Ellis County Sports Your source for Ellis County Sports News
Ellis County Sports report
St. Louis, MO — Former Waxahachie running back Jayden Becks was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week after eclipsing the century mark Saturday afternoon.
Becks paced the No. 15 Missouri State backfield with 11 carries for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 38-17 home victory against Southern Illinois University. The sophomore sensation finished the game with 9.2 yards per carry, which included a 29-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter for a 17-0 lead and a 1-yard touchdown carry with 1:39 to play in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice.
Becks, a 2023 WHS grad, helped pace Missouri State’s (7-2, 5-0 MVFC; FCS) offense to its sixth straight 30-point output and seventh straight victory with a 100-yard rushing effort for the second straight week.
Becks has quickly become a true triple-threat option for the Bears backfield. Out of the backfield, he has rushed 48 times for 358 yards and 5 touchdowns with 17 catches for 170 yards and a score on the season. However, he has amassed 209 yards and 4 touchdowns on 18 carries over the past two weeks. There are also 8 kick returns for 158 yards to add to his 8-game total.
“JAB” is the only Valley rusher to post back-to-back 100-yard games over the past two weeks. He shared game-high honors against SIU, alongside backfield mate Jacardia Wright, with 109 all-purpose yards.
Becks was previously named to the MSU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the Spring of 2024. He also appeared in all 11 games as a true freshman, rushing 38 times for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns and was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 23, 2023.
Saturday’s victory elevated the Bears to their first 5-0 start in Valley play since 1989 and extended their current win streak to seven games, the program’s longest since 1990.
MSU head coach Ryan Beard’s squad will play the next two weeks on the road, starting with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Murray State on Saturday, followed by a trek to MVFC leader North Dakota State on Nov. 16. Missouri State returns home on Nov. 23 to take on defending national champion South Dakota State in the regular-season finale at 2 p.m. on Senior Day at Plaster Stadium.
_____
Travis M. Smith, @Travis5mith
tsmith@elliscosports.com
