South Dakota State University running back Zach Zenner was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Jackrabbits' 31-14 win at Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 8.

A sophomore from Eagan, Minn., Zenner set career highs for the second week in a row, carrying the ball 34 times for 278 yards and a touchdown as the Jackrabbits evened their record at 1-1. Zenner reached the 100-yard mark before halftime and added a 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to help the Jackrabbits pull away for the victory. Zenner’s yardage total was the most by an SDSU player in the Division I era (previous record 259 by Cory Koenig against Cal Poly in 2007) and was the third-most in school history – 13 yards shy of tying the school record.

In two games this season, Zenner has gained a Division I-best 461 yards and is averaging 8.1 yards per carry. His 278 yards are the most in a game by a Division I back this season and the second-highest single-game total in all divisions of NCAA football so far in 2012.

Zenner and the Jackrabbits will be back in action Saturday, hosting UC Davis in the 17th Annual Cereal Bowl. Kickoff for the home opener is slated for 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.