As a sophomore , Rice gained 1,794 rushing yards with 20 touchdowns . His rushing totals set Rutgers ' single-season rushing yardage record , shattering J. J. Jennings ' mark of 1,353 set in 1973 . Rice 's backfield partner during his freshman and sophomore seasons was fullback Brian Leonard . Leonard considered entering the NFL Draft in 2006 but stayed for his senior year and took on a less prominent role in the offense which aided Rice 's rise to stardom . Rice was a finalist for the Maxwell Award and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting . Rice was named Big East offensive player of the week a school-record three times in 2007 . All three times , Rice rushed for over 200 yards , 201 yards against North Carolina , 202 yards against South Florida , and a career-high 225-yard game against the Pittsburgh Panthers . Rice ended his sophomore season with 170 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown during the inaugural Texas Bowl to give Rutgers its first bowl victory ever in a 37 – 10 win over Kansas State . He was named MVP of the game
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Ray Rice