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Josey Named Doak Walker Semifinalist
Sophomore Back One Of 10 Up For National Award
Dallas,
Texas – University of Missouri sophomore tailback Henry Josey
(Angleton, Texas) has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2011
Doak Walker Award, which is awarded annually by the PxCSMU Athletic
Forum Board of Directors, and goes to the nation’s top running
back. Despite
beginning the season third on the depth chart, Josey has burst into the
national scene, as he leads the Big 12 Conference, and ranks 5th
nationally, with his average of 127.67 yards per game. Josey’s
per-carry average of 8.57 yards is second-best in the nation, and he’s
doing his damage against a schedule that is ranked as toughest in the
nation by the latest Sagarin rankings, and as the 4th-toughest by the
NCAA. Josey’s
big-play abilities have seen him muster a nation-leading 43 rushes of
10 or more yards and 13 runs of 20 or more yards this season, and his
263-yard (3 TDs) outing against Western Illinois is the 3rd-highest
single-game total on the year. Josey has four-straight 100-yard
games entering Saturday’s showdown with #16 Texas, and he’s got six
games overall this year over the century mark, including a 162-yard
effort in leading MU to an overtime win at #16 Texas A&M – coming
against an Aggie defense which entered the game ranked 5th in the
nation against the run, allowing just 79.86 yards per game. Josey has 1,149 yards on the season, which is already 6th-most on the Mizzou single-season rushing chart.
A comparison of the other semifinalists’ stats is listed below. 2011 Doak Walker Award Semifinalist Statistical Comparison
Rush Yds. Sagarin
Player, School (Year) – Games
Played
Att.
Yards
Avg.
TDs
Game
Schedule Strength
Henry Josey, Missouri (So.) –
9
134
1,149
8.57
9
127.67 1st
Montee
Ball, Wisconsin (Jr.) –
9
162
1,076
6.64
21
119.56 87th
Rex
Burkhead, Nebraska (Jr.) –
9
187
951
5.09
13
105.67 46th
Ronnie
Hillman, San Diego St. (So.) – 8
199
1,198
6.02
13
149.75 94th
LaMichael
James, Oregon (Jr.) –
7
133
1,061
7.98
9
151.57 36th
Zach
Line, SMU (Jr.) –
9
184
1,089
5.92
17
121.00 72nd
Chris
Polk, Washington (Jr.) –
9
207
1,096
5.29
9
121.78 30th
Joseph
Randle, Oklahoma St. (So.) – 9
151
915
6.06
18
101.67 4th
Trent
Richardson, Alabama (Jr.) –
9
172
1,078
6.27
17
119.78 20th
David
Wilson, Virginia Tech (Jr.) –
9
187
1,185
6.34
7
131.67 70th
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