Press release

Kansas City, Mo. —- Catawba junior running back LJ Turner was named D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week for week five, the site announced Tuesday.

Turner had a record-setting day on Sunday afternoon, rushing for a Catawba program-record 329 yards on 35 carries with five rushing touchdowns to lead the Catawba Indians’ to a 44-41 overtime win over Anderson at Shuford Stadium.

The Palm Bay, Fla., native turned in the second-most rushing yards in Division II so far this season and the sixth-most rushing yards in a game in SAC history. Through five games, Turner leads the SAC with 667 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, ranking third and fifth in the country, respectively.

Turner scored each of Catawba’s five touchdowns in regulation with three touchdowns in the game’s opening 17 minutes. After Anderson trimmed a 21-0 deficit to three points twice in the second half, Turner immediately responded with rushing scores, the first of which was a game-long 61-yard burst.

Catawba has now rostered a D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back years, as quarterback Preston Brown earned the nod after a record-breaking six-touchdown performance over Livingstone last September.