Pitt RB Dion Lewis Named Freshman of the Year
Dave Curtis - SportingNews.com
Dec 17, 2009
Pitt running back Dion Lewis -- who rushed for a Big East-freshman-record 1,640 yards and 17 TDs (16 rushing, one receiving) -- was named Sporting News Freshman of the Year on Tuesday
Lewis, who enrolled in January, won the starting tailback job in spring practice and soon became the core of the Pitt offense. He finished the season with the third-most rushing yards in the country, and accounted for 34 percent of Pittsburgh's total offense.
The Panthers finished the season 9-3, tied for second in the Big East, and will face North Carolina on Dec. 26 in the Meineke Care Car Bowl.
"You put up numbers like that, it's guaranteed you're going to be in the Heisman race," said Philadelphia Eagles tailback LeSean McCoy, whom Lewis replaced in the Pitt backfield.
"He should (have been) in there this year, with how well the team is doing and how well the team is playing. But I guarantee you this: He ain't gonna be there for four years."
Lewis, 5-8, 195 pounds, enjoyed his best game of the regular season in the finale, a de facto conference championship game against Cincinnati. He carried a whopping 47 times that afternoon for 194 yards and three touchdowns. It marked the ninth game this season, and seventh straight, in which he eclipsed 100 yards rushing. He rushed for at least 79 yards in every game. Lewis also had six games in which he scored multiple touchdowns.
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