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Pumphrey (offensive) and Penny (special teams) earn MW weekly accolades
Source: goaztecs.com press release
Photo: Rashaad Penny (left) and Donnel Pumphrey via goaztecs.com
September 12, 2016 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - San Diego State football players Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) have each been named Mountain West Players of the Week, the league announced today. Pumphrey was chosen as the MW Offensive Player of the Week, while Penny garnered MW Special Teams Player-of-the-Week accolades.
The duo combined for five touchdowns in the Aztecs’ 45-40 win over California Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium. It is Pumphrey’s fifth career MW weekly honor and Penny’s second award.
Pumphrey had a career-high 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries (9.7 avg.) on his way to breaking Marshall Faulk’s SDSU career rushing record. The 281 rushing yards were the fifth most in a game in program history, the most in the country this year by 32 yards and the most by a current “Group of 5” player vs. a current “Power 5” team since East Carolina’s Scott Harley had 361 yards vs. North Carolina State on Nov. 30, 1996.
It was Pumphrey’s 23rd career 100-yard rushing game, which ties Faulk for the most in program history, and third career 200-yard game. He also added a team-high-tying four catches for 29 yards.
On the season, Pumphrey has rushed 50 times for 379 yards (7.6 avg.) and four touchdowns, while adding eight catches for 70 yards (8.8 avg.). Pumphrey leads the nation in rushing yards (379), and ranks second in all-purpose yards (449), seventh in rushing touchdowns (tied, 4), 12th in points (24) and 18th in rushing yards per carry (7.58).
Penny, meanwhile, scored San Diego State’s first two touchdowns in the first quarter on a 25-yard pass from Christian Chapman and a 100-yard kick return. The kick return touchdown was the fourth of his career, which passed Colin Lockett (2010-13) for the most in school history. It was also the third 100-yard kick return of his career and sixth in program history.
Penny is one of eight players with a kick return touchdown this season. Among the active career FBS leaders, Penny is ranked second in kick return average (31.2) and in a tie for fourth in kick return touchdowns (4).
Winners of 12 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the country behind defending national champion Alabama (14), and off to their first 2-0 start since 2011, the Aztecs travel to DeKalb, Ill., to take on Northern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. PT) Saturday. The Huskies (0-2) are 31-2 (.939) at home, the best home record in FBS play since 2010. NIU joins SDSU and Boise State as the only “Group of 5” teams to play in at least six consecutive bowl games.
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