University of Richmond Athletics
Hightower Earns CAA Football, National Offensive Player of the Week Awards
Sept. 24, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond senior RB Tim Hightower has been named the CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, becoming the CAA's first repeat winner of the award. The senior was also tabbed National Offensive Player of the Week by both the Sports Network and College Sporting News. The accolades come after Hightower ran over Bucknell for a school record 295 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday.
The honor from the Sports Network is his second in three weeks and his first from CSN.
Hightower led the No. 25 Spiders (2-1) to their second-straight win, a 45-14 win over the Bison in Lewisburg, Pa. The senior's single-game total, also the seventh-best single-game rushing mark in league annals, came on just 24 carries and ranks as the highest single-game total this season among all FCS level teams and the second-best in major college football.
The Waldorf, Md., native, who scored four TD's on runs of 57, 52, 37 and 36, now owns two of the top-five single-game national (FCS and BCS) rushing marks this season (after putting up 246 yards at Northeastern Sept. 8).
Hightower, who broke the Spider single-game record of 280 yards on 51 carries set by Barry Redden against Penn, Nov. 26, 1981, now ranks second in the country with a 204.7 yard/game average. The Spider workhorse has amassed 541 yards on 43 carries (12.6 yd/carry) over the last two games, while six of his nine total touchdowns this season have come on rushes longer than 36 yards.
Richmond is home for the first time in 2007, hosting nationally-ranked New Hampshire Saturday at UR Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on the Spiders' annual Family Weekend.
Top Rushing Performances in the NCAA this season:
1. Matt Forte, Tulane (SE La. 9/22) -- 40-305 yds., 5 TD
2. Tim Hightower, UR (Bucknell 9/22) -- 24-295 yds., 4 TD
3. Anthony Allen, Louisville (MTSU 9/6) -- 35-278 yds., 2 TD
4. Jayson Foster, Ga. So. (Cos. Car. 9/15) -- 34-253 yds., 6 TD
5. Tim Hightower, UR (Northeastern 9/8) -- 19-246 yds., 4 TD