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NEW MEXICO:Powerful running back who led the Mountain West Conference in rushing in 2006 and was a two-time first team all-MWC selection (2006-07)...league coaches/media voted him to the all-MWC second team in 2008, but he earned first team honors for a third time from several national publications...after being declared academically ineligible for the 2007 New Mexico Bowl he responded by passing 18 credit hours with a 3.27 GPA in the spring and turning his finest offseason...teammates recognized his improved leadership by naming him a team captain...they also named him team MVP in 2006 and `07...was one of the most physical runners in the country and delivered some punishing blows with the ball in his hands...rarely brought down by the first defender and did a tremendous job of picking up yardage after contact...very patient with the ball in his hands, shifty in close quarters and could be surprisingly explosive when he got into the open field...very good hands out of the backfield as well...a strong pass blocker and could play fullback if needed...tied DonTrell Moore's program record with 5 straight 100-yard rushing games over the 2006-07 seasons...16 100-yard rushing games in his 46-game career (35 starts)...had 100+ yards from scrimmage in 19 of his last 27 games and 21 times in his career...averaged 123 yards from scrimmage (3,315 total) in his last 27 games...averaged 104 rushing yards (2,803 total) and 18 receiving yards (490 total) during that span...finished his career as one of the greatest running backs in UNM and MWC history...was the 3rd Lobo RB to post 3 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, joining DonTrell Moore (2002-05) and Mike Williams (1976-78)...ranks among the top-10 on the UNM career lists for rushing yards (3,564 - 3rd), rushing attempts (778 - 3rd), rushing TDs (34 - 2nd) and total TDs (37 - 3rd)...4,231 career yards from scrimmage (92.0/game) is good for 4th all-time...ranks 2nd on the MWC career rushing list and is the 2nd MWC player with 3 1,000-yard seasons...2-time MWC Offensive Player of the Week...remarkably durable, missing just 6 quarters his entire career due to injury.2008 (SENIOR): `08 HIGHLIGHTS: (at Colorado State)...Tallied 98 yards from scrimmage on just 18 touches, including 85 yards on 14 carries (6.1 avg.) in his final game...carried the ball just 3 times (7 yards) in the 2nd half as UNM went to a quick passing attack...(at UNLV)...Finished with 152 yards from scrimmage on 27 touches (5.6 avg.), including 123 on 25 rushing attempts (long of 27)...found the end zone from 5 yards out to give UNM a 14-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter...(at Air Force)...Notched his second 100-yard game in 5 days, finishing with 107 on 19 attempts...ripped off a season-long run of 47 yards and later scored a 2-yard TD on a 4th down play...hurdled a Falcon DB in the open field to find the end zone...played through flu-like symptoms that briefly sidelined him in the 2nd quarter...(vs. San Diego State)...Led a dominant rushing effort to earn MWC Offensive Player of the Week honors...piled up 149 yards (25 carries) and tied his career high with 4 TDs in just over 2 quarters of play in the Lobos' blowout victory...finished his day at the 10:35 mark of the 3rd quarter after bursting through the middle for a 35-yard score...converted all 4 of his 3rd down rushing attempts and a 4th-and-3 play, gaining a total of 52 yards on those attempts...(at No. 8 BYU)...Went right at the Cougar defense early in the game, setting the tone as the Lobos' went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's premier teams...finished with 86 yards on 24 attempts...long of 17 and picked up 5 yards on a gutsy 4th-and-1 run from his own 15 in the 1st quarter...(at New Mexico State)...Finished with 49 yards on 15 carries at a TD...left at the 7:27 mark of the 1st quarter with a shoulder injury...came back into the game, primarily as a short-yardage specialist, early in the 2nd quarter, but left again for good late in the 3rd quarter...it was the first time he had ever missed significant time due to injury...showed great toughness, however, and still had a big impact...first carry after the injury was a 1 yard TD after he ran over the linebacker on a 3rd-and-goal play...converted 3 3rd downs and a 4th-and-1 play after re-entering the game...(at Tulsa)...Was a bright spot for the offense on a night where starting QB Donovan Porterie suffered a season-ending knee injury...rushed for 122 yards on 27 carries, including a 37-yard TD...also had a 4-yard catch...broke into the secondary for a 20-yard gain on his 2nd run and initiated a massive collision, knocking the Tulsa DB out of the game...(vs. Arizona)...Shined in the Lobos' nationally televised upset of the previously undefeated Wildcats...pounded out 158 yards on 26 rushing attempts, battering a defense that entered the game allowing just 69 yards/game on the ground...gave the Lobos' their first lead with a perfect 25-yard TD pass across the field to QB Donovan Porterie...scored on TD runs of 25 and 10 yards...(vs. Texas A&M)...Piled up 157 scrimmage yards on 24 touches, including a game-high 135 yards rushing with 2 TDs on 19 carries...burst through the line for a 45-yard touchdown - his longest in 14 games - to cut the Aggie lead to 14-7 late in the 1st quarter...also had runs of 19 and 18 yards in the 1st half...5 catches for 22 yards.
2007 (JUNIOR): `07 HIGHLIGHTS: vs. UNLV...Churned out 115 yards on 24 carries, including a 1 yard TD plunge...wore the Rebels down with 106 yards on 21 carries over the final 3 quarters...also had 3 catches for 15 yards...sealed off the Rebels' standout LB Beau Bell on WR Marcus Smith's 63-yard screen pass TD...at Utah...Finished with 110 yards from scrimmage (51 rushing/59 receiving) on 21 touches (5.2 avg.)...scored from 2 yards out on a 4th-and-1 play to cut the deficit to 14-7 early in the 3rd quarter...50-yard catch on the opening play of the game...vs. Colorado State...Excellent game, pounding out 110 punishing yards on 20 carries...was outstanding after contact, often shedding 2 and 3 would-be tacklers at the line of scrimmage to pick up big gains...vs. Air Force...Carried the offense with a big performance in a nationally-televised win...rushed for a season-high 146 yards and 2 TDs on a career-high 41 carries en route to MWC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his his career...rushing attempts were the 2nd-most in UNM and MWC history...carried the ball 24 times for 92 yards in the 2nd half...scored both TDs on 4th-and-1 plays, finding the end zone from a yard out on the opening drive of the game and 3 yards out late in the 3rd quarter...sealed the victory with yet another 4th-and-1 conversion to allow time to run out...at San Diego State...Held to 78 yards rushing, but won the game for the Lobos, plowing through a pair of defenders on a 6-yard TD run with 15 seconds left in the 4th quarter...also picked up 6 yards on a 4th-and-1 play from the SDSU 21 on the final drive...also had 2 grabs for 16 yards...at Wyoming...Set the early tone, going right at the MWC's top ranked rushing defense...had 63 yards on 10 1st quarter carries, including a season-long 30-yard run...finished with 89 yards on 26 attempts...was held under 100 scrimmage yards for the first time in 9 games, but set up the biggest play of the game following a 2-hour weather delay at the end of the 2nd quarter...spun out of a pile to convert a 3rd-and-1 play, leading to a 63-yard UNM TD pass on the next play...vs. BYU...Tremendous effort against the defending MWC champions...racked up 192 yards from scrimmage on just 26 touches (7.4 avg.), including a career-high 105 receiving yards on 4 catches...also had 87 yards rushing on 22 carries...found the end zone 3 more times...scored on the ground from 1 yard out and again on a fine, patient run from the 5...closed the 3rd quarter with a 71-yard TD on a screen pass to tie the game at 21...got several big blocks to go untouched into the end zone on the Lobos' longest offensive play in 2 years...vs. Sacramento State...Cruised to 129 rushing yards on just 18 carries (7.2 avg.) in just 3 quarters...scored 4 rushing TDs, matching the 2nd-best scoring effort in school history...found the endzone from 6, 10, 4 and 17 yards out...season-long run of 27 yards...at Arizona...Bottled up early, but never quit pounding one of the Pac-10's most experienced and talented defenses...finished with a game-high 94 yards on 26 carries, including 71 yards on 14 carries in the 2nd half...clinched the Lobos' landmark road win with a long run of 17 on 3rd-and-9 from the UNM 41 with 1:23 play...spun out of a pile at the line of scrimmage and picked up the final 8 yards after losing a shoe...lone blemish was a fumble at the Arizona 2-yard line as he struggled toward the end zone...added 3 catches for 26 yards for a total of 120 yards from scrimmage...vs. New Mexico State...Rushed for 118 yards on 26 attempts with 2 TDs...shoved a would-be tackler out of his way en route to a long run of 25 yards...appeared to have a 64-yard TD run, but officials ruled his foot grazed the sideline 15 yards downfield...at UTEP...Turned in another physically dominant performance against the Miners, pounding out a game-high 132 yards on 33 carries - the second-highest total of his career - en route to his fourth straight 100-yard game...also added 2 catches for 24 yards.
2006 (SOPHOMORE): `06 HIGHLIGHTS: New Mexico Bowl (vs. San Jose State)...Finished with 180 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches...game-high 102 yards rushing, including a long of 35...also had a 20-yard run...had a career and game-high 8 catches for 78 yards - also a career-high...lost a pair of fumbles, however, including a pivotal play in the second quarter when he tried to dive into the end zone to tie the game at 7...he had gone five straight games without dropping the ball before the bowl game...vs. San Diego State...Was unstoppable through 3 quarters, rushing for a career-high 210 yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries in the bowl-clinching victory...sat out the entire 4th quarter after helping the Lobos stake a 41-0 lead...became the 7th Lobo over 200 yards in a game and had the 7th-highest single-game total in school history...picked up 85 yards on 9 1st quarter carries, including a 26-yard TD, and erupted for 109 on 8 attempts in the 3rd quarter...broke off a career-long 49-yard TD run on a 3rd-and-1 play midway through the 3rd, cutting against the grain at the 15 to elude a pair of defenders...picked up 31 more yards on his next carry to set up another Lobo TD...finished with 4 runs of 20+ yards...at No. 23 BYU...Ran right at the MWC champions, finishing with a game-high 138 yards on 20 carries - the most yards by an opposing RB against the Cougars in `06...broke free for a 45-yard run on the first play of the 3rd quarter to set up a Lobo TD...also had 3 catches for 23 yards, giving him 161 rushing/receiving yards on the day...did a fine job of pass blocking as well, not allowing any sacks or clean hits on the QB...vs. TCU...Outstanding second half effort against the nation's 4th-ranked rushing defense...pounded out 71 bruising yards on 21 carries, including 65 on 13 attempts after halftime...rushing total was the most TCU allowed all year...helped ignite a furious comeback, ripping off a 45-yard TD run on the Lobos' 2nd play of the 2nd half...put the offense on his shoulders after starting QB Donovan Porterie was lost to an injury...tallied 43 of the 47 yards, including a 26-yard gain on a screen play and 2-yard TD plunge, on back-up Chris Nelson's first drive...finished with 46 yards on 3 catches for 117 all-purpose yards...at Colorado State...Rushed for 80 yards on 21 carries...scored a 5-yard TD in a strong 1st quarter and punished the Rams late with 31 yards on 7 4th quarter rushes...had 26 of the Lobos' 63 yards on the game-winning FG drive in the final minutes of play...vs. Utah...Hit his stride when the team needed him most, gaining 59 of his 81 yards on 5 4th quarter carries...picked up 17 on a 3rd-and-4 play from the Utah 22, setting up a TD early in the 4th...had 37 yards rushing/receiving on the Lobos' game-wining 78-yard TD drive and kicked out Utah All-American Eric Weddle on Martelius Epps' go-ahead TD run...at Air Force...Bottled up on the ground (12 att. - 36 yds.), but was a weapon in the passing game, finishing with 3 catches for 73 yards...took a screen pass 58 yards for a TD in the 2nd quarter...109 all-purpose yards...vs. UTEP...Breakthrough performance against a veteran defense, rushing for 162 yards on a career-high 34 carries - 19 more than his previous best...took control of the game in the 2nd half, picking up 95 yards on 21 carries...had 39 yards (9 attempts) against a 9-man front on the Lobos' final 2 possessions in the final 8 minutes of the game...also 3 receptions for 5 yards...scored his first career receiving TD from 8 yards out...vs. Missouri...Picked up 69 tough yards on 12 carries (5.8 avg.), including a long of 19...broke tackles throughout the night against one of the nation's premier defensive fronts...vs. Portland State...Made his first career start and was the featured back...carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards, including a long of 21...active on special teams as well, recording a pair of solo tackles. 2004 (TRUE FRESHMAN): HIGH SCHOOL:A 2004 graduate of Albuquerque Manzano HS...two-time all-state running back who led Class 5A rushers with 1,543 yards and 23 TDs as a senior...a three-time first-team all-metro pick...totaled 1,858 yards and 20 TDs his junior season...played for head coach Aaron Ocampo, a former Lobo...two-year starter for the Monarchs' in basketball...second team all-city as a junior...averaged 24 points a game...also ran track for two seasons.PERSONAL:Born Aug. 25, 1986, in Flint, Mich...full name is Rodney Laurence Ferguson II...son of Rodney Ferguson Sr...major is University Studies. |
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