On the heels of an impressive Gator Bowl victory over the Georgia Bulldogs 24-19, the Nebraska Cornhuskers received more reason for optimism in 2014: Running back Ameer Abdullah will be returning for his senior season, via ESPN’s Brett McMurphy:
Huskers.com later confirmed the announcement on Thursday afternoon, providing official statements from Abdullah and head coach Bo Pelini.
Nebraska fans should be thrilled, as the team will be returning one of the top backs from last season.
In 13 games, the junior rushed for 1,690 yards and nine touchdowns on 281 carries. He also caught 26 passes for 232 yards while finding the end zone twice.
Furthermore, he topped the century mark on the ground in all but two games for the Huskers. That includes a stretch of eight consecutive weeks from Sept. 21 to Nov. 23.
One of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back, Abdullah was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and the AP All-America Third Team.
Look for the Homewood, Ala. native to take the pressure off whoever is starting at quarterback for Nebraska next season.
Pelini had this to say, via Huskers.com:
We look forward to having [Abdullah] represent the Nebraska football program for another season. [He] has the opportunity to leave a legacy at Nebraska that will put him among the all-time greats to play here. He is a young man that is deserving of being a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy and other national awards in 2014.
With several top names such as Washington’s Bishop Sankey, Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk and Auburn’s Tre Mason declaring early for the NFL draft, Abdullah made a wise move to wait a year.
More than likely, he’ll be one of the top names coming off the board in 2015.
All stats and rankings used in this article are courtesy of CFBstats.com.
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