The leading rusher in the Big 12 Conference. A second straight 2,000-yard season. The third best single-season rushing total in Division One football history.

These are great achievements, but ISU tailback Troy Davis’ resume wasn’t good enough to earn him the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top collegiate running back.

That award went to Byron Hanspard of Texas Tech.

Hanspard, the sixth running back in NCAA history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, edged Davis and Northwestern’s Darnell Autry for the award.

Hanspard will receive the award at a Tuesday night banquet in Dallas.

”It’s great to go there with all my family and friends and people I grew up with,” he said. ”It’s an honor to go back home and receive the award.”

Hanspard ran for 2,084 yards, but Davis topped him for the Big 12 rushing title with a national-best 2,185.

Autry was the Big Ten rushing champion with 1,386 yards and 15 touchdowns on 263 carries.

“We’re a little disappointed that he didn’t win,”ISU Head Coach Dan McCarney said. “We’re proud he was a finalist for the award.”

McCarney found solace in Davis’ other awards of recognition.

“He was voted the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches, the same coaches that had to coach against Troy Davis,” McCarney said.

Davis has also earned a spot on all of the All-America teams that have been released.

“Troy could be the first unanimous All-America player at Iowa State in the school’s history,”McCarney said.

The two Big 12 backs will likely be competing for another collegiate award in less than two weeks:The Heisman Trophy.

“We are not taking anything for granted, but he was a finalist last year and he has better numbers than last year,” McCarney said.

Davis had recognition last year. Hanspard, on the other hand, was more of a prospect coming into this season.

And he delivered.

Hanspard would rush for more than 200 yards five times and remain over 100 each week, extending his streak to 16 games dating to last year. Hanspard also became Tech’s single-season and career rushing leader (4,219).

But Davis put up some incredible numbers himself.

He broke the century barrier in all 11 games this season and outscored Hanspard by eight touchdowns (21-13).

And as said earlier, back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons.

”I did something that nobody ever did before,” Davis said following his season finale Nov. 24. ”I rushed for 2,000 yards back-to-back. It’s something that nobody ever did, and I did it.”

Hanspard’s only statistical edge was in yards per carry, 6.1 to 5.4.

But Hanspard led Texas Tech to a 7-4 season, compared with 2-9 for Davis’ Cyclones. The Red Raiders finished second in the Big 12 South and are bound for either the Alamo or Aloha bowl.

”All I can do is give God praise for all the blessings he’s given me and the teammates he’s surrounded me with,” Hanspard said.

A licensed Pentecostal minister, Hanspard often preaches at a Lubbock church, and he’s a member of Lay Ministers for Christ International, a nationwide evangelical group that includes NFL star Reggie White.

”What you see is what you get from him,” Tech coach Spike Dykes said. ”There’s not one phony ounce of marrow in his bones, and that’s why so many people love to be around him.”

Three of the last four recipients of the award were from teams that are currently members of the Big 12 (Hanspard, Rashaan Salaam of Colorado in 1994 and Byron “Bam” Morris of Texas Tech in 1993).

”Byron is a fine athlete who I know will live up to our expectations,” said Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern Methodist who starred in the NFL for the Detroit Lions. ”We are proud to include him among our recipients.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.