FERRIS' DEREK FUDGE RECOGNIZED THIS WEEK BY FOOTBALL PUBLICATION

FSU's Derek Fudge adds another national offensive individual honor as a result of his noteworthy performance at Hillsdale last Saturday.

Ferris State University senior tailback Derek Fudge (Gibsonston, Fla./East Bay), who was selected both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Offensive Player of the Week and the D2Football.com co-Offensive Player of the Week earlier this week, has been chosen a tri-Offensive Player of the Week recipient by Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette.

Fudge rushed for a career-best 276 yards (6.4 yards per carry) on 43 attempts to go along with two rushing touchdowns, including a game-winning 14-yard scamper with 4:15 remaining in the game as the Bulldogs recorded a 25-20 season-opening non-conference victory at Hillsdale last Saturday (Sept. 6). Fudge also had a pass reception for seven yards in the contest as the Bulldog offense rolled up 545 yards in total offense.

The fourth-year back joined St. Cloud (Minn.) State sophomore running back Matt Birkel and sophomore quarterback Barrett Wilkes of Valdosta (Ga.) State as fellow honorees this week.

Fudge's career-best single-game rushing effort eclipsed his previous high of 213 yards set at Indianapolis (Nov. 11) during his freshman year in 2000.

A two-time (2000 and 2002) All-GLIAC Second-Team pick, Fudge was honored as the GLIAC's Freshman of the Year in 2000 after eclipsing the conference's frosh single-season rushing mark with 1,161 yards.

For his career, Fudge has accumulated 3,068 rushing yards on 668 attempts for a 4.6 yards per carry average to go with 22 touchdowns in 31 career contests. He has presently compiled 14 career 100-yard plus single-game rushing performances. In receiving, the 2000 GLIAC All-Academic honoree has 79 career receptions for 643 yards and two touchdowns.

With his notable rushing performance at Hillsdale Saturday evening, Fudge is now within eight yards of tying Tyree Dye (1990-91/93-94; 3,076 career yards) for third place among FSU's all-time leading rushers. In the Hillsdale game, Fudge moved ahead of Dye (3,796 yards) into fourth place on the school's career all-purpose yards leaders list and has compiled 3,934 career all-purpose yards to date. Fudge, who has 144 career points, is two points away of tying Buzz McNally (1959-60; 146 points) for 12th place on Ferris' all-time scoring chart and is 19 total offensive yards shy of moving into a tie with Bill Costner (1978-80; 3,122 yards) for ninth place among the total offense yard career leaders.

Ironically, Fudge earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades a season ago (Sept. 7) in the Bulldogs' 33-21 season-opening home triumph over Hillsdale as a result of rushing for a game-high 148 yards and three touchdowns on 29 attempts.

Ferris State begins conference play this Saturday, Sept. 13, as the Bulldogs visit nationally top-ranked and 2002 NCAA Division II National Champions the Grand Valley State Lakers in Allendale, Mich. A 7 p.m. (EDT) start time is scheduled at GVSU's Arend D. Lubbers Stadium.