THE FLATS – Georgia Tech freshman running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Dalton, Ga./Dalton) is one of four student-athletes on this week’s Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll, which honors college football’s four most versatile players of the week, the Louisville Sports Commission announced on Monday.
Gibbs earned the award on the strength of his historic performance against Boston College on Saturday, in which he torched the Eagles for 223 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a 98-yard kickoff return for a score.
Gibbs’ 223 all-purpose yards came on 96 rushing yards (19 carries), 29 receiving yards (five receptions) and the aforementioned 98-yard kickoff return, which was Georgia Tech’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Juanyeh Thomas’ 100-yard return against Georgia in 2018.
In the process, Gibbs became the only the second NCAA Division I FBS player in the past two seasons and the first Power Five conference player since 2016 with 90 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards, 90 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns in a game. Western Michigan’s Sean Tyler (Nov. 9 vs. Akron) is the only other FBS player to accomplish the feat over the past two seasons and Minnesota’s Rodney Smith (Oct. 22, 2016 vs. Rutgers) was last Power Five player to produce the gaudy numbers prior to Gibbs.
Saturday’s game marked the third-straight contest that Gibbs has racked up at least 200 all-purpose yards and the sixth-straight in which he has produced a play of at least 50 yards. He ranks No. 2 nationally in all-purpose yardage this season with 1,680 total yards (168.0 per game). He also ranks 18th nationally in kickoff-return yardage (25.9 avg.).
Fan voting will help determine the winner of the 2021 Hornung Award, which will be presented to college football’s most versatile player of the year. To vote for Gibbs, visit www.louisvillesports.org/paul-hornung/award-poll/.
Gibbs and the Yellow Jackets return to action on Saturday at No. 6 Notre Dame. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on NBC.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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