VERMILLION, S.D. — L.J. Phillips Jr. garnered national attention for his breakout performance against Northern Colorado Saturday afternoon in the DakotaDome, earning STATS Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week.
In his first career start, Phillips Jr. exploded onto the scene with 301 rushing yards on 35 carries for the Coyotes in front of the home crowd for the first time this season. He broke off a pair of 40-yard rushes on the day, while averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
He had nearly 200 yards on 16 carries in the first half alone en route to his USD Division I FCS era record for rushing yards in a game. Later in the day, he would score his second touchdown of the day in the first possession of overtime from 13 yards out to secure the first win for Johansen.
He set a multitude of career highs on the day with rushing yards (301), carries (35), and longest rush (47 yards). His two touchdowns matched a career-best, while posting his second career multi-touchdown game and his fourth career game with a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. became just the second Coyote in program history to have 300+ yards rushing in a game, the first in the Division I era. He also became the first Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) rusher to have 300+ yards in a game, the first since 2012.
This marks the first-career national recognition for Phillips Jr. in his career.
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