Football - BlueHens.com - Delaware Athletics

#30
ANDREW PIERCE

Year: Junior
Position: Running Back
Height /Weight: 5-11 / 200
Hometown: Bridgeton, N.J.
High School: Cumberland Regional HS
Major: Fitness Management

• 2012 Delaware Season Statistics

At Delaware: Already one of the top all-time running backs in Delaware football history in just two seasons • two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection • former walk-on • dominating runner in Hens' one-back offense • can break off a big gain at any time and get the tough yard on third down • runs low to the ground, finds the open holes, and challenges defenders • rarely goes down after first hit • also effective at catching the ball out of the backfield not only in the flat but downfield • one of 20 players on Walter Payton Award Watch List presented to the top offensive player in NCAA Division I FCS football by The Sports Network • named a second team pre-season All-American by the Sports Network • pre-season first team All-CAA by the league coaches • College Football Performance Awards pre-season All-American candidate • pre-season first team All-CAA by College Sporting News • pre-season fourth team All-American by College Sporting News and ranked as the No. 8 running back in the nation • third team pre-season All-American by Beyond Sports Network • ranks No. 11 among returning NCAA FCS players in rushing, No. 18 in all-purpose yards, and No. 19 in scoring • in just two seasons, ranks among the NCAA Division I FCS's top active career statistical leaders in rushing attempts (3rd with 608), rushing yards per game (3rd at 112.8), total rushing yardage (4th with 2,934), and rushing touchdowns (4th with 30) • in 26 career games (all starts) has carried 608 times for 2,934 yards (4.8 avg.) and 30 touchdowns while catching 74 passes for 411 yards (5.5 avg.) and three touchdowns • has rushed for over 100 yards in a game 15 times • ranks No. 1 all-time at Delaware in rushing yards per game (112.9), No. 4 in carries (608), No. 4 in rushing yards (2,934), No. 4 in 100-yard rushing games (15), No. 8 in rushing touchdowns (30), No. 19 in all-purpose yards (3,133), and No. 24 in receptions (74/4th among full-time running backs) • needs just 66 yards to become only the fourth player in UD history to reach 3,000 career yards rushing • will push for the all-time career rushing yardage records, trailing only No. 3 Chuck Hall (3,157 in 1968-70), No. 2 Omar Cuff (4,364 in 2004-07), and No. Daryl Brown (4,587 in 1991-94) • needs 223 yards to reach Hall, 1,430 to reach Cuff, and 1,653 to reach Brown • needs 1,066 yards to become only the 10th runner in CAA history to reach 4,000 yards • active pass-catching streak of 25 straight games is just two shy of Cuff's running backs record of 27 at Delaware • earned UD Strength & Conditioning team Iron Blue Hen Award for 2011-12 as the team's most committed player to weight training and conditioning.

2011 Season: Followed an unbelievable freshman season with a sensational sophomore campaign in the Blue Hen backfield • earned second team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors • earned honorable mention College Sporting News Fabulous Fifty Team honors • finished 14th in voting for the Walter Payton Award • Touchdown Club of South Jersey NCAA FCS College Player of the Year • started all 11 games and led the team in rushing with 1,279 yards on 279 carries (4.6 avg) with 16 touchdowns • led team with 1,491 all-purpose yards • team's No. 2 receiver with 42 receptions for 212 yards (5.0 avg.) and leading scorer with 98 points on 16 touchdowns and a two-point conversion • 279 carries was No. 4 all-time in a single season at UD while 1,279 yards ranks No. 10, 116.3 yards rushing per game ranks No. 5, 16 touchdowns ranks No. 7, and 42 receptions ranks No. 3 among running backs • ranked No. 2 in the CAA and No. 11 in the NCAA in scoring (8.7 points per game), No. 3 in the CAA and No. 13 in the NCAA in rushing (116.3 yards per game), and No. 3 in the CAA and No. 26 in the NCAA in all-purpose running (135.5 yards per game) • rushed for 100 yards or more eight times led by a career-high 215 yards and two touchdowns vs. Richmond • 215 yards was the No. 8 highest single game total in UD history • also had 158 yards and three touchdowns vs. Towson, 143 yards and a touchdown vs. William & Mary, 123 yards and two touchdowns vs. West Chester, 120 yards and a touchdown vs. Maine, 119 yards and a touchdown vs. Navy, 109 yards and a touchdown vs. Villanova, and 106 yards and three touchdowns vs. Delaware State • was held under 80 yards just once (21 yards on 14 carries in win vs. Old Dominion) • carried a career-high 40 times vs. Villanova (No. 3 all-time at UD) and also rushed 34 times vs. Richmond and 34 times for Towson • averaged 36 carries for 160.6 yards and scored six touchdowns over final three games of the season vs. Towson, Richmond, and Villanova as Hens won final three games • had team's longest run of the season with a 44-yard scamper for a touchdown vs. West Chester • caught at least one pass in all 11 games, extending his pass-catching total to 25 straight games • tied a UD record for running backs with a career-high eight receptions for 34 yards vs. Maine • also had seven catches for 32 yards vs. West Chester and seven catches for 26 yards vs. William & Mary • named Blue Hen Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Week twice during the season for performances against West Chester and Towson • Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Week for performances vs. Towson and Richmond.

2010 Season: Enjoyed the finest season for a freshman running back in the history of Delaware football and one of the best by any player in Blue Hen history • walk-on who earned the starting job late in pre-season practice and was a star from the outset • started all 15 games at running back and led the team in rushing as a true freshman as he gained a UD freshman record 1,655 yards on 329 carries (5.0 avg.) with 14 touchdowns • also caught 32 passes for 199 yards (6.2 avg.) and three touchdowns to rank No. 5 on the team • third team The Sports Network All-American and one of just two freshmen nationally to be named to the team • Phil Steele College Football National Freshman of the Year • College Sporting News All-American • ECAC All-East Freshman of the Year • Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Rookie of the Year and first team All-CAA • led all NCAA FCS freshmen, led the CAA, and ranked No. 15 in the nation in rushing with 110.3 yards per game • posted the second highest single-season rushing yardage total at UD and most since All-American Omar Cuff rushed for 1,945 in 2007 • rushed for 100 yards or more in seven of his 15 games • was outstanding in the post-season, rushing 95 times for 506 yards and two touchdowns in four games, averaging 126.5 yards rushing per game • closed the year with a 186-yard effort in NCAA semifinal win over Georgia Southern and a 142-yard effort with one touchdown in national title game against Eastern Washington • carried 13 times for 119 yards and a touchdown collegiate debut vs. West Chester • rushed 26 times for 165 yards and a touchdown vs. South Dakota State • had season-high 200 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns against Duquesne • became first UD freshman and just the sixth player all-time to rush for over 200 yards in a game • became first UD freshman to rush for over 100 yards in each of his first four games • reached 1,000 yards rushing in a season (nine games) and career faster than any player in UD history • had season-high three touchdowns on 26 carries with 114 yards vs. Richmond • ran 26 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns vs. Rhode Island • rushed 16 times for 79 yards and two scores vs. Towson • had two catches for 26 yards and a score vs. Maine • had one catch for 31 yards and a touchdown against Massachusetts • had four catches for 18 yards and a score vs. Villanova with his one-yard touchdown catch with 18 seconds left sending the game into overtime • caught four passes for 18 yards vs. Eastern Washington • led the team with 1,854 all purpose yards (No. 39 in NCAA and No. 2 among freshmen) • ranked No. 2 in the CAA and No. 40 in the NCAA (No. 5 among freshmen) in scoring with 6.8 points per game • became one of the most decorated players in school history • earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week vs. Duquesne • selected CAA Rookie of the Week six times, including three straight weeks to open the season (West Chester, South Dakota State, Duquesne, Maine, Rhode Island, Towson) • selected as Blue Hen Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Week three times (South Dakota State, Duquesne, Georgia Southern) • selected as the New Jersey Sportswriters Association College Running Back of the Year • team went 12-3 and advanced to the FCS national title game under Keeler.

High School: Standout running back at Cumberland Regional High School for head coach Tom Lake • one of the top running backs in South Jersey • led team to back-to-back playoff appearances • 2007 berth was the school’s first in school history • set single-season school records with 1,640 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2009 • Cumberland Regional’s all-time leading rusher with 4,537 yards • selected to the All-Group III, All-Conference, All-Press and second team All-South Jersey • named Touchdown Club of South Jersey’s Running Back of the Year • awarded the Maxwell Club Mini Max Award • doubled as a standout track & field athlete • won sectional titles in the javelin • finished fifth at the Penn Relays • holds school record with toss of 191-5 • named to All-South Jersey track & field team.

Personal: Andrew Michael Pierce • fitness management major at Delaware • son of Steven and Wanda Pierce • born March 6, 1991 • has an older brother • enjoys fishing and camping in spare time • has pre-game ritual of watching highlights of great runs by late NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton • participated in event at the White House with Vice President Joe Biden in June, 2012 that launched a public service announcement about dating violence.

Career Statistics at Delaware

Year	GP/GS	Rushing Att.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
2011	11/11	279	1,279	4.6	16	44
2010	15/15	329	1,655	5.0	14	40
Totals	26/26	608	2,934	4.8	14	44