Arkansas vs. Mississippi State is Hornung Award Game of the Week

Louisville, Ky. (Wednesday, November 16, 2011) – Arkansas takes on Mississippi State on Saturday in Little Rock in this week’s Paul Hornung Award Game of the Week. The matchup features a meeting of Paul Hornung Award Watch List members in Joe Adams (Arkansas) and Chad Bumphis (Mississippi State). Also featured is Weekly Honor Roll selection Dennis Johnson (Arkansas).

The Paul Hornung Award, presented by Texas Roadhouse, is awarded annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football.

“We played fast. We played physical. We made plays in all three phases of the game,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said in reviewing the Razorbacks’ most recent win against Tennessee. “The big plays were something that helped us tremendously.”

Among those players playing fast and contributing in multiple facets of the game is Joe Adams.

Joe Adams leads the NCAA with three punt return touchdowns, tied for the third-highest single-season total in SEC history. He recorded two vs. Missouri State and added another vs. Tennessee. His 17.9 yards per return leads the NCAA. Adams is also fourth in the SEC with his average of 4.3 receptions per game and seventh with 56.8 receiving yards per game.

Among the most impressive plays for Adams this season was his punt return for touchdown against Tennessee.

“I’ve watch it quite a few times now,” said Petrino. “It was a pretty amazing play… It’s an unbelievable play, it reminds you a lot of the one he made earlier in the year when he took that one back for a touchdown. Tremendous athletic ability, great toughness and an unbelievable player.”

The Razorbacks head to Little Rock this week looking for their first undefeated home season since 1999, wrapping up a three-game home stretch that in the first two games saw them defeat South Carolina and Tennessee by a combined score of 93-35. Mississippi State hits the road following a 24-7 loss to Alabama.

Arkansas has won six games in a row, tied for the eighth-longest current winning streak in the NCAA, and 10 straight games at home, which is the eighth-longest active streak in the country.

Also featured on the Arkansas roster is Dennis Johnson, a recent selection to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll. Johnson leads the Razorbacks in rushing with 508 yards and three touchdowns. He also has two touchdown receptions this season and a team high 17 kick returns for 427 yards and a touchdown.

Mississippi State’s Chad Bumphis has shown versatility for the Bulldogs throughout the 2011 season. He has posted 22 catches for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He also had six carries for 38 yards and four punt returns for 84 yards and a touchdown. He is one of the most prolific wide receivers in Bulldog history, currently ranking sixth on the Mississippi State career touchdown reception list.

Mississippi State has posted a 5-5 overall record in the 2011 campaign, one win shy of securing bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season. The Bulldogs’ five losses have all come in conference, against teams ranked 1, 3, 12, 14 and 24 in this week’s Bowl Championship Series standings. 

Fan Voting Continues: A total of 61 players are listed at www.votepaulhornung.com where voting for finalists of the Paul Hornung Award will continue until December 4. Fans can vote once daily to help select the finalists on the Facebook page powered by Texas Roadhouse.

Although all players in FBS are eligible for the award, fans can currently vote for 61 players eligible for fan voting on the Facebook page. To be eligible for fan voting, a player must be selected to the Weekly Honor Roll or be a member of the preseason watch list.

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Texas Roadhouse

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Texas Roadhouse opened its doors in 1993. In just 18 years, Texas Roadhouse has grown to more than 350 locations in 46 states. The company is famous for hand-cut steaks, made-from-scratch sides, fresh-baked bread, and its lively atmosphere. In 2007 and 2008 Forbes magazine ranked the company as one of the 200 Best Small Companies and in 2009 the company was ranked “Best Value” by readers of Consumer Reports magazine. For more information, visit www.texasroadhouse.com.

Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse

Created by the Louisville Sports Commission in 2010, the Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football. The Award is designed to promote college football and help preserve the legacy of one of Kentucky's best-known and accomplished athletes who has always called Louisville home. Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and NFL MVP for the Green Bay Packers, set a single season NFL scoring record that stood 46 years. Paul is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and Vince Lombardi once called Hornung, “The most versatile man ever to play the game.” A national selection committee comprised of 16 sports journalists and former NFL stars votes for the Hornung Award, and this year fan voting on Facebook powered by Texas Roadhouse will comprise the 17th vote. All votes are tabulated independently by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton Allen Ford. The winner is honored at a banquet presented by Jewish Hospital Sports Medicine in late January each year in downtown Louisville. For more information, visit www.paulhornungaward.com Fans can also follow online on Twitter (@hornungaward) and Become a Fan on Facebook.

Louisville Sports Commission

The Louisville Sports Commission is a Kentucky-based 501 c-3 organization whose mission is to attract, host and create quality sporting events and activities in the Louisville area that increase economic vitality; enhance the quality of life; promote healthy lifestyles; and brand Louisville as a great sports town. For more information, visit www.louisvillesports.org and follow the Louisville Sports Commission on Twitter (@SportsinLou).