Ollie Gordon is a Walter Camp & Doak Walker Semifinalist; Hale Semifinalist for the Groza
(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to this story that originated with Oklahoma State University athletic media relations that was written by Sean Maguire.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Doak Walker National Collegiate Running Back Award, announced Tuesday by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum. He was also tabbed one of 10 semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, which was announced by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The news comes just a week after he was also named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year. Cowboys kicker Alex Hale, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award with voting already underway, also took home the Groza’s weekly star of the week for the third time this season.
A three-time Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week and four-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Gordon leads the FBS in nearly every major rushing category, including rushing yards (1,414), rushing yards per game (128.5), 200-yard rushing games (2) and carries of at least 20 yards (18), 30 yards (14), 40 yards (7) and 70 yards (2).
His performances against Kansas, West Virginia and Cincinnati made home the only FBS player in the past 10 years with 250 scrimmage yards in three straight games, and his 282 rushing yards at West Virginia are the most for any FBS player in a game this season.
Gordon also put together a streak of six straight games with more than 120 yards rushing and two straight games with more than 270 yards rushing. His games against WVU and Cincinnati marked the most rushing yards for an OSU player in a two-game span (553) since Heisman-winner Barry Sanders posted 625 yards against Iowa and Texas Tech in 1988.
He followed that with another impressive performance in a Bedlam win over No. 9 Oklahoma, producing 156 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
The field of Doak Walker Award semifinalists includes four Big 12 players to mark the most of any conference, and six total FBS conferences are represented.
Here is the list of the 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award:
(in alphabetical order)
Jonathan Brooks, Texas
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
Maurice Carroll, Georgia State
Blake Corum, Michigan
Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
R.J. Harvey, UCF
Damien Martinez, Oregon State
Cody Schrader, Missouri
Kimani Vidal, Troy
Three finalists for the 2023 Doak Walker Award will be announced in one week and the winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 8. The formal presentation of the award will take place on the SMU campus at the annual banquet scheduled for February 16, 2024.
Hale made all three of his field goal attempts on Saturday to move up to the third-most field goals (24) and third-most field goal attempts (30) by a Cowboy in a single season. His makes came from 46, 44 and 21 yards out, and they accounted for OSU's first points of the game, three points as the clock hit zeros to close the first half and a kick to increase OSU's lead to 13 points with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game. He added four PATs to account for 13 total points on the day.
A senior from Point Frederick, New South Wales, Australia, Hale has kicked multiple field goals in eight games this season and he leads all FBS kickers with 24 field goals made on the year. His 106 points scored on the season leads the team and ranks in the top 10 among all FBS players this year.
Gordon, Hale, and the Cowboys return to action Saturday for the regular season finale in Boone Pickens Stadium, facing BYU at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.