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PROVO, Utah -- BYU running back Curtis Brown has been named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week after helping the Cougars to a 62-41 win over Air Force on Saturday.
The 6-foot-0, 210-pound back ran for a career-high 219 yards on 25 carries, averaging an impressive 8.8 yards per carry. Brown was also credited with four touchdowns, including three in the final quarter. His fourth-quarter performance marks the first time a BYU player has scored three touchdowns in a single quarter since Luke Staley produced three TD's in the third quarter against Utah State on Oct. 5, 2001. (Staley also scored three touchdowns in the first quarter against Tulane on Aug. 25, 2001.)
The Palmdale, Calif., native was also credited with four receptions for 22 yards against the Falcons.
Including Saturday's outing, Brown has nine career 100-yard games, including four this season. He needs just one 100-yard game to equal Luke Staley, Lakei Heimuli, John Ogden and Jamal Willis for the most career 100-yard rushing games in BYU football history.
With 71 first-half yards against the Falcons, Brown passed Eldon Fortie for ninth on BYU's career rushing list. Fortie, who played from 1960-62, had 1,666 career rushing yards. Brown added 148 yards in the second half, giving him 1,834 career-rushing yards.
Brown currently ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference with 746 yards rushing on the season, averaging 93.2 yards per game. Brown ranks third against league opponents, averaging 116.0 yards per contest. Interestingly, BYU is 8-1 when Brown rushes for 100 or more yards.
Brown scored his first touchdown with 7:31 remaining in the second quarter on a six-yard run, giving BYU a 21-7 lead. He scored his first of three fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 4-yard run with 10:52 remaining in the game. After Air Force pulled to within 14 points in the fourth quarter, Brown busted through the line for a 20-yard touchdown run to give BYU a 55-34 lead with 5:12 remaining. After the Falcons scored again late in the game, Brown sealed the victory with a four-yard plunge with just 57 seconds remaining in the game.
Written by BYU Athletic Communications
