Stanford running backs coach Ron Gould sent a message to Bryce Love about replacing All-American Christian McCaffrey.
"Coach G kind of in this offseason challenged me," Love said Thursday on ESPN. "He said I was a good player but I wasn't a great player."
After rushing for 1,973 yards and averaging an impressive 8.3 yards per carry in the regular season, Love has taken the next step. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back Thursday at the College Football Awards Show in Atlanta. Love beat Penn State's Saquon Barkley and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, the other two finalists.