UMass is hoping that rising sophomore running back Marquis Young’s strong finish to his rookie season will be a launch point for a strong sophomore campaign.
The Maxwell Award has taken notice. Young was named to the watch list for the award, which annually goes to the national player of the year.
Young rushed for team-leading 960 yards and seven touchdowns on 152 carries as a freshman. He gained more carries and responsibility as the season progressed. He averaged 80.0 yards per game for the year, but averaged 111.5 per contest in the second half of the season. He capped the year with 240 yards in the Minutemen’s 31-26 win at Buffalo.
To get from the 88-player watchlist to winning would require an impressive season for the native of Western New York.
No player outside a power conference program (or Notre Dame) has won the award since BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990.
Alabama tailback Derrick Henry claimed the honor a year ago.
It’s likely that Young could also be on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on Halloween.
KILLINGS TO UCONN — Former UMass player and Amherst High School alum Dwayne Killings, an assistant coach at Temple, has been hired as an assistant coach at UConn, according to OwlScoop.com.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage