates are currently preparing to face Kansas at the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. on Dec. 31. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. MST (5 p.m. CST) at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University. Minnesota's Insight Bowl matchup with the Jayhawks will be televised on the NFL Network.
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