#20 James Butler Season 2017-18

Hawk-Item – – Graduate transfer from University of Nevada who played one season with the Iowa program . . . earned undergraduate degree in three years . . . ranks eighth in career rushing at Nevada with 3,313 yards . . . earned Nevada’s Golden Helmet Award as team MVP and was named Nevada’s Outstanding Offensive Player in 2016.

2017 Honors – – Coaches Appreciation Award, offense . . . 2017 – – Saw action in nine games, missing four games due to injury . . . rushed 91 times for 396 yards and recorded four receptions for 47 yards . . . one of two running backs in the starting line-up in 24-3 win over Wyoming . . . rushed 10 times for 47 yards vs. Wyoming . . .  saw action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State as offense gained 497 yards total offense . . . 10 rushing attempts for 37 yards and one pass reception for 26 yards at Iowa State . . . saw action in 31-14 win over North Texas as offense gained 435 yards total offense . . . rushed 16 times for 74 yards vs. North Texas before leaving the game in the third quarter due to injury . . . also forced and recovered a fumble to regain possession for offense after an Iowa fumble was lost . . . expected to miss several games due to injury sustained against North Texas . . . did not see action in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State due to injury . . . did not see action in 17-10 loss at Michigan State due to injury . . . did not see action in 45-16 win over Illinois due to injury . . . did not see action in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern due to injury . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota . . . 11 rushing attempts for 28 yards vs. Minnesota, along with one reception for 19 yards . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State as offense gained 487 yards total offense . . . rushed 10 times for 74 yards, including a season-long of 53 yards that led to an Iowa touchdown . . . saw action in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin . . . rushed eight times for 30 yards at Wisconsin, along with one reception for no gain . . . saw action in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . rushed seven times for 38 yards vs. Purdue, with one reception for two yards . . . saw action in 56-14 win at Nebraska as offense rushed for 313 yards and gained 505 yards total offense . . . rushed nine times for 36 yards and one touchdown at Nebraska, with the score coming from 12 yards . . . saw action in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College . . . rushed 10 times for 32 yards vs. Boston College.

2016 Honors – – Named All-Mountain West honorable mention for the second straight season . . . third team All-Mountain West by Phil Steele . . . named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a career-high 196 yards on 32 carries, while scoring four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in 45-10 win at UNLV . . . named to Maxwell Award preseason Watch List . . . Doak Walker Award candidate . . . earned preseason honors from Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports . . . 2016 – – Started all 12 games . . . rushed 260 times for 1,336 yards, ranking fourth in the Mountain West . . . season rushing total ranked 27th nationally and is 12th-best in Nevada single-season history . . . average of 111.3 rushing yards per game ranked fifth in the conference and 21st in the nation . . . totaled 1,717 all-purpose yards . . . set career highs with 37 receptions for 381 yards and three touchdowns  . . . posted six 100-yard rushing performances . . . registered 15 total touchdowns (12 rushing, three receiving), which ranked sixth in the league and 34th nationally . . . averaged 143.08 all-purpose yards per game, 18th in the nation and third in the conference . . . rushed for over 1,000 yards for a second straight season . . . 27 career rushing touchdowns ranks 10th all-time at Nevada . . . season-long reception of 46 yards at San Jose State helped him record a career-high 92 yards receiving in a single game . . . opened the season with 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns in win over Cal Poly . . . season-long run of 55 yards at Hawai’i, where he finished with 168 rushing yards on 21 attempts . . . named team offensive player of the week vs. Buffalo, Fresno State, Utah State and UNLV.

2015 Honors – – Earned all-conference honorable mention honors . . . Academic All-Mountain West . . . 2015 – – Played in all 13 games, with one start . . . rushed 207 times for 1,342 yards and 10 touchdowns . . . ranked fifth in the league and 23rd in the nation in rushing . . . 1,342 yards on the ground ranks 11th all-time in a single season at Nevada . . . averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 103.2 yards per game . . . ranked second in the conference with eight 100-yard rushing performances, helping team post 7-1 record in those games . . . 18th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season . . . first Nevada sophomore to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season since 2008 . . . one of 22 underclassmen (freshmen or sophomore) in FBS to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in the regular season . . . part of just the third running back duo at Nevada to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in the same season . . . eclipsed 100 yards rushing against Texas A&M (107), Buffalo (177), New Mexico (145), Hawai’i (134), Fresno State (122), San Jose State (119), Utah State (139) and Colorado State (189) . . . led conference in yards per carry (6.3) among players with at least 50 attempts . . . set career high with 189 rushing yard in bowl victory over Colorado State . . . earned first career league Player of the Week honor after rushing 18 times for 122 yards and one touchdown in win at Fresno State . . . tallied career-high 177 rushing yards in win at Buffalo, with a long of 91 yards . . . matched season-high with two rushing touchdowns against Hawai’i and Utah State . . . named team offensive Player of the Week after wins over Buffalo and Hawai’i . . . also had seven receptions for 44 yards.

2014 Honors – – Academic All-Mountain West . . . 2014 – – One of three true freshman to play in all 13 games . . . ranked third on the team in rushing yards (635) . . . rushed 140 times for 635 yards and five touchdowns . . . averaged 4.5 yards per carry . . . ranked third in the Mountain West in rushing yards by a freshman, and 16th overall . . . posted two 100-yard rushing efforts, with 103 yards and a touchdown against San Diego State and a season-high 116 yards in win over UNLV . . . scored touchdowns in his first two collegiate games with one score against Southern Utah and another vs. Washington State . . . recorded first career multi-touchdown game with two rushing TDs in a victory at BYU . . . earned career-high 21 carries in victory at Hawai’i . . . also caught five passes for 13 yards on the season . . . helped Nevada’s offense average over 200 rushing yards per game.

High School Honors – – Earned first-team all-state honors as a senior . . . earned all-area and all-conference honors . . . named conference MVP . . . Career – – Rushed for 1,185 yards and 19 touchdowns on 138 carries as a senior . . . attended Bartlett (Illinois) High School as a sophomore, rushing for 933 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2011 . . . three-year football letterman . . . also lettered in lacrosse and track and field.

Personal – – Born 2/19/95 . . . communications major . . . parents are Cornelia William and James Butler.