
Nance Seperates From Tailback Pack- The Arizona Republic
ASU: Tough inside runner who led the Sun Devils in rushing each of his last two seasons...straight-ahead, compact rusher who rarely is tackled for loss and is ideal for short-yardage and goal-line situations...played in 45 games during his ASU career, making 18 starts over his four-year career...totaled 1,934 rushing yards on 482 carries (4.0 avg.) and 19 touchdowns...became a bigger factor in the passing game over the course of his career, as he finished with 63 career receptions for 463 yards (7.3 avg.) and one touchdown.
2009: Played in all 12 games, starting 11...led the team in rushing with 795 yards on 188 carries (4.2 avg.) and six touchdowns...had the first three 100-yard rushing games of his career...the 4.2 yards-per-carry was the highest average of his career...led the Sun Devils in rushing touchdowns for the third consecutive season...was the team's leading rusher in eight of the team's 12 games on the season...had his best year as a pass-catcher as well, finishing third on the team with 28 catches for 216 yards (7.7 avg.) and one touchdown...totaled three or more receptions in five games on the season...earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 honors...ran for 31 yards on eight carries (3.9 avg.) and a touchdown in team's season-opening win over Idaho State on Sept. 5...emerged as the team's workhorse back in the second game of the season, running for 82 yards on 17 carries (4.8 avg.) and two touchdowns in victory over ULM on Sept. 19...matched his previous career high with 92 rushing yards on 25 carries (3.7 avg.), and led the team with four receptions for 47 yards (11.8 avg.), at No. 21 Georgia on Sept. 26...also had his first career receiving touchdown in that game...had 18 carries for 48 yards (2.7 avg.) and a touchdown, while adding five catches for 45 yards (9.0 avg.) against Oregon State on Oct. 3...posted his first career 100-yard game on the ground in win at Washington State on Oct. 10, running for 113 yards on 21 carries (5.4 avg.) and a touchdown against the Cougars...ran for 70 yards on 13 carries (5.4 avg.) and had a team-high six catches for 41 yards (6.8 avg.) in victory over Washington on Oct. 17...had seven carries for 35 yards (5.0 avg.) at Stanford on Oct. 24...rushed for 77 yards on a career-high 27 carries (3.0 avg.) and had a touchdown, while catching four passes for 15 yards (3.8 avg.) at No. 14 Oregon on Nov. 14...finished his career with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games...totaled 110 yards on 21 carries (5.2 avg.) at UCLA on Nov. 21...posted a career-high 115 rushing yards on 23 carries (5.0 avg.), while catching three passes for 23 yards (7.7 avg.), against Arizona on Nov. 28.
2008: Played in 11 games, and started the first six games of the year at running back...led the Sun Devils with 410 rushing yards on 105 carries (3.9 avg.) on the season, and tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns...also had a career-high 20 receptions for 111 yards (5.6 avg.)...led the team in rushing yards in six of the 12 games on the season...was the only ASU player to run for multiple touchdowns in a game, as he had two in the second quarter of season-opening victory over Northern Arizona on Aug. 30...ran for 75 yards on 18 carries (4.2 avg.) and had a third-quarter touchdown in win over Stanford on Sept. 6...posted a season-high 92 rushing yards on 20 carries (4.6 avg.) against UNLV on Sept. 13...had 11 carries for 39 yards (3.5 avg.) at California on Oct. 4...led the Sun Devils with 64 rushing yards on 14 attempts (4.6 avg.) at No. 8 USC on Oct. 11...had a season-long 18-yard run against Oregon on Oct. 25...finished with 47 yards on nine rushes, all in the second half, in win over Washington State on Nov. 15...had four carries in victory over UCLA on Nov. 28 and three rushing attempts at Arizona on Dec. 6.
2007: Played in 11 games, making his only start in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against Texas on Dec. 27...led the Sun Devils with seven rushing touchdowns on the season...finished the year with 500 rushing yards on 133 carries (3.8 avg.)...also had 13 catches for 120 yards on the season...had 11 carries for 58 yards in victory over San Diego State on Sept. 15...scored his first touchdown of the season, a 17-yard scoring run, in win at Stanford on Sept. 29...playing time increased after Ryan Torain was lost for the season in Week 7...rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries and had a 57-yard touchdown run, his longest run of the season, in win over Washington on Oct. 13...scored three rushing touchdowns while running for 85 yards on 21 carries in victory over California on Oct. 27...had 12 carries for 54 yards against UCLA on Nov. 10, and his 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Sun Devils the lead for the first time in that win...led ASU's rushing attack with 58 yards on 22 carries in victory over Arizona on Dec. 1...finished the season with 18 carries for 48 yards in his only start of the season against Texas in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27.
2006: Appeared in 11 games as a true freshman...carried 56 times for 229 yards (4.1 avg.) and three rushing touchdowns...lost only one yard among his 56 carries...was one of the top freshmen running backs in the Pac-10 Conference, ranking second among freshmen in rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards...enjoyed an excellent start to his college career, leading ASU with 61 yards on 10 carries (6.1 avg.) and a six-yard rushing touchdown in the season-opener against Northern Arizona on Aug. 31...totaled 21 yards on five carries (4.2 avg.) against Nevada on Sept. 9...gained 26 yards on seven carries at No. 21 California on Sept. 23...totaled 39 rushing yards on seven carries (5.6 avg.) and a 13-yard rushing touchdown against Stanford on Oct. 21...gained 33 yards on seven carries (4.7 avg.) against Washington State on Nov. 11...had a one-yard touchdown run at Arizona on Nov. 25...carried seven times for 21 yards in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl against Hawai'i on Dec. 24.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2006 graduate of Trinity High School in Euless, Texas...one of the most decorated Sun Devil recruits of all time...rated as the No. 13 all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals.com...rushed 341 times for 3,173 yards and 41 touchdowns...one he and current Chicago Bear and former University of Texas running back Cedric Benson have rushed for more than 3,000 yards in a season among 5A players in the state of Texas football history...a first-team All-American at running back by EA Sports...named the unanimous 2005 District 6-5A Offensive Player of the Year...earned 5A Player of the Year accolades by Dave Campbell's Texas Football...named 5A first-team All-State by the Associated Press...also named District 6-5A Academic All-District...selected to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Super Team Offensive Player of the Year and also running back...named to the first-team of the Class 5A All-State squad by TSWA (Texas Sports Writer's Association)...is listed as the No. 51 on The Dallas Morning News' Top 100 players in the state of Texas...was the All-Texas Offensive Most Valuable Player...named first-team All-Texas at running back...named first-team All-Area at running back by The Dallas Morning News...won the Team Texas Billy Sims Award in 2005 for the Outstanding Running Back of the Year...Euless Trinity (14-1) won the 5A Texas state Championship for the first time ever...won the Trinity High School Sportsmanship Award, the Outstanding Offensive Back Award and the John Reddell Most Valuable Player Award...named the Offensive Most Valuable Player, the Metroplex MVP and Best Running Back by 5Atexasfootball.com...as a junior was first-team all-district, the most outstanding running back and a 5Atexasfootball.com first-team all-junior selection...was the 2003-2004 Offensive Sophomore Player of the Year...in ninth grade was selected Most Outstanding Football Player, Most Outstanding Basketball Player and Most Outstanding Track and Field Athlete of the Year...he was also the Most Outstanding Offensive Back and the Most Valuable Player for football...as an eighth grader he was the Most Outstanding Football Player, the Most Outstanding Basketball Player and the Most Outstanding Track and Field Athlete of the Year...won the same awards as a seventh grader in 2000-2001...Euless Trinity was the 2005 Texas Team of the Year...coached by Steve Lineweaver at Trinity High.
PERSONAL: Parents are Ivan (transportation supervisor) and Joyce Cooper-Nance (medical finance specialist) of Euless, Texas...has three siblings, Julius, Delvan and Morgan...born February 18, 1988 in Bedford, Texas...full name is Dimitri Othello Nance.
Nance's Career Statistics
Rushing | |||||||
Year | G/GS | Att. | Net | Avg. | TD | Lg. | Avg./G |
2006 | 11/0 | 56 | 229 | 4.1 | 3 | 17 | 20.8 |
2007 | 11/1 | 133 | 500 | 3.8 | 7 | 57 | 45.5 |
2008 | 11/6 | 105 | 410 | 3.9 | 3 | 18 | 37.3 |
2009 | 12/11 | 188 | 795 | 4.2 | 6 | 35 | 66.2 |
Career | 45/18 | 482 | 1934 | 4.0 | 19 | 57 | 43.0 |
Receiving | |||||||
Year | G/GS | Rec. | Yds. | Avg. | TD | Lg. | Avg./G |
2006 | 11/0 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 10 | 1.5 |
2007 | 11/1 | 13 | 120 | 9.2 | 0 | 32 | 10.9 |
2008 | 11/6 | 20 | 111 | 5.6 | 0 | 12 | 10.1 |
2009 | 12/11 | 28 | 216 | 7.7 | 1 | 23 | 18.0 |
Career | 45/18 | 63 | 463 | 7.3 | 1 | 32 | 10.3 |