Brashard Smith named semifinalist for Doak Walker Award for nation's top RB
SMU running back Brashard Smith, who converted from wide receiver before this season to play running back, was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, it was announced Tuesday.
Smith has 1,026 rushing yards on just 158 carries this season, totaling 12 touchdowns. He’s also added 26 receptions for 203 yards and two receiving scores, which only adds to what he can do for Rhett Lashlee’s offense.
“Brashard’s a home run guy,” Lashlee said after the win over Boston College. “We’re kind of disappointed he didn’t score on that one before half. And then we had him open again on the linebacker on the fade, we just didn’t give him a chance like we did on the one we got the PI. That’d have been big, but those guys are playmakers, and so I think that’s what coaching is, is just put guys in position to do what they do best and let them play and don’t put them in a box. There has to be some guidelines, there’s got to be some structure and discipline, but let them go play. It’s a player’s game, and we’re going to trust those guys to the end.”
Brashard Smith has over 100 all-purpose yards in nine of 10 games on the season and his 1,470 total yards are already 12th in a single-season for SMU.
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The prestigious Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to honor the nation’s most outstanding collegiate running back. Named for the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner and three-time All-America selection from SMU, the Doak Walker Award recognizes a football player’s outstanding performance on the field, as well as his achievements in the community and in the classroom.
This is the first time SMU has started at least 6-0 in conference play in back-to-back seasons and the Mustangs are awaiting their latest College Football Playoff ranking to be revealed Tuesday night.