ELON COLLEGE, NC -- Elon College running back Steven Ferguson (Sr., Lenoir, NC) has been named as the NCAA I-AA Independent Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Saturday, September 11. Ferguson rushed for a career-high 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries in Elon's 51-28 road victory over Delaware State in Dover, DE. The performance, part of a 504-yard day on the ground for the Fightin' Christians (2-0), shattered Ferguson's previous career-high of 116 yards, set in 1997 against Catawba.

Ferguson turned in his performance despite arriving in Delaware late Friday evening, hours after the team. Due to his father's serious illness, Ferguson returned home to Lenoir on Thursday, and did not travel with the team to Delaware on Friday. Elon assistant coaches Morris Starr and Scott Loosemore drove Ferguson from Lenoir to Dover later in the day, arriving in Dover about 9:00 p.m. Friday night.

Elon's rushing offense is ranked first in the nation in the I-AA ranks this week, averaging 384.0 yards per contest. The Fightin' Christians are 14 yards per game better than the next ranked rushing team, Georgia Southern, which is averaging 370.0 per game. In addition, Ferguson, is 10th individually in I-AA rushing at 137.0 yards per contest.

Elon's home-opener is this Saturday, September 18, when the Fightin' Christians play host to North Alabama in a 2:00 p.m. kickoff at Burlington Memorial Stadium.

--ELON--