University of Houston Athletics
Ward Named Earl Campbell Award Finalist
12/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON - Already a finalist for the Manning Award, Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has been named a finalist for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, the award's selection committee announced Monday.
Ward ranks in the top 20 in five of the NCAA's recognized stat categories: completion percentage (10th), passing efficiency (18th), points responsible for (11th), points responsible for per game (15th) and rushing TDs (second). He is fifth nationally in scoring among non-kickers with 114 points.
The junior has broken 12 Houston or The American records this season while tying three others.
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The electrifying Ward is fourth nationally with 16 rushing attempts of at least 20 yards and nine rushing attempts of at least 30 yards and. Both numbers lead all FBS quarterbacks.
With 19 rushing touchdowns and 16 passing touchdowns, Ward is 15th nationally in points responsible per game with 16.2 points per game.
Ward set the Houston single-season record for 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback when he picked up his third with 119 yards on the ground vs. Cincinnati. With the performance, he set the Houston career record for games with 100+ yards rushing and 100+ yards passing with his third game this year. The Tyler, Texas, native added his fourth 100-yard rushing game last Saturday with 148 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in Houston's win over Temple in The American Athletic Conference Championship, earning game MVP honors in the process.
With 46 yards at UCF, he broke the Houston single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback of 656 set by Lionel Wilson in 1981. Ward became the 25th player in Houston history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season with his 148 yards against Temple and currently sits at 1,041 rushing yards on the season.
With his four rushing touchdowns vs. SMU, Ward broke the Houston QB rushing touchdowns records for a single game and a season, snapping the previous record of nine from Case Keenum in 2007.
With one rushing touchdown vs. Vanderbilt, he took sole possession of the Houston single-season touchdown record, regardless of position, breaking the previous record of 15 set by running back Jackie Battle in 2006. Ward also took sole possession of the career rushing TDs by a quarterback record with his 24th career score, breaking a tie held with Keenum.
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Ward collected his third straight game with at least three rushing touchdowns with three scores on the ground at Tulane, the third-longest streak on the FBS level over the last 10 seasons. Ward has multiple rushing touchdowns in five games this season.
The junior ranks fifth on the Houston career rushing touchdowns chart with 27 career scores, one away from fourth.
Ward broke the Houston QB career rushing yards record vs. Tulane with 77 yards as he now has 1,790 career rushing yards, surpassing the previous record of 1,338 yards set by Lionel Wilson from 1980-83.
He is ninth on the Houston career passing yards chart with 4,910 yards and seventh on the UH career total offense chart with 6,700 yards of total offense.
Ward has been responsible for a touchdown, either passing or rushing, in 19 of his last 21 games.
The junior won his 18th game as Houston's starting quarterback with the win over Temple to move into sole possession of fifth on the Houston career victory chart.
Ward leads the Cougars with a .900 (18-2) winning percentage as starting quarterback. Gary Mullins ranks second in school history with a .833 (25-5) percentage. They are the only QBs in UH history with 10+ starts and a winning percentage over .800.
The winner of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award will be announced at the award banquet in Tyler, Texas on Jan. 13, 2016.
Ward and No. 14/16/18 Houston face No. 9/8/9 Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. CT in Atlanta.
