By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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For all that Darrynton Evans does, he, above all else, wins; when Evans rushes for at least 80 yards in a contest, Appalachian State is 16-0.

There simply haven’t been many seasons like the one Darryton Evans is having. The Appalachian State running back scored three times in the Mountaineers’ triumph over Louisiana, helping his team win a second-straight Sun Belt Conference Championship Game and a fourth consecutive league title overall. One of the most versatile playmakers in the country, Evans, again, had a fitting performance on the big stage, scoring three different times, rushing for one touchdown and catching two more. Evans heads to the postseason with another ring and a resume for the record books.

Recently named the Sun Belt Championship Game MVP, Evans is a standout star beyond just that spotlight.

Saturday’s production included, Evans, still with one game to go in his junior year, is now one of just three college football players this millennium with at least 1,300 rushing yards, five touchdown receptions and a kickoff return for a score in a single season, joining Chris Johnson and Christian McCaffrey.

The numbers, for Evans, are as remarkable as they are well-rounded; 236 rushes for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns, 18 receptions for 193 yards and five scores and 15 kickoff returns for 386 return yards and a touchdown; simply for good measure, Evans even completed a pass for 14 yards. For a 12-1 Appalachian State team that now has two wins over Louisiana, including Saturday’s Sun Belt Championship Game, and victories over both North Carolina and South Carolina, Evans has been the quintessential producer.

In what has been a signature season for the Mountaineers, Evans has often had pen in hand. The win in Chapel Hill saw him rush for three touchdowns. Evans, in the victory Columbia, had 117 total yards. A nationally-televised spotlight at Georgia State came with 131 yards and a rushing score and a receiving score alike. When Appalachian State clinched the Sun Belt East against Texas State, Evans ran for 154 yards and three touchdowns. A championship weekend showcase was simply more of the same.

Beyond those big games, Evans had one of the top individual efforts of the entire season in the Mountaineers’ win over Charlotte. He ran 19 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns and, in unique fashion, returned a kick for a score. Evans opened the contest with a 87-yard touchdown dash on the very first play from scrimmage, later ending the game by taking an onsides kick back for six. Evans is currently the only player in at least the last 20 years with 200 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return for score in a single game.

Going back to October of 2018, Evans now has eleven 100-yard rushing performances. He has 2,310 rushing yards, 23 rushing touchdowns and 30 total scores in that span. Evans, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown in the Dollar General Bowl in his final game as a freshman before missing all of 2017 and redshirting due to injury, has returned to develop into one of the best and most impactful players in all of college football.

For all that Evans does, he, above all else, wins; when Evans rushes for at least 80 yards in a contest, Appalachian State is 16-0.

Regardless of classification, Evans is one of the best players in the country for one of the best teams in the nation. His latest game came with a continuation and a championship.