McFadden Sims and Skinner Receive Hogwired.com Player of the Week Honors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman tailback Darren McFadden, junior defensive end Desmond Sims and junior punter Jacob Skinner were named the Hogwired.com Players of the Week after their outstanding individual performances in Arkansas’ Southeastern Conference game against South Carolina.

McFadden picked up the offensive award for the sixth-straight week after he recorded 187 of Arkansas’ 219 rushing yards on 32 carries against the Gamecocks. He earned three runs of 20 yards or more upping his season total to 11, including a 36-yard run that help set up UA’s second quarter field goal. It was the North Little Rock, Ark., native’s fourth-consecutive 100-yard rushing effort and over the last four games McFadden has 610 yards, an average of 152.5 per game. He is one of only three Razorbacks in school history to rush for at least 100 yards in four consecutive games.

McFadden leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation with an average of 108.6 yards per game and ranks second only to Northwestern’s Tyrell Sutton in rushing yards per game among the nation’s freshmen. McFadden is second in the SEC with eight rushing touchdowns.

Sims, UA’s defensive player of the week, racked up a 12 tackles including nine solo stops. He earned a career-high two and a half sacks (-14) and four and a half tackles for loss (-49). The Lilbourn, Mo., forced a fumble during the sack of USC quarterback Blake Mitchell at the Gamecocks’ 30-yard line in the third quarter, allowing teammate Keith Jackson to recover the ball for the Hogs.

Skinner picked up his third special teams player of the week honor on the season following the South Carolina game. He covered 212 yards on his five punts, averaging 42.4 yards. His longest punt of the game was a 52-yarder in the first quarter. He also pinned South Carolina on its own one-yard line after a 37-yard pooch punt in the fourth quarter.