Doak Walker Award finalists to be named on Nov. 18th

By John Onan  |   Friday, November 11, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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Prior to the beginning of the 2005 college football season, the SMU Athletic Forum announced the candidates for the Doak Walker Award, which honors the top running back in Division 1-A. On November 18th, the finalists will be selected, leading up to the winner being announced before a national TV audience on the Home Depot College Football Awards show on December 8th.

Last year's recipient was Texas running back Cedric Benson, who was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Let's take a look at the best of the best this season:

Reggie Bush USC: Considering all the great players that grace the top-ranked Trojans offense, including defending Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and Bush's backup at tailback LenDale White, this is an easy guy to overlook. Due to the development of White, Bush has only had one game in which he has carried the ball 20 times, but it hasn't stopped him from going over the century mark in rushing. He got only 12 attempts in USC's 51-21 blowout win over Stanford, but gained 113 yards and scored once to give him 14 touchdowns of the year (11 rushing, two receiving and one on special teams).

DeAngelo Williams Memphis: Though he doesn't receive the publicity as the other top contenders due to where he plays, Williams is once again among the NCAA leaders in rushing with 1476 yards and 12 scores. He averages a gaudy 6.8 yards per carry for a 4-4 team in danger of missing post-season play, which may hurt his chances. Like the other top backs, look for him to make an immediate impact in the NFL in 2006.

Lawrence Maroney Minnesota: Like Bush, Maroney's numbers are affecting by the fact he also has a talented runner backing him up, Gary Russell. This duo is the catalyst in a Golden Gophers rushing attack that is ranked #1 in the country by a wide margin. Maroney is averaging 5.4 yards per attempt, while gaining 1345 yards and scoring ten touchdowns. He has went over 200 yards in a game three times for the 6-3 Gophers.

Brian Calhoun Wisconsin: Despite the fact that the Badgers hopes to send head coach Barry Alvarez with another Big 10 title was ended by Penn State a week ago, this has been a special season in Madison and Calhoun has been one of the main reasons. The senior had to sit out a year after transferring from Colorado, but it was worth the wait for Wisconsin fans, as he's gained 1256 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground and in the process, Calhoun's stock in the 2006 NFL Draft has risen dramatically.
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