Sweeney Maintains National Rushing Lead for Fourth Straight Week
Claremont, Calif. - Junior running back Luke Sweeney (Broken
Arrow, Okla.) of Pomona-Pitzer has maintained the national lead in
rushing (all divisions) for the fourth week in a row, according to
the NCAA Football statistics released today.
Despite being held to a season-low 56 yards in a loss to nationally
ranked Cal Lutheran on Saturday, Sweeney still averages 173.8 yards
per game, giving him a lead of 3.2 yards over Jonas Randolph of
Division II Mars Hill (170.6 ypg) in all divisions. LaMichael James
of Oregon averages 170.4 yards per game, but has missed the last
two contests with an injury and has not played in enough games to
officially qualify for the NCAA statistics leaders (which require
an athlete to play in a minimum of 75 percent of his team's
games).
In Division III, Sweeney still has a healthy lead of 14.4 yards
over the second-place rusher, which is now Chris D'Andrea of
Montclair State in New Jersey. Johrone Bunch of Mount Ida, who was
second behind Sweeney last week, is now third at 155.1 yards per
game.
In fact, only eight rushers in all NCAA divisions combined are
rushing for over 150 yards per game, five of whom play at the
Division III level. Randolph and Richard Haley of
Minnesota-Crookston (154.8 ypg) are over that milestone at the
Division II level, while Shakir Bell of Indiana State (156.0 ypg)
leads everyone at the FCS level (formerly I-AA).
Sweeney also holds the national lead if you include all four-year
institutions, including the NAIA. Chance Demarais of Carroll
(Mont.) leads all NAIA rushers with 158.3 yards per game.
Sweeney and the Sagehens will be back in action this weekend when
they travel to Whittier for a 7 p.m. contest.
National Rushing Leaders - All Four-Year Schools (150 ypg or
more)
YPG Name, School (Division)
173.8 Luke Sweeney, Pomona-Pitzer (III)
170.6 Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill (II)
170.4 LaMichael James, Oregon (FBS)*
159.4 Chris D'Andrea, Montclair State (III)
158.3 Chance Demarais, Carroll (NAIA)
156.0 Shakir Bell, Indiana State (FCS)
155.1 Johrone Bunch, Mt. Ida (III)
154.8 Richard Haley, Minnesota-Crookston (II)
152.3 Melikke Van Alstyne, Framingham State (III)
150.3 Marcus Price, Worcester State (III)
* has not played in enough games to officially qualify
