NORMAL, Ill. – Freshman running back Cole Mueller had a career day in Illinois State's road win over No. 15 South Dakota on Saturday and for his efforts, he was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week Sunday by the league office.
The weekly honor is the second of the season for a Redbird player and the first for Mueller in his ISU career. Earlier this season, defensive lineman Braydon Deming earned the league's Defensive Player of the Week award after recording four TFLs in a win over Eastern Illinois.
The Wentzville, Missouri, native ran for a career-high 178 yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown to lead the Redbirds to the victory over the Coyotes. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry against the Coyotes and scored the game's lone offensive touchdown for ISU on a 69-yard run in the second quarter that put the Redbirds up 10-0.Â
It was his third 100-plus yard effort of the season and he now leads the team with 578 yards on the season and three rushing scores.
Mueller and the Redbirds return to action next Saturday at Western Illinois, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. in Macomb.
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