Shane Carden

East Carolina junior quarterback Shane Carden of Houston is the first weekly winner of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

Carden passed for a school-record 447 yards and five touchdowns, completing 46 of 54 passes without an interception. The offense put up 52 points as the Pirates won a shootout against Old Dominion, 52-38, in front of a crowd of 44,597.

Carden, who emerged as the starter at quarterback last season after first losing a preseason battle with Rio Johnson, was at his best against the Monarchs. He broke his own school record of 439 yards passing set in a 65-59 double-overtime victory over Marshall in the regular season finale a year ago.

The five touchdown passes tied his career high (set against Memphis) and the school record equaled on four other occassions. Junior receiver Justin Hardy tied his school record for receptions in a game with 16 (for 191 yards). Grayson caught four passes, with three going for touchdowns, and Danny Webster (8 catches for 79 yards) had the other TD catch.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, announced in 2012 by the Tyler Chamber and SPORTyler, recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals.

In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four year college.