Michael Owens
Co-Captain
5-11, 216, RB
Carlisle, PA
Carlisle H.S.
At SU: named co-captain after the Penn State game…two letters…first year starter as a senior…wore the legendary #44, previously worn by Orange greats Jim Brown, Ernie Davie and Floyd Little…finished his career 10th on both the all-time SU rushing list with 1995 yards and the all-purpose yard list with 3088…5.1 yard career rushing average is 6th best in SU history…19 TDs ties him for 8th all-time…averaged 6.7 yards every time he touched the football, 7th best all-time…sat out 1986 season under Proposition 48…
Senior year: became just the 4th back in SU history to rush for over 1000 yards…1004 yards was the 6th best season total for an Orangeman…four 100 yard games in a season accomplished by only seven other SU backs and ties him for 9th place on the career list…named MVP and given the game ball after rushing for a career high 159 yards and a TD on 20 carries vs. Navy…other top games: 22 carries for 120 yards vs. Florida State, 28 carries for 132 yards and 2 TDs vs. Rutgers, 200 carries for 111 yards vs. East Carolina…rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries during SU’s Peach Bowl victory over Georgia…
Junior year: split time with starter Robert Drummond at tailback…had 460 yards on 94 carries for a 4.9 average and 4 TDs…season high 63 yards on 9 carries vs. West Virginia…topped 100 all-purpose yards four times, including a season high of 169 against Rutgers…averaged 20.9 yards per kick return with a long of 47 vs. Temple…completed both of his option pass attempts for touchdowns (vs. Virginia Tech and Navy)…
Sophomore year: set an SU total offense record by averaging 9.1 yards every time he touched the ball…500-plus yards gave the Orange three running backs with over 500 yards for the first time since 1959…gained 531 yards on 88 carries for a 6.0 average and 4 TDs…caught 9 passes for 147 yards and 2 TDs, including a 65 yarder vs. West Virginia…had 207 all-purpose yards vs. West Virginia, including a season-high 72 yards rushing, 71 yards receiving and 64 yards in kickoff returns…71 yards on 9 carries vs. Rutgers, 67 yards on 9 carries vs. Navy…ECAC Rookie of the Week vs. Rutgers and Virginia Tech…ECAC honor roll vs. Penn State and Boston College…
High School: 1985 Pennsylvania High School Player of the Year…led Coach Ray Erney’s team to District championship…Offensive MVP of Pennsylvania’s 21-7 win over Maryland in the ’86 Big 33 All-Star Game, scoring all three touchdowns…was a guard opposite North Carolina’s Jeff Lebo on two state championship basketball teams at Carlisle…sprinter on the track team…
Personal: Michael Lamont Owens…born April 7, 1968, Carlisle, PA…son of Bill and Marsha Owens, two brothers, two sisters…brother Billy, one of the two highest rated recruits in the country in 1988, was a Freshman All-America for the SU basketball team…majored in family in family and community services.
Carries Yards Avg. TDs
1987 88 531 6.0 4
1988 94 460 4.9 4
1989 210 1004 4.8 8
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Totals 402 1995 5.1 16
Recpt. Yards Avg. TDs
1987 9 147 16.3 2
1988 7 110 15.7 1
1989 19 113 5.9 0
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Totals 35 370 10.6 3
KO Ret. Yards Avg. TDs
1987 15 336 22.4 0
1988 18 376 20.9 0
1989 1 11 11.0 0
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Totals 34 723 21.3 0
Career Highs
Yards Rushing- 159 vs. Navy, 1989 Receptions- 3, four times
Long Run- 52 vs. Temple, 1989 Yards Receiving- 71 vs. West Virginia, 1987
TDs Rushing- 2 vs. Rutgers, 1989 Long Receptions- 65 vs. West Virginia, 1987
Long Kick Return- 47 vs. Temple, 1988
All-Purpose Yards- 207 vs. West Virginia, 1987
