| Freddie Barnes (7) in action against Akron Friday night at Perry Stadium (Aaron Carpenter/Sentinel-Tribune) |
Bowling Green State University senior Freddie Barnes has been named a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff
Award, given to the nation’s outstanding college football wide receiver. The announcement was made
Monday afternoon by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.
Joining Barnes as a finalist will be Notre Dame’s Golden Tate and Texas’ Jordan Shipley.
Barnes leads the country in receptions (129), receptions per game (11.7), yards (1,482), yards per game
(134.7) and touchdowns (14).
The senior has eight double-digit reception performances, has gone over the 100-yard mark eight times and
has five games of at least two touchdowns
Barnes, one of five captains on the 2009 Falcons’ squad, currently has six straight games of over 100
yards receiving and has caught at least one touchdown in each of those six contests.
Big plays have been a huge factor in Barnes’ success as well, having caught five receptions over 50
yards, and has 22 catches of 20 yards or more in 2009.
The Chicago Heights, Ill., native’s 129 catches are seventh all-time in the history of the NCAA, 13
receptions shy of the NCAA mark of 142, held by Manny Hazard (Houston), established in 1989. His 11.7
receptions per game is the fourth-highest average ever by a NCAA wide receiver and has 36 more catches
than his nearest competitor.
Barnes has played a factor elsewhere as well, contributing 75 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while
adding 111 punt return yards on just eight attempts. Overall he has 1,668 all-purpose yards, 19th most
in the country.
