Ollie Gordon Earns Doak Walker Finalist! He’s Top Three
(This story originated with Oklahoma State University athletic media relations and was written by Sean Maguire.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon IIis one of three finalists for the 2023 Doak Walker National Collegiate Running Back Award, announced Tuesday by ESPN and the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
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 (1,580), rushing yards per game (131.7), 100-yard rushing games (8), 150-yard rushing games (5), 200-yard rushing games (2), 250-yard rushing games (2) and carries of at least 30 yards (14), 40 yards (7) and 70 yards (2). He is second in rushing touchdowns (20), total touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards (1,852).
His performances against Kansas, West Virginia and Cincinnati made him 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.
He followed that with another impressive performance in a Bedlam win over No. 9 Oklahoma, producing 156 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
In his most recent games, he rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns in a comeback win at Houston, and then put up 166 yards and a school-record matching five rushing touchdowns against BYU to help send the Cowboys to the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship. The only other Cowboy to score five rushing touchdowns in a game is Barry Sanders.
Gordon is joined as a Doak Walker Award finalist by North Carolina's Omarion Hampton (1,442 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns) and Missouri's Cody Schrader (1,499 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns).
The 2023 Doak Walker Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 8 from 6-8 p.m. CT. The formal presentation of the award will take place on the SMU campus at the annual banquet scheduled for February 16, 2024.
Gordon and the Cowboys return to action Saturday, facing No. 7 Texas in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship in AT&T Stadium at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.