University of Houston Athletics
Record Game Gets Reynolds Conference Honor
11/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 11, 2002
Two days after setting both a University of Houston and Conference USA single-game rushing record, Cougar senior running back Joffrey Reynolds (Tyler, Texas) was selected Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, the league office in Chicago announced today.
Reynolds becomes the third Cougar this year to be honored with player-of-the-week accolades, joining free safety Hanik Milligan (Sept. 2) and kicker Dustin Bell (Sept. 16) on the C-USA award stand. Ironically, Reynolds becomes the first UH offensive winner since Sept. 18, 2000, when he won the award with his 201 yards rushing against Army.
Reynolds racked up an even 300 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 41 carries in the thrilling 54-48 triple overtime loss to East Carolina last Saturday, Nov. 9, at John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium. He became the first Cougar to ever rush for 300 yards in a game, topping the former school record of 282 yards set by Paul Gipson against Tulsa on Nov. 23, 1968. The former C-USA record was also 282 yards, previously set by Cincinnati's Daryl Royal against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 28, 1996.
The 41 carries also is a Cougar record, breaking the old one of 37 rushes held twice by Gipson against Georgia (Nov. 2, 1968) and against Memphis State (Nov. 9, 1968). It is the second-highest single-game total in Conference USA history, tying Cincinnati's DeMarco McCleskey against East Carolina on Nov. 5, 1998.
The 300 yards rushing is the third-highest rushing total posted this season in Division I-A football, trailing the 377 tallied by Central Michigan's Robbie Mixon against Eastern Michigan last week and the 309 Chris Brown of Colorado rushed for versus Kansas on Oct. 12.
Reynolds' 41 totes is third-best this season, tying Troy State's LaBarron Black (Oct. 26 versus Florida Atlantic) and trailing the 46 posted by SMU's Keylon Kincaide on October 19 against Louisiana Tech and Mixon's 43 in the aforementioned EMU contest.
Overall, Reynolds is now fifth in the nation in rushing with 140.11 yards per game, trailing CU?s Brown (161.7 ypg.), Michael Turner of Northern Illinois (147.7), West Virginia's Avon Cobourne (140.90) and Penn State's Larry Johnson (140.90).
With his record-breaking performance against the Pirates, Reynolds moved further up the career-rushing ladder and added his name to the UH single-season record books as well. He moved past Alois Blackwell (1975-77) into fifth place in school history in that category with his career mark of 2,663 and now trails Paul Gipson (1966-68) and his 2,769 yards by just 106 yards.
Reynolds also posted the 12th 100-yard rushing game of his collegiate career and moved into sole possession of fifth place in school history in that category, trailing Robert Newhouse (16), Ketric Sanford and Chuck Weatherspoon (15) and Gipson's 14. Reynolds became just the fifth Cougar player in school history to record at least two 200-yard rushing games during his career, joining Newhouse (4), Gipson (4), Jim Strong (2) and Weatherspoon (2).
With the four touchdowns against ECU, Reynolds recorded the 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd rushing touchdowns of his career, moving past Blackwell into sole possession of fifth place. He also passed Ted Heiskell (1968-70), Antowain Smith (1995-96), Newhouse and Strong along the way.
The century output against the Pirates was his fourth straight, and again he finds his name alongside Blackwell, becoming the first Cougar back to rush for four straight 100-yard games since Blackwell had five straight towards the end of the 1977 season.
Reynolds topped 1,000 yards in the game with his 72-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and now has 1,261 yards rushing this season, which currently places him fourth-best in a season behind Newhouse (1971, 1,757 yards), Gipson (1968, 1,550) and Strong (1969, 1,293).
His 2002 rushing attempt total of 225 is already third-best with three games to go, trailing Newhouse's 277 and Gipson's 242. Finally, he has 10 rushing touchdowns this season, and the school record is 14 set by Antowain Smith in 1996.
Reynolds can add to his totals this week, when the Cougars hit the road for the final time this season, traveling to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats in a crucial game for both squads. Kickoff is slated for noon CST at Nippert Stadium.
-UHCougars.com-
