Archer Continues to Rake in MAC & National Honors
10/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
Kent State junior Dri Archer (Laurel, Fla.) was named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week Monday after running for 222 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries during the Golden Flashes' 31-17 victory at Army. Half of Archer's carries went for 12 yards or more, including an 87-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Keith and made a pair of catches.
Archer was also one of three players named to the Paul Horning Award Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, and has collected that honor in three consecutive weeks. Two weeks ago, he became a late addition to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, presented at the end of the season to the nation's most versatile player in major college football. In that short period, he has moved all the way up to second place in fan votes, which counts towards a portion of the overall vote.
Fans can now vote as often as once a day for the Paul Hornung Award at www.votepaulhornung.com and clicking VOTE NOW.
Archer also earned All-Purpose Performer Honorable Mention by College Football Performance Awards on Monday, the fourth time he's been honored by CFPA this season.
| Category | NCAA Rank | Average |
| Kick Returns | 1 | 47.7 |
| All-Purpose Yards | 1 | 229.17 |
| Scoring | 5 | 12.0 |
| Rushing | 27 | 104.17 |
• Of his 86 touches (58 rushes, 16 catches, 11 kick returns, 1 pass) this season, Archer has 22 plays of 20 or more yards and 37 plays of 10 yards or more.
• On the ground, Archer is averaging a staggering 10.8 yards per carry with six rushing touchdowns on 58 attempts. His 87-yard run at Army is Kent State's longest play from scrimmage this year. Archer's 104.2 rushing yards per game ranks 27th in the nation.
• Archer has three receiving touchdowns in his last three games. He had a career-high 104 receiving yards against Ball State, including touchdown grabs from 33 and 23 yards out. Archer's second on the team in both catches (18) and receiving yards (225).
• The season's opening kickoff was returned 57 yards by Archer, followed shortly after by a 98-yard return for a TD. His 99-yard touchdown return against Ball State was the second longest in program history. At EMU his 98-yard return was the longest in Rynearson Stadium history. Archer's three kick returns for touchdowns leads the nation and is two shy of an NCAA record. He was recently named to Phil Steele's Midseason All-American First Team as a kick returner.
• Against Towson, Archer became the first Kent State player with three touchdowns in a game since Julian Edelman in 2008. He then matched that feat against Ball State and Eastern Michigan.
• Archer leads the nation in all-purpose yards (229.17 ypg) and his 350 all-purpose yards against Ball State was a 2012 NCAA game-high until last week.
• Due largely to Archer's efforts, Kent State ranks second in the nation in kick return average as a team (37.2).
• Archer has at least one score in all six games.
