Colorado University Athletics
Stewart Tabbed As Big 12 Player Of The Week
November 22, 2010 | Football
The Westerville, Ohio, native rushed for a career high 195 yards on 34 carries with a pair of touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 49 yards and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Toney Clemons.
With his 195 rushing yards and 244 yards from scrimmage and all-purpose yards, Stewart now ranks seventh in CU history in both career (2,656) and season (1,230) rushing yards, 10th in CU history in both career (3,035) and season (1,501) all-purpose yards, seventh in career yards from scrimmage (3,035) and fourth in season yards from scrimmage (1,501).
Other players of the week were on defense, Michael Hodges from Texas A&M and on special teams, Michael Harrison from Oklahoma State. Stewart and Hodges both earned their second career honor and Harrison was honored for the first time.
Stewart is CU's third player honored this season, as linebacker B.J. Beatty won the award on defense on October 3 and quarterback Cody Hawkins was honored last week for his performance in CU's victory over Iowa State.
Stewart also won the award last season on October 19, when he had two touchdowns and 108 yards rushing in a 34-30 win over Kansas, who was ranked at the time.
CU interim head coach Brian Cabral said he was hopeful Stewart would be honored: "He's been the workhorse of the team. He's carried the load - and we need him to carry the load. In my eyes - and I've only watched him for two games - I think he's getting better . . . I think he understands the great responsibility that comes with that. I think that's awesome."
Cabral called CU offensive players being honored in consecutive weeks by the Big 12 "impressive, but this has been a pretty impressive team these last two weeks. This has been an impressive group of guys. To see what they've overcome, to see the challenges that they've overcome. That only gives us a chance going into Lincoln, and we're going to need every bit of Cody, every bit of 'Speedy,' every bit of everything that each player has to offer."
Stewart credited CU's offensive line for his recent productivity, adding the coaches "are putting a little more confidence in me. I feel like I'm developing more (as a player) and don't have to think as much."
PELINI APOLOGIZES: Nebraska coach Bo Pelini apologized on Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference for his sideline tirades against the officials during the Cornhuskers' 9-6 weekend loss at Texas A&M.
"You obviously don't agree with every call that's made in a game," Pelini said. "But there's a way to deal with it and I probably got too animated at times, and . . . I regret that. I apologize for it. I understand where Chancellor (Harvey) Pearlman is coming from. I have the administration's full support and that hasn't changed. You just have to make sure you do things . . . if you're going to disagree, it's one thing to disagree, but it's how you disagree. It's something I could have done better the other night."
Pelini also said there was "no truth to any of those reports" that quarterback Taylor Martinez had left the team: "There's no issue with him and the football team. I'm not quite sure where all that stuff came from."
TV cameras showed a highly agitated Pelini in a face-to-face confrontation with Martinez. Pelini declined to say what brought on the confrontation, but claimed, "It was not related at all to his injury, it was completely separate. My policy is that we always deal with things directly. Obviously, I regret that it got caught on national TV, but there was something I felt needed to be addressed and I addressed it. Taylor and I are on the same page about it, and when it was over it was over. There are no issues going forward. I think people are trying to make too much out of it."
But he would not divulge the cause: "What happens in-house stays in-house. It was something completely unrelated to the injury . . . it was dealt with and we moved forward."
Martinez has been hampered by an ankle injury and Pelini said it was too early to determine the redshirt freshman's status for Friday's game: "It's hard to say; that picture will become clearer as the week goes on."
Of the Buffs, Pelini said, "It's going to be a heck of a challenge for our football team. They're playing well and we do have a lot on the line. We don't approach it any different; our approach is you can control what you can control and this week is the next challenge for us. It just turns out there's a lot on the line."
A win would make the Cornhuskers North Division champions and send them to the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 4 in Dallas.
