Collins Named Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
DALLAS, Texas – The SEC leader with eight 100-yard games on the ground, Arkansas junior running back Alex Collins has been named one of 11 semifinalists for the 2015 Doak Walker Award, announced on Wednesday morning by the PwC Athletic Forum.
The award is named after three-time SMU All-American running back and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker and is presented annually to the nation’s premier running back. The three finalists for the award will be named on Tuesday, November 24. The 2015 Doak Walker Award recipient will be on announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 10, on ESPN.
Collins etched his name among a pair of the all-time SEC elite running backs when he reached 1,000 yards for the third straight season to start his career, joining fellow Razorback Darren McFadden (2005-07) and Georgia great Herschel Walker (1980-82). Not only did Collins become just the third running back in SEC history to run for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, but he also became the only FBS player to accomplish that feat the last three years.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. product has used a league-best eight 100-yard rushing games, including a current run of four in a row, to already post a career-high 1,209 yards on the ground with 14 touchdowns with at least three games still remaining. Collins’ eight 100-yard games are just two off McFadden’s record of 10 set in 2007 and one more than his total from his previous two years combined.
AC3 Snap Shot:
| Category | Stat | SEC Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attempts | 199 | 6th | 17th |
| Yards | 1,209 | 3rd | 13th |
| Rushing Avg. (min. 150) | 6.1 | T-2nd | T-13th |
| Yards Per Game | 120.9 | 3rd | 15th |
| Touchdowns | 14 | 3rd | T-10th |
| 100-Yard Games | 8 | 1st | 2nd |
| 150-Yard Games | 4 | 2nd | T-3rd |
| First Downs | 54 | 4th | 14th |
| 10+ Yard Runs | 27 | 4th | T-29th |
| 20+ Yard Runs | 13 | T-1st | T-5th |
| 60+ Yard Runs | 3 | 2nd | T-4th |
Collins’ big-play ability has resulted in three runs of 60-plus yards this season, good for the fourth-most in the nation, while he is one of just seven FBS running backs averaging over 6.0 yards per rush with over 190 attempts. Two of those 60-plus yard runs have resulted in touchdowns, highlighted by last Saturday’s 80-yard dash for a score at No. 9 LSU. Collins scored twice in the win in Baton Rouge, bringing his career total to 30, including 26 in his last 22 games.
Leader of the Pack:
| Player | Program | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Collins | Arkansas | 3,335 |
| Derrick Henry | Alabama | 2,830 |
| Leonard Fournette | LSU | 2,508 |
| Dak Prescott | Mississippi State | 2,365 |
| Jonathan Williams | Arkansas | 2,321 |
McFadden is one of just two players to win the Doak Walker Award twice since it started in 1990. The Little Rock native and current Dallas Cowboy won the award back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007.
2015 Doak Walker Award Semifinalists
>>> Alex Collins, Arkansas
Devontae Booker, Utah
Dalvin Cook, Florida State
Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
Royce Freeman, Oregon
Derrick Henry, Alabama
Brian Hill, Wyoming
Shock Linwood, Baylor
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame
