LOGAN, Utah – Utah State junior running back Darwin Thompson was named the America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, Nov. 4, it was announced Monday. The award is voted on by a state-wide media panel.
 
It is the first time this year and first time in his career that Thompson has been named USU's student-athlete of the week. With their sponsorship of the Student-Athlete of the Week, America First Credit Union donates funds directly to support student-athlete scholarships.
 
Additionally, Thompson was tabbed the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and the College Sports Madness MW Offensive Player of the Week following No. 14 Utah State's 56-17 win at Hawai'i this past Saturday night at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
 
Against the Rainbow Warriors, Thompson rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns – both career highs – on 13 carries. He also caught two passes for 37 yards, including a long of 34.
 
Thompson has a team-leading 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, which is tied for ninth all-time in school history, after scoring twice from a yard out and another time from 26 yards out – breaking seven tackles along the way – against the Rainbow Warriors. Overall, it is the fourth time this year that he has had multiple rushing touchdowns in a game and he has now scored a rushing touchdown in eight of the Aggies' nine games.
 
With the win over Hawaii, Utah State improved to 8-1 overall and became just the 13th team in school history to win at least eight games, including the fourth in the past seven seasons. Furthermore, it is the Aggies' best start to a season since the 1963 squad also won eight of its first nine games.
 
Thompson and the Aggies have won eight straight, which is the second-longest winning streak in school history, trailing the 1961 team that won its first nine games.
 
Utah State finished with 601 yards of total offense against Hawai'i, marking the second straight game the Aggies have produced at least 600 total yards – the first time in school history that had ever happened.
 
As a team, Utah State rushed the ball 54 times for 426 yards (7.9 ypc), which ranks 10th all-time in school history.
 
On the season, Thompson has rushed for 702 yards on 93 carries (7.5 ypc), averaging 78.0 yards per game. He ranks first in the Mountain West and fourth in the nation in yards per carry, and his 13 rushing touchdowns on the season is also tops in the conference and fifth in the nation.
 
Furthermore, Thompson is third in the MW and 23rd in the nation in scoring (8.7 ppg), fourth in the MW and 53rd in the nation in rushing (78.0 ypg) and fifth in the MW and 81st in the nation in all-purpose yards (102.0 pg).
 
Utah State returns home to host San José State (1-8, 1-4 MW) on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., in the Aggies' annual Senior Day game on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. The game will be aired exclusively on Facebook.
 
For ticket information, fans can contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office over the phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy their tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online at www.UtahStateAggies.com.

Utah State is bowl eligible for the seventh time in the last eight years. Sign up to receive bowl game and ticket updates at utahstateaggies.com/bowlgameinfo18.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
Nominees from other sports for USU Student-Athlete of the Week included:
 
VOLLEYBALL – Senior setter Kassidy Johnson (Tucson, Ariz.) recorded double-digit assists in both matches last week as Utah State posted an 0-2 Mountain West road record with a 3-0 loss at San Diego State and a 3-0 loss at Fresno State. Against the Aztecs, Johnson recorded 20 of the Aggies' 24 assists and added five digs, three blocks, two kills and one service ace. Against the Bulldogs, Johnson logged 19 of the Aggies' 21 assists, and added seven digs, three blocks, one kill and one service ace. For the week, Johnson totaled 39 assists, averaging 6.5 per set, to go along with 12 digs, six blocks, three kills and two service aces. Johnson now has 2,255 career assists, 10 shy of tying Andrea Delsigne for No. 7 all-time in Utah State history.
 
2018-19 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 3 – Jordan Love, Football
Sept. 10 – Dominik Eberle, Football
Sept. 17 – Isaac Arturo Arevalo, Men's Tennis
Sept. 24 – Jordan Love, Football
Oct. 1 – Adam Hendrickson, Men's Cross Country
Oct. 8 – Jordan Love, Football
Oct. 15 – Jordan Love, Football
Oct. 22 – Corinne Larsen, Volleyball
Oct. 29 – Jordan Love, Football
Nov. 5 – Darwin Thompson, Football