David Cobb ranks seventh in the nation in rushing with 135 yards per game, but he didn't make the list of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's top running back.
The list included three other Big Ten backs – Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah and Indiana's Tevin Coleman – along with Miami's Duke Johnson, Georgia Southern's Matt Breida, Marshall's Devon Johnson, Auburn's Cameron Artis-Payne, USC's Javorius Allen, and Boise State's Jay Ajayi.
"I will tell you, that will highly motivate that young man," Gophers coach Jerry Kill said of Cobb. "He's played good, and he'll get rewarded. He just needs to keep playing hard and playing well."
Cobb will have a chance to match up against Abdullah and Gordon the next two weeks.
"It's one of those moments that you wait for and you dream for, going against Abdullah and Gordon, two great backs that deserve to be on the list," Cobb said.
