Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Kenneth Walker III Added to Maxwell Award Player of the Year Watch List
10/7/2021 12:53:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III has been named a midseason addition to the Maxwell Award Player of the Year Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Wednesday.
A transfer from Wake Forest, Walker is having a dynamic start to the season. Walker leads the FBS in rushing (680 yards; 136.0 ypg) and also ranks among the nation's leaders in scoring (fourth at 10.8 ppg), total touchdowns (fourth with 9), rushing TDs (sixth with 8), yards per carry (13th with 6.8 avg.) and all-purpose yards (16th with 139.4 ypg). According to Pro Football Focus, Walker leads the country in rushing yards after contact (515) and ranks second in the FBS with 19 rushes of 10-plus yards.
Walker had a record-setting debut as a Spartan, rushing for a career-high 264 yards – the seventh-highest total in school history – while scoring a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Spartans past Northwestern on Sept. 3. It marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan in a debut wearing the Green and White and the second most by a player in the FBS this season. Walker became just the second Spartan to record more than 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the same game (Eric Allen, school-record 350 yards and four TDs vs. Purdue on Oct. 30, 1971).
After seeing limited action in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State (seven carries for 57 yards, 1 TD, 8.1 avg.), Walker was back at it in the victory at No. 24 Miami on Sept. 18, compiling 172 yards on the ground on 27 carries (6.4 avg.) while also catching three passes for 17 yards, including his first career TD reception on a 7-yard screen pass in the second quarter.
Walker had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries in the victory over Western Kentucky in Week 5. He scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) and now has eight rushing TDs this season. It marked the eighth 100-yard rushing game in Walker's collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; three at Michigan State in 2021).
Walker is averaging 155.8 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents this season (264 vs. Northwestern; 172 vs. Miami; 61 vs. Nebraska; 126 vs. Western Kentucky).
No. 11/11 Michigan State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Rutgers (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten). The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
A transfer from Wake Forest, Walker is having a dynamic start to the season. Walker leads the FBS in rushing (680 yards; 136.0 ypg) and also ranks among the nation's leaders in scoring (fourth at 10.8 ppg), total touchdowns (fourth with 9), rushing TDs (sixth with 8), yards per carry (13th with 6.8 avg.) and all-purpose yards (16th with 139.4 ypg). According to Pro Football Focus, Walker leads the country in rushing yards after contact (515) and ranks second in the FBS with 19 rushes of 10-plus yards.
Walker had a record-setting debut as a Spartan, rushing for a career-high 264 yards – the seventh-highest total in school history – while scoring a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Spartans past Northwestern on Sept. 3. It marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan in a debut wearing the Green and White and the second most by a player in the FBS this season. Walker became just the second Spartan to record more than 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the same game (Eric Allen, school-record 350 yards and four TDs vs. Purdue on Oct. 30, 1971).
After seeing limited action in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State (seven carries for 57 yards, 1 TD, 8.1 avg.), Walker was back at it in the victory at No. 24 Miami on Sept. 18, compiling 172 yards on the ground on 27 carries (6.4 avg.) while also catching three passes for 17 yards, including his first career TD reception on a 7-yard screen pass in the second quarter.
Walker had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries in the victory over Western Kentucky in Week 5. He scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) and now has eight rushing TDs this season. It marked the eighth 100-yard rushing game in Walker's collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; three at Michigan State in 2021).
Walker is averaging 155.8 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents this season (264 vs. Northwestern; 172 vs. Miami; 61 vs. Nebraska; 126 vs. Western Kentucky).
No. 11/11 Michigan State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Rutgers (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten). The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
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