PASADENA, Calif. – Rachaad White was selected as the Pac-12 Player of the Week, the Rose Bowl Game Football Committee announced.
After being tabbed as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week yesterday, White continues to receive accolades for his impressive performance in the 31-16 win over USC. Throughout the 2021 college football season, the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl Game Football Committee have selected players from each partner conference as the Big Ten and Pac-12 Player of the Week.
For their outstanding performances in week ten, Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell and Arizona State running back Rachaad White were selected by the 15-person committee. White becomes the first Sun Devil to win the honor this season and the first to receive the distinction since Eno Benjamin did so in October of 2018 after his historic 312-yard rushing effort. He is the second member of the program to earn a National Player of the Week honor, with Tyler Johnson collecting Walter Camp National Defender of the Week honors back in October.
Rose Bowl Game Pac-12 Player of the Week - Rachaad White
Sun Devil running back Rachaad White delivered an electric performance in Arizona State's 31-16 victory over USC. White ran for a career-high 202 yards on only 28 carries (7.2 ypc), scoring three touchdowns on the ground. His rushing total was good for the fourth-most in the NCAA this week. It is the sixth-most rushing yards by a Sun Devil in a Pac-10/12 game (since 1978). He added two catches for 35 yards to give him 337 of ASU's 427 total yards of offense (78.9 percent).
White is the first player to rush for over 200 yards since Eno Benjamin's school record 312 yards against Oregon State in 2018. It was the 22nd instance of a Sun Devil rushing for over 200 yards in program history and the 16th individual to reach the milestone.
The 202 yards were the third-most in the 38 games played in the series between the two teams. It was the first time USC had allowed a 200-yard rusher since UCLA Josh Kelly in 2018 (289). The effort also put White over the 1,000 yard mark in his career at ASU (now at 1,105). He is the first player to rush for over 100 yards (102) in the first half since Benjamin against USC in 2018. He was also the first ASU player with two rushing touchdowns over 47 yards since Benjamin in that same USC game in 2018.
White has multiple touchdowns in seven of his 12 games at ASU and has at least one touchdown in 10 of those 12 games with the Devils. He now has 19 touchdowns in his career (17 rushing, two receiving) in just 12 games played (1.6 per game). With two plays of over 30+ yards, White now has nine "explosive" plays in his brief Sun Devil career (six rushing, three receiving).
The rushing attack led by White is on an unprecedented tear, collecting yards at a rapid pace. ASU has gone over the 200-yard mark on the ground in eight of its last 15 games dating back to 2019. and over 250 yards rushing in 6 of the last 12 games. In the Herm Edwards era, ASU has rushed for 200 or more yards 13 times and 250+ yards 11 times.
USC has given up over 250 rushing yards to an opponent only 7 times since 2018 (40 games), ASU has three of those. The Maroon & Gold have 870 rushing yards against USC in four games since 2018. In seven previous contests (2011-17), ASU had a TOTAL of 868. ASU has over 100 rushing yards as a team in 13 straight games. With four on Saturday, ASU has 42 rushing touchdowns over its last 12 games - the most in the FBS over a 12-game span. It's the longest since a 13-game span from 2013-14.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will start a two-game road trip beginning on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. MST when they travel to Washington. The game will be televised on FS1, with Dan Hellie and Petros Papadakis on the call.
ROSE BOWL PLAYER OF THE WEEK 2021 WINNERS:
Week 10: Aidan O'Connell, Purdue; Rachaad White, Arizona State
Week 1: Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State; Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Week 2: Blake Corum, Michigan; CJ Verdell, Oregon
Week 3: Jahan Dotson, Penn State; Jaxson Dart, USC
Week 4: Jack Campbell, Iowa; Chance Nolan, Oregon State
Week 5: Spencer Petras, Iowa; Tanner McKee, Stanford
Week 6: Matt Hankins, Iowa; Jayden de Laura, Washington State
Week 7: David Bell, Purdue; Devin Lloyd, Utah
Week 8: Chase Brown, Illinois, Travis Dye, Oregon
Week 9: Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State (2); Tavion Thomas, Utah
About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses®
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl Game and a variety of associated events. The Tournament's 935 volunteer members act as ambassadors of the organization within the community and serve on one of 31 committees that ensure the success of the parade and game. Collectively, they contribute upwards of 80,000 hours of manpower each year. For additional information on the Tournament of Roses please visit the official website at www.tournamentofroses.com.