FAYETTEVILLE — Through seven games, Arkansas running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is posting numbers not seen in the Razorbacks’ program since Darren McFadden’s Heisman Trophy runner-up season in 2007.
Sanders is on a similar pace to McFadden’s final Arkansas campaign through seven games, though it is unlikely the sophomore running back will break McFadden’s single-season records for rushing yards and all-purpose yards that have stood for 15 years. McFadden was used in more ways than Sanders and had an incredible stretch run in 2007, including a 321-yard rushing performance against South Carolina that tied the SEC single-game record.
McFadden finished the 2007 season with 1,830 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 attempts (5.6-yard average). McFadden also caught 21 passes for 164 yards and 1 touchdown; returned 16 kickoffs for 316 yards; and completed 6 of 11 passes for 123 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Sanders is attempting to become the Razorbacks’ first SEC rushing champion since McFadden. Sanders leads the league with 870 rushing yards and 1,059 yards from scrimmage.
Sanders has scored 8 touchdowns (7 rushing, 1 receiving), the same total as McFadden (8 rushing) at this point in his final year at Arkansas.
In 2007, McFadden had 932 rushing yards and 1,003 yards from scrimmage through 7 games. McFadden was more of a workhorse and averaged 24.1 carries per game, compared to Sanders’ 20.
Sanders is averaging 6.2 yards per rushing attempt this season, whereas McFadden averaged 5.7 yards per carry at this point in 2007 against a schedule of games that included Troy, Alabama, Kentucky, North Texas, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Auburn and Ole Miss.
McFadden repeated as the Doak Walker Award winner in 2007. While a dark horse, it is not beyond reason that Sanders could challenge for that award this year.
Only Chase Brown of Illinois (1,059) and Blake Corum of Michigan (901) have more rushing yards than Sanders, and Corum leads college football with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Athlon Sports this week voted Sanders a second-team midseason All-American, behind Corum and Brown on the first team.
One record owned by McFadden that Sanders could challenge before the end of the season is games with 100 rushing yards. McFadden had 10 — a record tied by Alex Collins in 2015 — and Sanders has 5.
On his current pace, Sanders would fall just short of 2,000 all-purpose yards. McFadden is the only Arkansas player to eclipse 2,000 all-purpose yards in the same season, doing so in 2006 and 2007. He would have fallen short both years if not for kickoff returns.
Sanders does not return kickoffs.
SEC Leaders
Rocket Sanders is one of a number of Arkansas players who rank at or near the top of several SEC categories.
In addition to leading the league in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage, Sanders is tied with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels for the league lead in runs of 10-plus yards (23).
• Quarterback KJ Jefferson is tied for fourth with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with 301.2 yards of total offense per game.
• Linebackers Bumper Pool (9.43) and Drew Sanders (9) rank third and fourth, respectively, in tackles per game.
• Drew Sanders leads the league with 6.5 sacks and 3 fumbles forced, and ranks fourth with 7.5 tackles for loss.
• Dwight McGlothern ranks second with three interceptions, tied with De’Rickey Wright of Vanderbilt.
• Hudson Clark is in a four-way tie for first place with seven passes broken up. Carrington Valentine of Kentucky, Deantre Prince of Ole Miss and Kool-Aid McKinstry of Alabama have also broken up seven passes.
Awards
Several accolades have come Arkansas’ way since a 52-35 victory over BYU last Saturday in Provo, Utah.
Among them:
• Hudson Clark was named SEC co-defensive player of the week and Jim Thorpe Award player of the week. Clark had 11 tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble at BYU.
• KJ Jefferson was named one of the Manning Award stars of the week. Jefferson passed for five touchdowns against the Cougars.
• Arkansas’ offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Award honor roll. The Moore Award goes to the best offensive line in college football.
• In addition to Rocket Sanders, linebacker Drew Sanders, center Ricky Stromberg, right guard Beaux Limmer and cornerback Dwight McGlothern were named to various midseason All-America teams. Drew Sanders’ All-America honors came from The Associated Press, The Athletic, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN and The Sporting News.
• Drew Sanders was also named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the best defensive player in college football.
• Bumper Pool was named to the Vince Lombardi Award midseason watch list. The Lombardi Award is presented to the best offensive or defensive lineman, or linebacker.
Best Offensive Performances
Arkansas’ 644 yards at BYU were ninth most in program history.
Three of the Razorbacks’ top-10 offensive performances have come in the past two seasons with Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator and KJ Jefferson at quarterback.
Here is a look at Arkansas’ best offensive performances:
Yards: Opponent, Year, Result
859: Pittsburgh (Kan.) State, 1936, W 53-0
713: North Texas, 2007, W 66-7
684: Nicholls, 2014, W 73-7
677: Ole Miss, 2021, L 52-51
661: Mississippi State, 2016, W 58-42
658: TCU, 1970, W 49-14
650: South Carolina, 2007, W 48-36
647: Houston, 1989, W 45-39
644: BYU, 2022, W 52-35
633: Georgia Southern, 2021, W 45-10
CORRECTION: Darren McFadden's 2007 rushing total through seven games was miscalculated and has been corrected.