DARREN McFADDEN
TB, 6-2, 215, JR-2LLittle Rock, Ark.(North Little Rock [Ark.]Pulaski Oak Grove HS)
2007 DOAK WALKER AWARD FINALIST2007 MAXWELL AWARD FINALIST2006 DOAK WALKER AWARD RECIPIENT2006 HEISMAN TROPHY RUNNER-UP2006 CONSENSUS FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN2007 CONSENSUS FIRST-TEAM PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN2007 FIRST-TEAM MID-SEASON ALL-AMERICANWALTER CAMP NATIONAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (South Carolina)* Darren McFadden is one of three finalists for the 2007 Maxwell Award (nation’s top player) and the 2007 Doak Walker Award (nation’s best running back). * McFadden is attempting to become only the second player in the history of the Doak Walker Award to win the honor twice (Ricky Williams, University of Texas, 1997-98).* Consensus pre-season first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year.*Named first-team Midseason All-American by Rivals.com, SI.com and Phil Steele’s College Football* Ranks first in the SEC and fourth in the nation with 138.1 rushing yards per game. * McFadden is one of only two players in Southeastern Conference history to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and a junior. Georgia’s Herschel Walker is the other.* McFadden (321) and teammate Felix Jones (166) set an NCAA record for combined rushing yardage by teammates in a single game with 487 yards in a win over No. 23 South Carolina, breaking the previous record of Kansas’ Tony Sands (396) and Chip Hilleary (80) who rushed for 476 yards against Missouri in 1991. * Darren McFadden ranks 4th on the SEC career rushing list. McFadden has 4,279 rushing yards in his Razorback career and needs 25 yards to eclipse Auburn’s Bo Jackson (4,303) for third place. McFadden needs 279 yards to pass LSU’s Kevin Faulk (4,557) for second place.* Ranks first in the SEC and 14th in the nation with 174.3 all-purpose yards per game.* Became UA career rushing and all-purpose yardage leader earlier this season against Auburn. He has 4,279 yards rushing and 5,488 all-purpose yards.* Has rushed for 100 yards or more a school record 20 times in 36 career games including in eight of the first 11 games of the 2007 season. * He tied the UA school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (5 – Jerry Eckwood – 1975) with five 100-yard rushing games to start the season.* McFadden is averaging 126.0 yards per game in his career against ranked opponents (2,016 in 16 games).* Boasts a career rushing average of 118.9 per game in his Razorback career, including a 127.7 yard average in SEC games.* McFadden is the NCAA’s active career leader in all-purpose yards per game (152.4 ypg).* He ranks second on the team in receptions with 21 catches for 164 yards.
2007: TROY: McFadden seemingly picked up where he left off in 2006, running, catching, passing and blocking his way to a stellar debut in 2007. He rushed for a game-high 151 yards and one touchdown while hauling in three catches for 20 yards in the Razorbacks’ win over Troy. He scored on a 12-yard run in the second quarter for his 26th career rushing score tying Cedric Cobbs on the UA record list. It was McFadden’s 13th 100-yard effort in 26 career games. McFadden tallied 13 rushes of five yards or more and four runs of 10 or more yards. He also racked up 10 total first downs with seven of those coming on runs. He displayed his passing prowess out of the WildHog formation when he hit freshman wide receiver Crosby Tuck for a 42-yard touchdown pass. It was the fourth passing touchdown of McFadden’s career and the longest pass completion of his career. He returned one kickoff for 19 yards in the win. McFadden earned 200 all-purpose yards and 242 total yards against the Trojans. He also displayed his unselfishness by leveling a Troy defender for the key block on teammate Felix Jones’ 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Upon seeing game film of the block, Florida head coach Urban Meyer said he would show the block to his entire team as an example of unselfish play. ALABAMA: He was nothing short of spectacular in Arkansas’ narrow loss at Alabama racking up 260 all-purpose yards, the fourth-highest single game all-purpose total in UA history before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a slight concussion. With the performance, he moved into third on the UA career all-purpose yardage list with 4,031 yards. He rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 33 carries. His 195 rushing yards was the second-best rushing game of McFadden’s career trailing only his 219-yard effort at South Carolina in 2006. Of his 195 yards rushing, 59 yards came after the defense made initial contact with him. The game marked his 14th career 100-yard rushing game. It also moved him past Cedric Cobbs into third on the career rushing yards chart. He earned 5.9 yards per carry with 19 rushes of five yards or more including runs of 11, 12, 13, 13, 20 and 23 yards. He tallied 11 of Arkansas’ 22 total first downs with all of them coming on rushes. He scored his 26th and 27th rushing touchdowns of his career on one and five-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. The two scores moved him past Cedric Cobbs into fourth on the career rushing touchdown list. He also tied a career high with three receptions for 16 yards. McFadden returned two kickoffs for 49 yards against the Crimson Tide with a long return of 27 yards. KENTUCKY: Despite suffering from the effects of a stomach virus, McFadden recorded his third-consecutive 100-yard effort with a 173-yard rushing performance on 29 carries against No. 21 Kentucky. He earned his 15th career 100-yard effort and posted the eighth-best rushing performance of his career to date. McFadden tied Dickey Morton (15) for second in school history in 100-yard rushing efforts and is only one behind Ben Cowins (16) who holds the UA record. He accomplished the feat in the first half against Kentucky racking up 122 yards on 17 first-half rushing attempts. For the sixth time in their careers, McFadden and Jones rushed for 100 yards or more in the same game. With his outing against the Wildcats, McFadden moved into the national lead in rushing yards per game averaging 173.0 yards per contest. No Razorback has ever led the nation in rushing and only two players (McFadden and Cedric Cobbs) have led the SEC in rushing. McFadden broke loose for a 56-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for his longest run of the season and the seventh-longest of his career. Of his 29 carries, 11 went for five yards or more while four went for 10 or more yards. He tallied eight of Arkansas’ 22 first downs against Kentucky. McFadden garnered 208 all-purpose yards. He made two catches for 10 yards and returned one kickoff for 25 yards against the Wildcats. He also made his first tackle of the season on an interception. NORTH TEXAS: Despite playing only in the first half, McFadden racked up 138 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in Arkansas’ 66-7 win over North Texas. He recorded his 16th career 100-yard rushing game, moving into a tie with Ben Cowins for the school record in that category. McFadden also moved into second on the UA career rushing list in the victory. McFadden earned his 16th 100-yard rushing performance in 29 career games against North Texas, including his fourth-consecutive 100-yard outing one short of a school record. He earned his final carry of the night in the Hogs’ next-to-last offensive possession of the second quarter. McFadden moved up two positions to 13th on the SEC career rushing chart passing Kentucky’s Moe Williams (3,333) and Auburn’s Joe Cribbs (3,368). Of his 138 yards rushing, 71 of those yards came after initial defensive contact. McFadden’s 51-yard in the second quarter was the ninth-longest of the junior’s career and his second-longest run of the season. He boasted seven runs of five or more yards and earned five first downs via the rush. He scored on touchdown runs of two and four yards giving him his 30th and 31st rushing scores of his career. He moved past Cowins (30) into third on the UA career list. He delivered the most impressive stiff arm of his career against North Texas. His right-handed jab popped the helmet off the Mean Green defender giving chase. On the same play, he moved into second on the UA career rushing list. CHATTANOOGA: McFadden set one school record and tied another as he led the Razorbacks to a win over Chattanooga. The junior broke Cowins 29-year school record for career 100-yard rushing games by recording his 17th 100-yard rushing game in his Razorback career. McFadden also tied the school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (Jerry Eckwood, 1975) with his fifth-consecutive 100-yard outing. He earned 122 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries against Chattanooga. He earned at least five yards on 10 of his 25 carries including double-digit runs of 10, 14, 21 and 21 yards. McFadden earned seven rushing first downs in the win. His touchdown came on a two-yard run in the first quarter. For the fourth time in five games this season and the eighth time in their careers, McFadden and teammate Jones rushed for 100 yards or more in the same game. AUBURN: For the first time all season, McFadden was held below 100 yards in Arkansas’ 9-7 loss to No. 22 Auburn. His school-record tying five-game 100-yard rushing game streak was snapped against the Tigers after he rushed 17 times for 43 yards. He did, however, set two UA career records in the process. First, McFadden topped Gary Anderson (4,535) for the school record for career all-purpose yardage. In third quarter, he passed Ben Cowins (3,570) to become the all-time UA leading career rusher. His record-breaking run came on his longest gain of the night, a 13-yard keeper out of the WildHog formation. McFadden earned the record on his 605th career carry in his 31st career game. Cowins achieved the previous school record on 635 attempts in 40 career games. He three runs of five-plus yards including his record-breaking 13-yard gain. He also gained a pair of first downs rushing. McFadden returned the opening kickoff 29 yards and hauled in one pass for five yards. OLE MISS: McFadden got back on track and earned his sixth 100-yard game of the season in Arkansas’ 44-8 win at Ole Miss. The junior racked up 110 yards on 22 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per carry against the Rebels. McFadden recorded the 18th 100-yard rushing game of his career (UA record). He recorded 10 runs of five or more yards and three runs of 15 yards or more including runs of 11, 15 and 30 yards. His 30-yard run came on the opening drive and setup a touchdown. McFadden tallied five first downs via the rush. He teamed with Jones to give the UA a duo of 100-yard rushers for the fifth time in seven games. McFadden hauled in two passes for 10 yards against the Rebels. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: McFadden scored a career-high four rushing touchdowns in Arkansas’ 58-10 win over Florida International. He had rushed for a previous career best of two touchdowns in a game on 11 different occasions in his Razorback career. His four rushing touchdowns were the fifth-most in a single game in UA history and moved him past Ben Cowins (30) into third place for career rushing touchdowns by a Razorback with 32 rushing scores. McFadden rushed for touchdowns of 1, 2, 2 and 3 yards against the Panthers giving him 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. That total tied him for 11th in single season rushing touchdowns in UA history. He rushed for a total of 61 yards on 19 carries against FIU. He had rushes of 7, 8 and 20 yards against the Panthers. With his 19 carries, he became the UA career leader in rushing attempts (648) eclipsing the mark of Cowins (635). He tied a career-high with three receptions for 22 yards. He earned a total of 102 all-purpose yards including 19 yards on a pair of kickoff returns. He earned five first downs with four coming by rush and one on a reception. SOUTH CAROLINA: McFadden provided an epic record-setting performance as Arkansas upset No. 23 South Carolina 48-36. McFadden rushed for an SEC record tying 321 yards on 34 carries against the Gamecocks. McFadden tied Vanderbilt’s Frank Mordica of Vanderbilt who rushed for 321 yards against Air Force in 1978. The 321 yards are the most ever by an individual in an SEC game and the second-highest rushing output this season by an individual in NCAA play. The junior also set the UA single game record in the process eclipsing Dickey Morton’s 34-year old record (271 vs. Baylor in 1973) by 50 yards. He combined with Jones to set an NCAA record for combined rushing yardage by teammates in a single game (487 yards), breaking the previous mark of 476 yards by Tony Sands (396) and Chip Hilleary (80) of Kansas against Missouri in 1991. McFadden moved to No. 5 on the SEC career rushing list and topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third-consecutive season joining Georgia’s Herschel Walker as one of only two players to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and a junior. McFadden racked up a total of 355 all-purpose yards. The total set a new UA record breaking his own previous record of 315 yards last season also against South Carolina. His touchdown run came on a career-long tying 80-yard run in the third quarter after South Carolina had closed the Arkansas lead to six points. McFadden moved passed Auburn’s Carnell Williams, Kentucky’s Sonny Collins, Florida’s Emmitt Smith, LSU Charles Alexander and LSU’s Dalton Hilliard to move into fifth on the SEC’s career rushing chart with 4,074 yards.McFadden also threw his second touchdown pass of the season and the fifth of his career when he hit Robert Johnson with a 23-yard strike in the second quarter. McFadden was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and a finalist for the AT&T National Player of the Week for his performance against the Gamecocks. McFadden helped rack up a team rushing total of 542 yards, the second-highest rushing total in UA history. McFadden teamed with Felix Jones to become only the second duo in NCAA history to each rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. The Razorback tandem pulled the feat for only the fourth time in SEC history with McFadden and Jones the only duo to do it twicein their careers. McFadden earned a total of 355 all-purpose yards against the Gamecocks including 321 yards rushing, four yards receiving (one catch) and 30 yards on kickoff returns (two returns). TENNESSEE: McFadden set a new school-record with his eighth 100-yard rushing game on the season tallying 117 yards on 22 carries at No. 22 Tennessee. He broke the previous record set last season by McFadden (2006) also held by Cedric Cobbs who rushed for 100 yards or more seven times in 2003. He also extended his UA career record to 20 100-yard rushing games. McFadden averaged 5.3 yards per carry against the Volunteers including runs of 11, 20 and 20 yards. He had nine rushes for five or more yards and three for 10 or more yards. He also earned six first downs rushing for the Razorbacks. McFadden tied a career-high with three receptions for 17 yards, including a 12-yard catch. McFadden earned a total of 173 all-purpose yards gaining 117 on the ground, 17 receiving and 39 on a pair of kickoff returns. MISSISSIPPI STATE: McFadden displayed the versatility that bolsters the argument that he is the best player in college football in Arkansas’ 45-31 win over Mississippi State in Little Rock. He rushed for 88 yards on 28 carries, hauled in a career-high four receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown and completed one pass for 24 yards and a score against the Bulldogs. In addition, McFadden returned a kickoff 24 yards. In all, McFadden racked up 162 all-purpose yards in the win. He raced to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown on a pass from Dick. He found Robert Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was McFadden’s third touchdown pass of the year and the sixth of his career. McFadden racked up six rushes of five yards or more, three carries of 10 or more yards and two attempts earning 15 yards or more on the ground against MSU. LSU: The best player in the country led his team to a win over the No.1 ranked team in the nation as McFadden posted an incredible performance in Arkansas’ 50-48 upset of the top-ranked LSU Tigers in triple overtime. It was the Arkansas’ first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 1981. McFadden rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns (9, 16, 73 yards) on 32 carries. He also completed three of six passes for 34 yards and one touchdown (24 yards). He took 33 snaps out of the WildHog formation. In all, he tallied 255 all-purpose yards and was responsible for four touchdowns. McFadden set a new UA single season record for all-purpose yards passing his own UA record (2,058 in 2006) in that category. His four touchdowns moved him into second on the UA career touchdown list with 43 passing James Rouse (39). With his 255 all-purpose yards, McFadden set an SEC record for all-purpose yards in a season breaking the previous mark of LSU’s Domanick Davis (2,120). His 206 rushing yards broke his own previous UA record for rushing yards in a season (1,647 in 2006). He also moved past Auburn’s Bo Jackson (4,303) into third on the SEC career rushing list. McFadden became the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards against LSU since 2005 and the first to rush for 200 or more yards against the Tigers since Auburn’s Kenny Irons accomplished the feat in October 2005. McFadden averaged 6.4 yards against LSU including 13 runs of five yards or more, four runs of 10 yards or more including gains of 10, 12, 16 and 73 yards. His 73-yard touchdown run was the third-longest run of his career. McFadden completed a pair of five-yard passes and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Peyton Hillis to give Arkansas the lead late in the fourth quarter. His nine-yard touchdown run also gave the Razorbacks the lead in the second overtime.
2007 OUTLOOK: McFadden is the top returning player in college football after a storybook 2006 season that saw the Little Rock native burst onto the national scene, capture the Doak Walker Award, finish as the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a sophomore and lead the Razorbacks to a 10-4 record and an SEC Western Division championship. The consensus first-team All-American broke the UA single-season record and posted the fifth-best rushing season in Southeastern Conference history when he rushed for 1,647 yards. McFadden is one of only two running backs in the history of the Southeastern Conference to rush for 1,000 yards in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Georgia’s Herschel Walker is the other. McFadden was the first Razorback to earn a trip to New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. A late-season surge allowed him to upset Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn for second place in the voting finishing behind Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. McFadden was only the seventh freshman or sophomore to finish second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He was the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award. His versatility sets him apart from any other player in college football. Utilized as the quarterback in the "Wildcat" formation, McFadden dominated defenses with his running and passing. He shares the backfield with another 1,000-yard rusher and first-team All-American kick returner Felix Jones. The duo forms the most potent running back tandem in the nation. McFadden has established his own place in the SEC record books as well, next to legendary backs like Walker, Bo Jackson and Emmitt Smith. His career rushing average of 110.4 yards per game ranks fifth on the SEC career chart. He owns 12 100-yard rushing games in his 25-game collegiate career. In 2007, McFadden is primed to make a run at the nation’s most prestigious individual awards while leading the Razorbacks in their quest to defend their Southeastern Conference Western Division title.
2006:McFadden turned in the most prolific offensive season by an individual in Arkansas history on his way to winning the Doak Walker Award and finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. The first Arkansas player to be a finalist for the nation’s top individual award, McFadden became only the seventh freshman or sophomore to finish as the runner-up after finishing behind winner Troy Smith of Ohio State. McFadden outpolled third-place Brady Quinn of Notre Dame by 96 points. McFadden became the first sophomore to win the 2006 Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the top running back in the nation. He was the first Razorback to win the Doak Walker Award and only the third player in school history to win a major national individual award (Bud Brooks and Loyd Phillips – Outland Trophy). McFadden was a consensus first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), CBS Sportsline.com, SI.com, Walter Camp Foundation, Rivals.com and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). He was named as the unanimous SEC Offensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press, SEC Coaches, the Little Rock Touchdown Club and the Mobile Register. McFadden was also honored as the Jim Brown National Running Back of the Year by The Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio) and the SEC Back of the Year by the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club. McFadden rushed for a school-record 1,647 yards on 284 carries. His season output marked the fifth-best rushing season in SEC history. He became just the third Arkansas running back to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and only the second player in SEC history to earn 1,000 yards as both a freshman and sophomore (Herschel Walker – Georgia). McFadden and teammate Felix Jones (1,168) became only the third duo in SEC history and the 38th tandem in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards in the same year on the same team. McFadden led the SEC and ranked 10th in the nation averaging 117.6 yards per game rushing. He rushed for 100 yards or more seven times (Utah State, Alabama, Auburn, ULM, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU), including his first 200-yard effort vs. the Gamecocks with 219 yards on the ground. His seven 100-yard games in 2006 tied with Cedric Cobbs (2003) for the single-season school record. He became just the 12th player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in his career was the first UA sophomore to accomplish the feat. He reached the 2,000-yard barrier on just 324 carries, which averaged out to roughly 6.2 yards per carry. McFadden ranked second in the SEC and tied for 38th in the nation with an average of 7.00 points per game. He found the end zone 16 times racking up 14 rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown and one kickoff return score. He earned a rushing touchdown in nine of 14 games in 2006. In addition, he passed for three touchdowns out of the "Wildcat" formation. He finished the season 7-of-9 passing for 69 yards and three touchdowns. He hauled in 11 catches for 149 yards, including a career-long 70-yard touchdown reception. He returned 10 kickoffs for 262 yards and scored his first career kickoff return touchdown on a 92-yard run against Mississippi State. McFadden ranked first in the SEC and sixth in the nation with 147.0 all-purpose yards per game. He shattered the UA record for all-purpose yards in a season by 454 yards with his total of 2,058. In fact, McFadden topped Dickey Morton’s previous school record of 1,604 all-purpose yards on rushing yards alone (1,647). – He made a surprise start at flanker in the season opener after coming back from toe surgery on July 30. He rushed nine times for 42 yards and hauled in two passes for minus-6 yards against USC. He exploded for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the Hogs’ 20-0 win over Utah State. He scampered for a then-career-long 72-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against the Aggies. He also scored from nine yards in the second quarter. McFadden rushed for 71 yards on 19 carries in the Razorbacks’ win over Vanderbilt. He tallied a 20-yard gain against the Commodores. McFadden turned in his second 100-yard game of the season with a 112-yard effort on 25 carries in Arkansas’ 24-23 double-overtime win against No. 22 Alabama. He scored his third rushing touchdown of the season on a three-yard run in the third quarter. He tallied first-down yardage on five of his carries and earned five or more yards on 10 of his 25 totes including runs of 9, 11, 12, 12 and 29 yards. His 29-yard run was the longest allowed by Alabama’s defense, ranked 18th nationally, in the first four games of the season. He snared a successful two-point conversion pass in the third quarter. He also made another catch for one yard against the Crimson Tide. McFadden was named USA Today National Player of the Week after exploding for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Razorbacks’ 27-10 road upset of No. 2 Auburn. He raced 63 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to register the first rushing touchdown against the Auburn defense all season long (six games). His 100-yard effort was the third of the season and the eighth of his career. He recorded nine runs of four yards or more and six runs of six yards or more against the Tigers. He tallied 71 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries in the Hogs’ blowout win over Southeast Missouri State. All of McFadden’s rushing attempts came in the first quarter. He scored on the Razorbacks’ first offensive snap after racing 52 yards to paydirt. He also scored on a two-yard run later in the first quarter. He made one catch for 18 yards against the Redhawks in the second quarter. He then watched the remainder of the game from the sideline with the Razorbacks well in control. He rushed 17 times for 65 yards and a touchdown in Arkansas’ 38-3 win over Ole Miss. He scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run in the first quarter. He also made two catches for a career-high 85 yards and a touchdown against the Rebels. He took a screen pass from Mustain 70 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. The long-distance reception was the longest by a Razorback since 2004. McFadden tallied a total of 169 all-purpose yards for the game (65 rush, 85 receiving, 19 KR). He eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time on the season with 129 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries against Louisiana-Monroe. He scored on an 18-yard run in the third quarter. He lined up at quarterback in the "Wildcat" formation three times and completed his first touchdown pass, a nine-yard toss to tight end Wes Murphy. He also handed the ball to Jones on a seven-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He earned a reception of his own for 11 yards in the win. McFadden turned in a career-best 219 yards on 25 carries at South Carolina. The 219 yards rushing is tied for the fourth-best rushing performance in school history. He also scored two touchdowns. McFadden eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season for the second-straight year (1,038) and became just the 12th player at Arkansas to rush for 2,000 yards in a career and the first sophomore to accomplish the feat. For his efforts against the Gamecocks, McFadden was named the national Cingular All-America Player of the Week. In one of the most impressive offensive showings of his career, he racked up 216 all-purpose yards in a win over No. 13 Tennessee. He rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for another score. His 181 yards rushing marked the fifth time in his career he had rushed for more than 180 yards setting a new UA record (old record – Fred Talley – 4 games). He scored on TD runs of five and 17 yards marking the seventh-consecutive game with at least one rushing score. He completed a 12-yard pass to Marcus Monk for a touchdown. McFadden lined up at quarterback for 13 plays against Tennessee. The Hogs gained 126 yards and three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass) on those plays. He racked up 194 all-purpose yards and recorded his first kickoff return for a touchdown in the Hogs’ 28-14 win at Mississippi State. McFadden earned 84 yards on 26 carries and completed a 16-yard pass to Marcus Monk in the win. He returned two kickoffs for a total of 94 yards against the Bulldogs. His 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter broke a 7-7 tie in the first quarter. He torched the No. 1 defense in the nation for 222 yards of total offense in the Razorbacks’ loss to No. 9 LSU. He rushed 21 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers. He burst free for an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. On that run, he broke Madre Hill’s UA single-season rushing mark (1,387). He also scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. McFadden completed both of his passing attempts in the game for a total of 33 yards including a 28-yard strike to Robert Johnson to set up the Hogs’ first touchdown. He also found Dick for a five-yard completion. McFadden also hauled in a pass for a seven-yard gain against LSU. He lined up at quarterback on 16 plays with the Hogs netting 133 yards (8.3 avg.) out of the "Wildcat" formation. McFadden rushed 21 times for 73 yards in the Razorbacks’ 38-28 loss to No. 4 Florida in the 2006 SEC Championship Game. He completed a two-yard pass to Jones for a touchdown before throwing an interception and an incompletion on his following two passing attempts. He earned two receptions for 27 yards, including a 19-yard gain against the Gators. He played, despite being slowed by a sprained ankle and an Achilles injury, against Wisconsin in the 2007 Capital One Bowl. He rushed 19 times for 89 yards against the Badgers. He broke away on a 45-yard run on the Hogs’ first offensive possession for his longest run of the day. He completed one pass on one attempt for minus-3 yards. He also returned two kickoffs for 36 yards, including a long gain of 20.
2005: Simply put, it was the most spectacular season by a Razorback freshman running back in school history. By the time his rookie campaign was complete, he had collected nearly every award imaginable and re-written portions of the UA record book. He shattered the UA freshman record with 1,113 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 176 carries. The previous school record of 668 yards was set by Cedric Cobbs in 1999. He was fourth in the SEC and 31st in the nation in rushing. His rushing average was the third-best by a freshman in the country. In SEC play, he was third in the league with 103.8 yards per game. He was the first freshman to rush for 1,000 yards in school history and just the seventh Razorback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He was the second-fastest UA back to 1,000 yards, eclipsing the mark in 152 carries. He became just the seventh freshman running back in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards, joining legendary running backs like Herschel Walker, Emmitt Smith, Reggie Cobb, Chuck Webb, Jamal Lewis and Justin Vincent. He became the first Razorback freshman to post multiple 100-yard rushing games when he tallied five such efforts including three of the top four freshman single-game rushing marks in school history. He and teammate Felix Jones, who ran for 626 yards on 99 carries, tied for the league lead with 6.3 yards per carry. He averaged more than seven yards per carry in five games. He had eight runs of at least 35 yards, including two 70-yard touchdown runs and a 64-yard burst. He also had 14 runs of 20 yards or more. He tied for eighth in the league in scoring at 6.2 points per game. He was third among league players in touchdowns. He had at least one touchdown in seven of 11 games and scored multiple touchdowns four times. He was second in the SEC and 28th nationally with 137.5 all-purpose yards per game. He had 1,513 total yards with 1,113 rushing, 348 on 12 kickoff returns (29.0) and 52 on 14 receptions (3.7). An honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly, he earned first-team freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), CollegeFootballNews.com, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and The Sporting News. The SEC Freshman of the Year by the Associated Press, the league’s coaches and CollegeFootballNews.com, he was also first-team All-SEC by those three along with ESPN.com and Scout.com. He was also named to the All-SEC Freshman team by the league’s coaches and The Sporting News. Named by ESPN.com as the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year, he was also voted UA’s MVP by the Little Rock Touchdown Club. He won the SEC Freshman of the Week award twice and the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week once. He was named the Hogwired.com Offensive Player of the Week six times on the season. – Arkansas boasted three 100-yard rushers against Missouri State in the season opener, but he was not one of them. He carried the ball nine times for 70 yards, including a long of 37 and his first career touchdown from three yards out. He only carried the ball once in the Vanderbilt game, but picked up six tough yards on a fourth-down play to keep a drive alive. He proved to be a threat against the nation’s top team as he reeled off a team-high 88 yards against top-ranked Southern California. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry with 88 yards on 13 carries and was named the Hogwired.com Offensive Player of the Week. He also returned a pair of kickoffs for 43 yards against the Trojans. He garnered 95 yards on only eight carries for an 11.9 yards-per-carry average at Alabama. He capped his performance with a 70-yard burst up the Alabama sideline that was highlighted by a ferocious stiff arm that allowed him to get into the end zone. His performance garnered him a second-consecutive Hogwired.com Offensive Player of the Week honor. He topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career with 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 11 carries in a non-conference win over Louisiana-Monroe. He combined with Jones to become the first Razorback freshman duo to rush for 100 or more yards in the same game. He also busted a career-long 64-yard kickoff return vs. the Indians. He made it two 100-yard games in a row with 108 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries against Auburn. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts. His signature game of the 2005 campaign came at Georgia where the true freshman exploited one of the best defenses in the nation for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. He simply out-ran the Bulldogs’ defense for a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter at Athens. He later punched it in from one yard. For the second-consecutive week he earned league freshman honors and garnered Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week accolades as well. He followed the Georgia game with another spectacular performance against South Carolina. He racked up 187 yards on 32 carries against the Gamecocks. His two-game total of 377 rushing yards was the second-best back-to-back game total in school history. His 190-yard output against Georgia and his 187-yard effort against South Carolina are the top two freshman single-game rushing marks in school history. The South Carolina outing also marked his fourth straight 100-yard rushing performance. Only two other players in school history have rushed for at least 100 yards in four straight games (Jerry Eckwood, 1975 and Cedric Cobbs, 2003). A stingy Ole Miss defense held him to his second-lowest rushing output of the season with just 22 yards on 13 carries. He returned to form the following week against Mississippi State when he ripped off 165 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns en route to surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing barrier. He had three runs of 20 yards or more and two of 35 yards or more, including a long run of 64 yards. It was on his 64-yard jaunt against the Bulldogs that he eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. In the season finale against No. 3 LSU, he collected 57 hard-earned yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. He scored his 11th touchdown of the season on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter. He also completed the first pass of his career when he found Marcus Monk for 13 yards on a fourth-down play late in the game to extend the Razorback offensive drive.
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: He was the only player from the state of Arkansas to be named to the Parade All-America team in 2004. He was also selected to the second team All-South squad by Countdown to Signing Day. He racked up 4,871 yards rushing on 497 attempts in his prep career and averaged 9.8 yards per carry for Coach John Mayes. He was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. He was also selected to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s All-Arkansas squad. He was also tabbed as the 4A-Southeast Conference’s Outstanding Back. He earned all-state and all-area honors as both a junior and a senior. He rushed for 1,965 yards and 27 touchdowns on 184 carries as a senior. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry and scored three or more rushing touchdowns in six games during his senior season. He made three receptions for 67 yards and one score. He completed six-of-15 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns as a quarterback. He also returned nine punts for 370 yards and three touchdowns. As a junior, he rushed for a school-record 2,027 yards and 19 touchdowns on 204 carries. He averaged 9.9 yards per tote as a junior leading his squad to an 8-4 record and second-place finish in the 5-AAA Conference. He hauled in nine passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns as a junior. He also earned 103 yards on 12 punt returns. In his sophomore campaign, he rushed for 859 yards and 13 touchdowns on 109 carries. He hauled in 12 receptions for 333 yards and five scores. He also returned 10 punts for 82 yards and 14 kickoffs for 372 yards. In the summer of 2004, he was named as the most valuable player of the Houston Nutt Football Camp. In addition to football, he was a standout in baseball and track and field in high school. He owned a vertical jump of 32 inches in high school. He was ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the nation and the No. 1 prospect in Arkansas by Rivals.com. The organization also rated him as a five-star prospect and the No. 3 athlete in the country. Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report rated him as the No. 8 running back in the nation. He was No. 21 on the Mobile Register’s Super Southeast 120 listing. He was also listed as No. 21 in The Dallas Morning News Top 100. He was also among the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100. He participated in the 2005 Arkansas High School All-Star Game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. He was also recruited by a host of other schools including Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska, Auburn and Iowa.
PERSONAL: Born Aug. 27, 1987, he is the son of Graylon McFadden and Mini Muhammad. He is enrolled in the College of Education and Health Professions and is majoring in kinesiology with an emphasis on teaching. He was named to the Lon Farrell Academic Honor Roll for Fall 2006. He was also named a Hard Working Hog for the 2005-06 academic year.