WVU RB Tony Mathis Named Big 12’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week

West Virginia running back Tony Mathis’ hard work is paying off with success on the field that’s being recognized well beyond Morgantown.

Mathis has been honored as the Big 12’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week. He ran for 163 yards on 22 carries for an average of 7.4 yards per touch in the Mountaineers win over Baylor. Mathis also scored 2 touchdowns and caught a pass for a 9-yard gain. TCU’s Max Duggan is the player Mathis is sharing the title with this week.

𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝟭𝟮 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 🏆

Co-Offensive Player of the Week: @_tmathiss24 pic.twitter.com/yWgyyXefAw

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 17, 2022

While the statistics alone warranted the redshirt sophomore earning the award, the numbers don’t even explain the true importance of Mathis’ big game. This marked the first time Mathis was needed to carry the load on the ground mostly on his own. He has been able to share production with CJ Donaldson before the freshman sustained a concussion in Austin, Texas two weeks ago. Donaldson’s explosiveness had made him WVU’s leading rusher prior to exiting the game against the Longhorns.

In total during the 2022 season, Mathis has 459 yards on 92 carries and has scored 5 touchdowns. Head coach Neal Brown has hinted about the possibility of Donaldson returning this week in Lubbock, but that has not yet been confirmed.