Players of the Week- Sept 25

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Here are all of the award winners combined into one thread. TSN's national awards included as well.

McNorton, Scott, Johnson, Hardin capture FCS weekly awards
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - North Dakota State running back D.J. McNorton, Georgia Southern cornerback Laron Scott, Murray State special teams performer Dontrell Johnson and North Dakota wide receiver Greg Hardin have been named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS National Players of the Week for the week ending Saturday, Sept. 25.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
D.J. McNorton, North Dakota State, Junior, 5-10, 203, RB, Channelview, TX
McNorton rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns in North Dakota State's 38-16 win over then-No. 21 South Dakota. In the second half alone, McNorton carried the ball 13 times for 202 yards. The junior from Channelview, Texas, scored on runs of 1, 53, and 27 yards. His 250 rushing yards is the second-highest single-game total in the FCS this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Laron Scott, Georgia Southern, Junior, 5-9, 173, CB, Warner Robins, GA
In Georgia Southern's 38-21 victory over then-No. 10 Elon, Scott intercepted a Scott Riddle pass early in the fourth quarter and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 35-14 advantage. Scott also was involved in an
interception earlier in the game, as he deflected a Riddle pass attempt into the hands of teammate E.J. Webb. The junior cornerback recorded six tackles in the Southern Conference game.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dontrell Johnson, Murray State, Junior, 5-11, 180, DB, Moultrie, GA
Johnson took a punt back 91 yards for a touchdown in Murray State's 52-16 victory over UT Martin in the Ohio Valley Conference. On the day, Johnson amassed 148 yards on three punt returns (49.3 yards per return), including a
35-yarder which led to a Racers score, and 22-yarder later in the contest.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Greg Hardin, North Dakota, Freshman, 5-11, 166, WR, Bellevue, NB
Harden hauled in six catches for 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns in North Dakota's 49-24 win over Northwestern State. The redshirt freshman finished with touchdown catches of 76, 52 and 33 yards. He already is one of four players in UND history to record a pair of 170-yard receiving games in their career.

CAA FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- SEPT. 27
RICHMOND, Va. (September 27, 2010) -- CAA Football announced its Player of the Week honorees, Monday, Sept. 27. Five individuals earned honors after showcasing superb efforts in contests played in Week 4 of the 2010 season, including Delaware’s Anthony Walters, James Madison’s Taveion Cuffee and Stephon Robertson, Villanova’s James Pitts and New Hampshire’s R.J. Toman.

CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week - R.J. Toman, QB, New Hampshire
Toman earned his first CAA Football weekly honor since 2007, by leading New Hampshire to a 31-10 win over Lehigh Saturday. Toman passed for a career-high 348 yards and four touchdowns, completing 26-of-37 attempts on the day. The senior completed passes to eight different Wildcat receivers, three of which logged career highs in either receptions or receiving yards. Toman also rushed the ball eight times for 19 yards, helping New Hampshire pile up 519 yards of total offense. This is Toman’s second weekly league honor of his career as the first came in 2007 when he replaced injured quarterback Ricky Santos in the Wildcat’s win over Delaware.

CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week - James Pitts, DB, Villanova
Pitts, one of two CAA Football Defensive Players of the Week, halted Penn on what would have been the Quakers’ potential winning score when he picked off a pass and returned in 56 yards for a touchdown in Villanova’s 22-10 win Saturday. Pitts, in addition to the interception return for a touchdown, logged six total tackles, made one stop behind the line of scrimmage and broke up two passes. Pitts and the Villanova defense limited Penn, a Top-25 squad, to just 270 total yards on the night.

CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week - Anthony Walters, DB, Delaware
Walters, another CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week, led a Delaware Blue Hen defense to a 34-13 win on the road over Richmond. Walters, who recorded a team-best 10 tackles in the win, also picked off an Aaron Corp pass midway through the fourth quarter after the Blue Hens had taken a 27-13 lead. Walters, along with his defensive teammates, allowed just 234 yards and 14 first downs to the Spiders, who were averaging more than 350 yard per game and just under 20 first downs per contest prior to Saturday.

CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week - Taveion Cuffee, DB, James Madison
Cuffee logged CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week honors after helping James Madison to a 10-3 win over Liberty Saturday. The junior blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt which would have pulled the Flames to within one point of James Madison early in the third quarter. The Dukes recovered and marched 54 yards before notching a 22-yard field goal for the final score in the game, 10-3. Cuffee also recorded an interception with two minutes left to play, giving James Madison the ball back to end the game. Defensively Cuffee broke up a pass and made a season-high seven tackles in the win.

CAA Football Rookie of the Week - Stephon Robertson, LB, James Madison
Robertson is this week’s CAA Football Rookie of the Week after leading a James Madison defense which limited Liberty to just three points in a 10-3 win in Harrisonburg. Robertson logged a game-high 13 tackles for the Dukes, while allowing Liberty only 61 rushing yards on 32 carries. The JMU defense allowed Flame QB Mike Brown to tally 229 yards of total offense, nearly 100 yards off his season average, and kept Liberty out of the endzone for the first time since 2006.
ROPER, ESTRADA, MINTER,
DINIZ CLAIM WEEKLY HONORS
OGDEN, UTAH (Sept. 27, 2010) -The Big Sky Conference has selected its football players of the week for games played on Saturday, Sept. 25. Montana quarterback Justin Roper is the offensive player of the week. Montana State’s Zach Minter and Northern Arizona’s Matt Estrada are Co-Defensive Players of the Week. Sacramento State kicker Chris Diniz is the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Roper, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound senior from Buford, Ga., came off the bench and completed 16-of-19 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns as Montana rallied for a 28-25 win over Sacramento State, avoiding a rare three-game losing streak. Roper completed his first 10 passes, and led the Grizzlies on three of their four touchdown drives. Roper threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Carver with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter to put the Grizzlies ahead 28-25. Roper also threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Antwon Moutra with 9:40 remaining in the second quarter to give his team a 14-13 lead. This is Roper’s first Player of the Week honor.
Minter, a 6-1, 265-pound sophomore from Glendale, Ariz., scored a touchdown for the second straight week, helping No. 17 Montana State snap a seven-game losing streak to No. 9 Eastern Washington with a 30-7 win. Minter picked off a Bo Levi Mitchell pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to give MSU a 13-0 first-quarter lead. Minter also tallied a pair of solo tackles and two pass breakups as the Bobcats held the Eagles to just seven points, their lowest scoring output in 14 games.
Estrada, a 5-10, 185-pound senior from La Habra, Calif., registered a team-high five tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in Northern Arizona’s 32-7 road win over Idaho State. Estrada’s fumble recovery led to an NAU touchdown. His intercepted came in the fourth quarter at the ISU 3-yard line. Estrada led a defense that allowed just 151 total yards and 12 first downs.
Diniz, a 5-9, 195-pound senior from Escalon, Calif., tied a school record with four field goals and scored 13 points in Sacramento State’s 28-25 loss to Montana. Diniz made field goals of 50, 42, 28 and 34 yards. The 50-yarder gave Sac State a 3-0 lead and the 28-yarder put the Hornets ahead 16-14.

Others Nominated

Offense
Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Eastern Washington
Corey White, RB, Idaho State
Mike Person, OT, Montana State
Zach Bauman, RB, Northern Arizona
Bryan Hilliard, RB, Sacramento State
Bo Bolen, RB, Weber State

Defense
J.C. Sherritt, LB, Eastern Washington
Chris Holmesly, DB, Idaho State
Bryan Waldhauser, DT, Montana
John Eddy, LB, Northern Colorado
Dana Willis, S, Sacramento State
Jordan Brown, S, Weber State

Special Teams
Cameron Zuber, P, Eastern Washington
David Harrington, P, Idaho State
Brody McKnight, P/K, Montana
Drew Zamora, P/K, Northern Arizona
Cameron Kaman, P, Northern Colorado
Shaun McClain, K, Weber State
SoCon Announces Football Players of the Week
Presley, Scott, Wise and Martin Receive Weekly Honors

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week today for the games played on Saturday, September 25. Appalachian State’s DeAndre Presley was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Georgia Southern’s Laron Scott earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Chattanooga’s Kadeem Wise was selected as the Freshman of the Week, and Appalachian State’s Sam Martin was tabbed as the Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DeAndre Presley, Appalachian State, QB, Jr., Miami, Fla.
Presley accounted for 273 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as Appalachian State earned a 35-17 win at Samford. The junior signal caller was 16-of-27 passing for 176 yards with two TDs. He rushed 15 times for 97 yards and two TDs. Presley is the first ASU quarterback to not throw an interception in the first four games of the season since Todd Payton in 1986. He is third in the nation in passer efficiency (168.4) and seventh in total offense (294 ypg).
Other Nominees: Aaron Mellette (Elon), Jaybo Shaw (Georgia Southern), Fabian Truss (Samford), B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga), and Jacoby Mitchell (Western Carolina).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Laron Scott, Georgia Southern, DB, Jr., Warner Robbins, Ga.
Scott recorded six tackles for the Eagles in their 38-21 win over No. 11 Elon. Scott’s biggest impact on the game came early in the fourth quarter. With Georgia Southern holding a 28-14 lead over the Phoenix, Scott picked off Elon’s Scott Riddle and returned the interception 36 yards for a touchdown to push the Eagles ahead, 35-14. Earlier in the game, Scott deflected a pass attempt by Riddle which was then intercepted by GSU’s E.J. Webb.
Other Nominees: D.J. Smith (Appalachian State), Jonathan Glaspie (The Citadel), Brandon Wiggins (Elon), Josh Lynn (Furman), Bryce Smith (Samford), Ryan Consiglio (Chattanooga) and Torez Jones (Western Carolina).

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Kadeem Wise, Chattanooga, DB, Fr., Lawrenceville, Ga.
Kadeem Wise picked off two passes in Chattanooga’s 27-21 win over Western Carolina, giving him four interceptions for the season which tied the school record set in 1978 by current UTC head coach Russ Huesman. Wise is the first Moc with multiple INTs in a game since Buster Skrine had two against Western Kentucky in 2007. He added three tackles and one pass break-up in the win over the Catamounts.
Other Nominees: Terrence Martin (The Citadel), Jordan Jones (Elon), Carlos Cave (Georgia Southern), Fabian Truss (Samford), and Roland Johnson (Western Carolina).

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sam Martin, Appalachian State, P, So., Fayetteville, Ga.
Martin punted seven times in ASU’s victory over Samford. He booted a long of 54 yards and had three punts downed inside the Samford 20-yard line. Samford’s average starting field position after Martin’s punts was its own 26-yard line. The sophomore also kicked off six times with the average kick reaching the Bulldogs’ 3-yard line, including one touchback.
Other Nominees: Ray Early (Furman), Adrian Mora (Georgia Southern), Cameron Yaw (Samford), and Blake Cain (Western Carolina).

BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (http://www.BigSouthSports.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) – Stony Brook running back Edwin Gowins (Bellport, N.Y.) has been named the Choice Hotels Big South Football Offensive Player of the Week, while Seawolves’ defensive end Jonas Rousseau (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has been selected as the Defensive Player of the Week for games played the fourth week of the 2010 season. In addition, Coastal Carolina’s Tarvorris Jolly (Shelby, N.C.) is the Special Teams Player of the Week, while Charleston Southern wide receiver James Nunley (Sacramento, Calif.) is The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week.

Gowins, who missed the last two games due to injury, rushed 13 times for 101 yards and a touchdown against No. 9 UMass, becoming the first FCS player in five games to rush for 100 yards against the Minutemen. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry en route to recording his 10th career 100-yard rushing game. Gowins had a long run of 29 on his first official carry of the game and later plowed in from eight yards out to tie the score at 7-7 in the first quarter.

Rousseau posted a career-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops, against UMass. He also recorded 4.5 tackles for loss of 18 yards, one of which was a sack for a loss of eight yards. Among his tackles included a stop that forced a 4th-and-Goal situation and caused UMass to settle for a field goal. With Stony Brook ahead, 21-20 in the third quarter, Rousseau made two consecutive hits behind the line that pushed the Minutemen out of field goal range. He first assisted on a 4-yard loss, and then sacked the quarterback to force a 3rd-and-27 at the Stony Brook 33-yard line.

Jolly returned a blocked field goal attempt 94 yards for a touchdown in giving the Chanticleers a 10-point swing against Delaware State. With Coastal Carolina leading 21-0, Josh Norman blocked the Hornets’ 18-yard field goal attempt and Jolly scooped it up at the six-yard line to become the first player in school history with a blocked field goal returned for a score.

Nunley scored the lone touchdown of the day for Charleston Southern against Hawai’i with an 11-yard catch in the first quarter that cut the Buccaneers’ deficit to 21-7. He had a career-high 139 all-purpose yards, and started the Bucs’ lone scoring drive with a 25-yard kickoff return. Nunley also had an 8-yard rush, finished with four catches for 23 yards and made a pair of tackles on special teams.

Also nominated for Offensive Player of the Week: Kwame Krakue (Charleston Southern) and Eric O’Neal (Coastal Carolina).

Also nominated for Defensive Player of the Week: Charles James (Charleston Southern), Desmond Steward (Coastal Carolina) and Kyle O’Donnell (Liberty).

Also nominated for Special Teams Player of the Week: Andy Brown (Charleston Southern) and Mike Larsson (Liberty).

Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: Aaron Jones (Coastal Carolina) and Preston Pemasa (Gardner-Webb).

MEAC ANNOUNCES WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS
B-CU’s Johnson, MSU’s Tate, Okakpu and Scarlett Earn Top Weekly Honors

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., September 27, 2010 – Bethune-Cookman quarterback Matt Johnson was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Bricen Tate of Morgan State earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades.

Teammates Chuka Okakpu and Kemar Scarlett, also of Morgan State, earned the Rookie and Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Johnson (QB, 5-10, 175, Sr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) completed 17-of-27 passes for 225 yards with three touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 21-7 win over Norfolk State. He also rushed 18 times for 89 yards in the win.

Tate (DE, 6-1, 225, Sr., Beaumont, Texas) collected seven tackles, four solo, one sack and recorded his first career interception as the Bears defeated Howard 20-3 in the NYUL Football Classic. He also forced and recovered a fumble to lead MSU to its first conference victory of the season.

Okakpu (WR, 6-4, 200, Fr., Roswell, Ga.) collected his first career touchdown as he hauled in a 16-yard pass against the Bison. The catch also marked the first touchdown of the season for the Bears.

Scarlett (PK, 6-0, 180, Sr., Temple Hills, Md.) connected on 2-of-3 field goals to help the Bears record its first conference win of the season. The senior booted field goals from 45 and 46 yards to help seal the MSU victory.

Other Top Performances
Tavaris Bell (B-CU) blocked a punt in the Wildcats’ victory over NSU.
Charles Brice (HOW) rushed 13 times for 96 yards in Howard’s loss to Morgan State.
Alvis Graham (FAMU) recorded a career high 13 tackles, with one sack for a 14 yard loss, in the Rattlers loss to Tennessee State.
Dion Hanks (B-CU) collected five tackles, three solo, and one tackle for a one-yard loss in the Wildcats first conference victory of the season.
James Owens (FAMU) recorded three kickoff returns for 83 yards with a long of 29 yards in the Rattlers loss to TSU.
Lavante Page (FAMU) scored two touchdowns in the Rattlers’ loss to Tennessee State.
Keith Pough (HOW) recorded 10 tackles, seven solo, with one sack for a three yard loss.
Reggie Sandilands (B-CU) accounted for seven tackles, four solo, with three for a loss of 16 yards in the Wildcats win over Norfolk State.

IVY LEAGUE WEEKLY HONORS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Princeton junior quarterback Tommy Wornham (San Diego, Calif.) completed 23-of-43 passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Tigers’ 36-33 double-overtime win over Lafayette. Wornhm rushed for 49 yards and a third touchdown, which tied the game at 24 early in the fourth quarter. He began Princeton’s second-overtime possession with a 12-yard rush to set up the game-winning touchdown three plays later.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brown senior linebacker Andrew Serrano (Phoenix, Ariz.) led the Bears’ defensive effort that held the Harvard offense in check all night in a 29-14 win over the Crimson. Serrano recorded a team-high seven tackles, including three solo hits, and forced a fumble in limiting Harvard to 112 total yards, including a minus-16 yards rushing. He guided the Brown defense to keep Harvard to only 76 offensive yards up until the Crimson’s final possession.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Brown freshman placekicker Alexander Norocea (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) turned in another clutch performance in the Bears’ 29-14 victory over Harvard, tying the Brown school-record with five field goals. Norocea totaled 17 points, adding two PATs, which tied for the second-most points in an Ivy game and tied for the third-most points ever
in League history. He connected on field goals from 20 yards twice, 35 yards twice and a career-high 44 yards. His five field goals tied the school record held by Tyler Chase against Penn in 1972 and matched by Chris Ingerslev against Cornell in 1985 and Steve Morgan against Harvard in 2005.

CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Filling for an ill Nick Schwieger, Dartmouth freshman running back Dominick Pierre (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) topped 100 yards in just his second collegiate game, with 110 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, to help the Big Green to a 21-19 win over Sacred Heart and off to its first 2-0 start in 13 years. Pierre scored the first Dartmouth touchdown of the game from three yards out in the second quarter, but it was his second score in the third quarter for a 21-12 lead that proved to be the difference in the game. He had three runs of at least 10 yards and only once lost yardage on a carry.

HONOR ROLL
Statistics
Sean Brackett, Columbia, So., QB 11-for-15, 157 yds., 1 TD, 89 rush yds.
Emani Fenton, Cornell, Sr., CB 6 tkls. (5 solo), 2 INTs
Luke Hussey, Dartmouth, Sr., LB 12 tkls. (6 solo), 1 TFL, 1 PBU
Marco Iannuzzi, Harvard, Sr., WR 194 all-purpose yds., 95-yd. KOR for TD
Patrick Jacob, Princeton, Jr., PK 3 FGs including 24-yarder to force OT
Mark Kachmer, Brown, So., TB 19 car. for 89 yds., 2 TDs, 45 KOR yds.
Josh Martin, Columbia, So., DE 6 tkls. (4 solo), 2.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 4 QBH
Jeff Mathews, Cornell, Fr., QB 23-for-35, 248 yds., 1 TD
Jon Olofsson, Princeton, Sr., LB 16 tkls. (6 solo), 1 TFL, 1 PBU
Josh Powers, Penn, Sr., S 3 tkls. (3 solo), FF set up go-ahead score
Alex Thomas, Yale, Jr., RB 18 car. for 124 yds., 1 TD
Matt Tuten, Penn, Sr., WR 6 rec. for 89 yds.
Collin Zych, Harvard, Sr., FS 12 tkls. (6 solo), 1 INT, 1 PBU

SWAC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 4
The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for games played Saturday, September 25.
Offensive Player of the Week
Raymond Webber – WR, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-3, 220, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) Playing back in his home town at the Gateway Classic, Webber set a UAPB record with 11 receptions for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Golden Lions to a 35-19 victory over Clark-Atlanta. Webber leads the nation in receptions per game at 9.67 and is 3rd in the country in receiving yards per game at 123.33.
• Casey Therriault (QB, JKST) – Threw for 374 yards and 4 TDs
• Frank Warren (RB, GRAM) – Rushed for 151 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries
• Deaunte Mason (QB, AAMU) – Threw for 221 yards and 4 TDs with 73 yards rushing (294 all-purpose yards)
• Martin Gilbert (RB, TXSO) – Rushed for 121 yards on 19 carries
• Shaun Stephens (WR, PVAM) – Caught 6 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown
Defensive Player of the Week
Moses Ellis – CB, Prairie View A&M (5-9, 175, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas) Ellis helped lead the Panther defense with 5 total tackles (4 solo), and forced two Grambling turnovers in the State Fair Classic. He set up Prairie View’s first touchdown with an interception and return inside the Grambling red zone, and stopped a Grambling drive inside the PV red zone with a forced fumble and recovery.
• Shomari Clemons (LB, TXSO) – 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT for 35 yards.
• Ryan Rich (LB, JKST) – 5 tackles, 1 INT for 74 yards and a touchdown
• Cliff Exama (LB, GRAM) – 9 tackles, 2.0 TFL and a forced fumble
• Larry Lumpkin (LB, AAMU) – 5 tackles, 2.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks for 12 yards
Special Teams Player of the Week
Chance Wilson – PK/P, Alabama A&M (5-9, 185, So., Huntsville, Ala.) Wilson remained perfect on the season with field goals of 27 and 29 yards and 4 PATs. He has hit all 6 field goal attempts and 12 PATs on the season. He also averaged 49.3 yards per punt with a long of 52 yards in Alabama A&M’s 34-14 victory over Southern.
Newcomer of the Week
Anthony Carrothers – QB, Grambling State (5-10, 180, Fr., Charlotte, N.C.) Carrothers was efficient in leading Grambling to a 34-17 victory over Prairie View at the State Fair Classic. He threw for 152 yards and a TD on 10 of 16 attempts. He also rushed for 29 yards and a score .
• Renty Rollins (TE, JKST) – Caught 6 passes for 63 yards and 2 TDs
• Marcus White (LB, PVAM) – 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss
• Jerryan Harris (LB, UAPB) – 9 tackles (4 solo) with a fumble recovery
Turner, Newbill, Antonio Earn Southland Football Weekly Honors
Nicholls’ running back Jesse Turner named offensive player of the week after 210 yards, four TDs in win

FRISCO, Texas – Nicholls running back Jesse Turner, who scored four touchdowns in Nicholls’ 44-28 homecoming victory over Bacone last Saturday, was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Additionally, Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Mark Newbill was named the defensive player of the week and Sam Houston State kicker Miguel Antonio was named the special teams player of the week.

Offensive Player of the Week: Jesse Turner, Nicholls
Turner carried the ball 15 times for 210 yards in leading the Colonels to a 44-28 victory over Bacone College in the team’s home opener at Guidry Stadium. His four touchdowns tied the school record and his 14.0 yards per carry set the school record for the most rushing touchdowns in a game. His 87-yard touchdown run was the second longest scoring run in school history. This season, the sophomore from Houma, La. (Ellender), has 49 carries for 408 yards and six touchdowns, and nine receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown. His 102 yards per game ranks 17th nationally and his 10.5 points per game is tied for seventh.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin; Tyler Arndt, Texas State; Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State.

Defensive Player of the Week: Mark Newbill, Southeastern Louisiana
Playing in his hometown for the first time as a collegian, Newbill tied a career-high with 17 tackles, including 14 solos in a 21-20 loss at Louisiana-Monroe. He also had one tackles for loss. The senior from Monroe, La. (Neville), surpassed Willie Shepherd (229 solo tackles) as Southeastern Louisiana’s all-time leader in solo tackles with 240 and moved to within 22 total tackles of Wayne Faul’s school-record of 368. With three assisted stops, Newbill moved into third-place (106) in school history, passing Herman Colly.

Honorable Mention: Tabbaris Hicks, Nicholls; Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State; Caleb Nelson, Stephen F. Austin.

Special Teams Player of the Week: Miguel Antonio, Sam Houston State
Antonio was perfect on three field-goal tries and three PATs in the 30-14 victory over Gardner-Webb in the Bearkats’ home opener last Saturday. The sophomore from Lovelady, Texas (Lovelady), connected from 20 and 26 yards and also hit from a season-long 43 yards. For the season, Antonio, who scored 12 points against Gardner-Webb, is 4-of-7 on field goal attempts and has made all five extra points.

Honorable Mention: Karrington Bush, Texas State; Drew Nelson, Stephen F. Austin.

MVFC WEEKLY HONORS
This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include RB D.J. McNorton of North Dakota State; CB Brandian Ross of Youngstown State; RB Bryce Flowers of Western Illinois; and K/P Steven Fetzer of Illinois State. Each were instrumental in his team's victories this past Saturday.

Offense
RB D.J. McNorton, North Dakota State, Jr., 5-91/2, 203, Channelview (Texas) High
McNorton had a career-high 250 yards and three TDs in the 38-16  win against No. 20 South Dakota. He scored on TD runs of 1, 53 and 27 yards, while rushing 13 times for 202 yards in the second half. His previous career-high was 66 yards against Wagner in 2009. He had a career-long rush of 67 yards late in the fourth quarter. McNorton’s effort is the second best in FCS this season and the top performance in the MVFC this season.

Defense
CB Brandian Ross, Youngstown State, Sr., 6-1, 195, Richmond (Va.) Meadowbrook
Ross finished with five total tackles, two pass breakups and a key  interception in the Penguins’ come-from-behind 31-28 win over No. 13 Southern Illinois. Prior to the loss, the Salukis had won 14 consecutive conference games. Ross’s interception came in the second quarter with the game tied 14. On a second-and-10 from the SIU 49, he intercepted a Chris Dieker pass and returned it 13 yards to the SIU 41. On the ensuing possession, the Guins scored to take a 21-14 lead and never trailed again.

Newcomer
RB Bryce Flowers, Western Illinois, Fr., 5-10, 205, Pittsburg (Calif.) High
Flowers rushed for a game-high 192 yards and matched a  personal-high by scoring two touchdowns as Western Illinois improved to 3-1 with a 40-7 win against visiting Indiana State. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry and lost only two yards on the slippery, muddy field.

Special Teams
K/P Steven Fetzer, Illinois State, Sr., 5-11, 190, Mahomet (Ill.) Seymour High
Fetzer drove home a 39-yard game-winning field goal in double overtime to give ISU a 44-41 win over Missouri State. Fetzer also boomed a career-long 51-yard field goal in the second quarter among his three FGs for the night. And he averaged 37.8 yards per punt in four tries with one pinned at the MSU two-yard line.

Offensive Lineman
OG Paul Cornick, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-6, 305, Orono (Minn.) High
Cornick graded out at over 95 percent and had 12 knockdowns (pancake blocks) in North Dakota State's 38-16 win over No. 20 South Dakota. Cornick and the NDSU offensive line opened holes for D.J. McNorton, who rushed for 250 yards and three TDs on 20 carries against USD. It was the fifth best rushing effort in school history. The Bison had 530 yards of total offense including 354 yards rushing. NDSU scored five times in the second half and had 410 yards of total offense in the final period. Collectively, the offensive line allowed no quarterback hurries or sacks during the game. Cornick moved from right tackle to right guard prior to the Morgan State game.

ADDITIONAL OFFENSIVE NOMINEES
QB Cody Kirby, Missouri State
Kirby compiled 275 yards of total offense, including a career-high 84 rushing yards against Illinois State. He accounted for four touchdowns (including three rushing scores) and had a career-long 56-yard TD run.

Illinois State - Ashton Leggett, Matt Brown, Marvon Sanders
RB Ashton Leggett ran for a career-high four touchdowns and finished the game with 86 yards on 24 carries. His four scores are a season high in the MVFC. Other key peformers for the Redbirds included QB Matt Brown, who threw for 397 yards, and WR Marvon Sanders, who had 12 catches for 167 yards. ISU defeated Missouri State, 44-41 in double overtime.

RB Bryce Flowers, Western Illinois
Flowers rushed for a game-high 192 yards and matched a personal-high scoring two touchdowns. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry and lost only two yards on the slippery, muddy field.

RB Jamaine Cook, Youngstown State
Cook rushed for 111 yards on a career-best 26 carries in the Penguins' 31-28 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday. Cook was steady the entire contest against SIU rushing for 25 yards in the first quarter, 25 in the second quarter, 25 in the third and added 10 carries for 36 in the fourth. As a team the Guins rushed for 206 yards on 56 attempts in the contest. It was Cook's second consecutive 100-yard rushing effort.

QB Tirrell Rennie, UNI
Tirrell Rennie threw for 102 yards and rushed for 80 more in UNI’s loss at Iowa State.

WR Jeff Evans, Southern Illinois
Senior wide receiver Jeff Evans became the 10th Saluki in school history to catch 10 passes in a game. His 10 receptions against Youngstown State was a career-high and the most by a Saluki since Justin Allen hauled in 10 passes at Northern Iowa on Oct. 13, 2007. Evans finished the game with 100 yards receiving, and that is the first 100-yard receiving game since Joe Allaria had 108 yards against YSU in 2009.

RB Brock Lough, Indiana State
Lough scored the Sycamores’ lone touchdown at Western Illinois. He finished the game with seven rushes for 38 yards and a touchdown in Macomb. Lough also caught one pass in the contest.

ADDITIONAL DEFENSIVE NOMINEES
DL Eric Brunner, Illinois State
Brunner collected a career-high 2.5 TFL and recorded the game’s only sack in double overtime to help the Redbirds secured a thrilling 44-41 victory over Missouri State. He finished the game with seven tackles, including two solo, stops and was credited with a sack and two quarterback hurries. Brunner made perhaps the biggest defensive of the game, as he sacked QB Cody Kirby for a six-yard loss in second overtime that hindered the Bears drive which ended with a missed field goal.

FS Daniel Eaves, North Dakota State
Eaves made his first two career interceptions in the second half vs. South Dakota and he added four tackles, including a pair of solos. The Bison have six interceptions on the season to double the 2009 total of three.

LB Brandon Kreczmer, Western Illinois
Kreczmer made eight tackles, recovered a fumble and came up with his first career interception (23 return yards) in the win over Indiana State.

LB Derek Domino, South Dakota State
Domino recorded a career-high 16 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and an interception as South Dakota State battled nationally ranked Nebraska in a 17-3 loss. Domino has tallied double digits in tackles in SDSU's last four games, dating back to the 2009 season. The Jackrabbit defense limited Nebraska to a field goal in the second half in Saturday's game.

OLB Jayson DiManche, Southern Illinois
DiManche had six tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble at Youngstown State. His sack and forced fumble led to a TD. His six tackles and two tackles for a loss set new career-highs for the sophomore.

LB Adam Beauchamp, Missouri State
Beauchamp recorded a game-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops in the Bears' narrow 44-41 double-overtime loss at No. 25 Illinois State on Saturday. His 15 stops was a career-high, and his 10 solos was also a game high and included one of MSU's four tackles for loss in the contest.

DL Ben Obaseki, Indiana State
Obaseki tallied 10 total tackles for the Sycamores at Western Illlinois on a sloppy track in Macomb, Ill. He also added one tackle for loss in the contest.

LB Shawn Gerard, UNI
Gerard totaled seven tackles, five of them solo, including a sack in the Panthers’ loss to Iowa State.

ADDITIONAL NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
RB Ashton Leggett, Illinois State
Leggett ran for a career-high four touchdowns and finished the game with 86 yards on 24 carries. He had TD runs of four yards, five yards, 15 yards and six yards. His four scores are the most in the MVFC this season.

QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State
Hess completed 9-of-15 passes for 94 yards and a career-best three scores while rushing for 18 yards on six attempts in the Penguins 31-28 win over Southern Illinois.Prior to the loss, the Salukis had won 14 consecutive conference games. Hess had three second quarter scoring tosses (15 yards, 7 yards and 3 yards) to rally the Penguins from a 14-0 hole.

TE Matt Thayer, Missouri State
Thayer recorded his first career touchdown, a two-yard completion from Cody Kirby, in the third quarter to put the Bears on top 31-23 at the time. He also had a 24-yard reception that took the ball to the one-yard line in overtime and set up the game-tying touchdown by Kirby on the next play.

LB Taylon Hunter, Southern Illinois
Hunter scored SIU’s second special teams touchdown of the year when he returned a blocked punt 38 yards for a touchdown against Youngstown State.It was SIU’s first blocked punt of the season and Southern Illinois also blocked a punt against Youngtown State last year. Hunter added one tackle in the game.

RB Caulton Ray, Western Illinois
Ray rushed for 115 yards, his first 100-yard game as a Leatherneck. He rushed 29 times and averaged 4.0 ypc while scoring a personal-high two touchdowns in the win.

QB Tirrell Rennie, UNI
Rennie threw for 102 yards and rushed for 80 more in UNI’s loss at Iowa State.

QB/Punter Ronnie Fouch, Indiana State
Fouch punted three times at Western Illinois and was a perfect 3-for-3 in pinning the Leathernecks inside their own 20-yard line, including twice inside the WIU five. He averaged 38.7 yards per punt, including a long of 43 yards. He also was 6-of-17 passing for 52 yards.

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL TEAMS NOMINEES
P Chris Fuchs, Western Illinois
Fuchs kicked a season-long 52-yard punt. He averaged 37 yards on six punts in the win against Indiana State. Three of his six punts not only landed inside the 20-yard line, they landed on the 3, 4 and 4 yard line.

P John Prelvitz, North Dakota State
Prelvitz punted six times for an average of 41.7 and placed two inside the 20 with a long of 54 yards. Prelvitz has placed eight of his 22 punts this season inside the 20 and 37 punts overall in his career.

P Kyle Bernard, UNI
Bernard booted three punts for an average of 53.3 yards per punt, including a long of 60 yards in the Panthers’ loss at Iowa State.

RS/WR Julian Burton, Missouri State
Burton earned his second career start (WR) and had a 54-yard kickoff return to the ISU 30-yard line. The return set up a field goal although Burton was injured on the play and didn't return to the game.

QB/P Ronnie Fouch, Indiana State - see newcomer nominees
LB Taylon Hunter, Southern Illinois - see newcomer nominees

ADDITIONAL LINEMAN NOMINEES
OT Jake Duron, Missouri State
Duron graded out at 86% with 7 knockdowns against Illinois State for an MSU offensive line that rushed for a season-high 231 yards and allowed just one sack in 76 offensive plays.

OG Gary Sumlin, Western Illinois
Sumlin led the offensive line in grading... helped pave the way for running game, only 1 sack allowed by the O-line, same offensive #s mentioned with Bryce Flowers.

Patriot League Announces Football Players of the Week
Georgetown with pair of honorees after victory over Holy Cross
Center Valley, Pa. - For the third week in a row, Georgetown has a pair of players with awards from the Patriot League as junior quarterback Scott Darby earned the Offensive Player of the Week honor and freshman punter Matt MacZura was named Rookie of the Week, it was announced on Monday.

Joining Darby and MacZura as award winners were Holy Cross junior linebacker Ricky Otis as the Defensive Player of the Week and Lafayette senior placekicker Davis Rodriguez as the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Darby completed 26-of-44 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 98 yards in Georgetown's 17-7 win over Holy Cross, while MacZura averaged 40.3 yards on seven punts in the victory. With three Offensive Player of the Week awards this season, the Hoyas have equaled their total from the previous five years combined. The six overall honors this year are the most in school history.

Otis made a career-high 16 tackles in the Crusaders' defeat, while Rodriguez became the first Lafayette placekicker since 1990 to connect on four field goals in a game in a 36-33 double overtime loss at Princeton.

Patriot League Football Weekly Awards (Sept. 25)

Offensive Player of the Week
Scott Darby, QB, Georgetown Jr., 6-3, 212 (Tewksbury, Mass./St. John's Prep) Darby won the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second time in the last three weeks after leading the Hoyas past Holy Cross, 17-7, on Saturday. He completed 26-of-44 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown without an interception, and also ran for 98 yards. The Hoyas rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including Darby's eight-yard strike to John O'Leary to seal the win in the final minutes. The junior quarterback engineered three second-half scoring drives after the Hoyas fell behind by a touchdown. Georgetown is at 2-0 in the Patriot League for the first time, and ended a 10-game losing skid against Holy Cross. A Hoya player has won the Offensive honor for three consecutive weeks after the program went nine years without back-to-back honorees.

Defensive Player of the Week
Ricky Otis, LB, Holy Cross Jr., 6'1, 214 (Cleves, Ohio/Elder) Otis made a career-high 16 tackles to lead a Crusader defense that kept Georgetown out of the endzone for the first three quarters in a 17-7 loss to the Hoyas on Saturday. He recorded 10 solo stops and also broke up a pass. Otis is tied for fourth on the Crusaders with 28 tackles despite playing only two games so far this season. He earns his first Defensive Player of the Week award.

Special Teams Player of the Week
Davis Rodriguez, K, Lafayette Sr., 5'11, 210 (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic) Rodriguez hit all four of his field goal attempts, with each coming in the second half or overtime, and connected on all three extra point tries in Lafayette's 36-33 double overtime loss at Princeton on Saturday. After making field goals in regulation to put Lafayette up 24-16 and 27-24, he extended the game to a second overtime by making a 35-yarder to even the score at 30-30. Rodrgiuez capped his night by making a 26-yard kick on Lafayette's possession in the second overtime. He is the first Lafayette kicker to make four field goals in a game since Jim Hodson on Sept. 8, 1990. Rodriguez is up to 210 career points, which stands seventh all-time among Patriot League kickers. He earns his first Special Teams honor of the season, and extends his Patriot League record of career special teams awards to six.

Rookie of the Week

Matt MacZura, P, Georgetown Fr., 6'2, 200 (Cranberry Township, Pa./Central Catholic) In a contest that evolved into a field position battle for the first three quarters, MacZura punted seven times for a 40.3 average in Georgetown's 17-7 win over Holy Cross on Saturday. He tallied a long of 59 and pinned a pair of kicks inside the 20. MacZura earns his first Rookie of the Week award.

Honorable Mention

Nate Eachus, Colgate Jr., RB, Drums, Pa.
35 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD/3 rec. 20 yards

Ryan O'Neil, Lafayette Jr., QB, White Plains, N.Y.
35 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD/3 rec. 20 yards

Great West Players of the Week from Week No. 4
North Dakota’s Jake Landry, Greg Hardin and Josh Murray, and UC Davis’ Marshall Congdon have been selected Great West Conference Football Players of the Week. Landry to Hardin accounted for three touchdowns in the Sioux’s 49-24 win over Northwestern State, while Murray added a TD on a 60-yard punt return. Congdon led UC Davis with 14 tackles in the Aggies’ 20-9 loss at No. 23 Weber State.
Offensive
QB Jake Landry (6-3, 200, Sr., Grand Forks, N.D.) & WR Greg Hardin (5-11, 166, RFr., Bellevue, Neb.)
North Dakota’s QB/WR combination of Jake Landry to Greg Hardin led the Sioux to the 49-24 victory over Northwestern State. Landry completed 13 of 21 passes for a career-high 300 yards and four TD passes. Hardin finished with a league-high 177 yards on five catches and three touchdowns. Landry hit Hardin on 76-, 52-, and 33-yard TD passes, and he also tossed Chris Anderson a 71-yard scoring pass. Hardin leads the GWC in receiving yards/game (112.0), scoring TDs (six) and scoring (36 points; 9.0 points/game). Under his leadership, Landry helped UND to a season-best and a Great West Conference high 524 yards of offense in the victory.
Also Nominated - QB Andre Broadhous (Cal Poly); WR Sean Creadick (UC Davis); QB Brad Sorensen (Southern Utah); QB Dante Warren (South Dakota)
Defensive
LB Marshall Congdon - UC Davis (6-1, 237, Sr., Elk Grove, Calif.)
Marshall Congdon had a career-high 14 total tackles (8 solo) including 2.0 TFLs for 7 yards during the Aggies’ loss at Weber State. Congdon led all game tacklers in both overall stops and solo stops before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. His tackles were the most by an Aggie this season while his TFLs tied the team’s season-high also held by him (vs. Portland State) and Eric Sobotka (vs. San Diego). Congdon started out strong with seven tackles (4 solo) in the first half as UC Davis held Weber State to just 87 total yards (before halftime) before the Wildcats surged in the second half. Congdon’s previous high for tackles was seven.
Also Nominated - DB Kenny Jackson (Cal Poly); DL Ross Cochran (North Dakota); LB Shea Williams (South Dakota); LB Troy Bunting (Southern Utah)
Special Teams
RB/RS Josh Murray - North Dakota (5-11, 205, Jr., Pepin, Iowa)
North Dakota’s Josh Murray touched the ball only once on a punt return, and he made certain that everyone remembered it. After helping pave the way to UND’s sixth touchdown of the game, Murray caught Northwestern State’s 47-yard punt on the UND 40 and then cashed it in for a 60-yard touchdown run. Murray is the 34th player in UND history to return a punt/kickoff for a touchdown and now ranks 25th among those players. He finished with 198 all-purpose yards (121 rushing, 17 receiving, 60 punt return). The TD was one of two for Murray on the day. If UND qualified, Murray would rank fourth nationally in punt returns (20.40 yards/return).
Also Nominated - RS Mark Rodgers (Cal Poly); K Sean Kelley (UC Davis); K Cole Zwiefelhofer (South Dakota)

OVC Football Players of the Week – Sept. 26
Note: Due to 3 incredible rushing performance on Saturday, we have 3 players sharing the Offensive Player of the Week award this week.

TRI-OFFENSIVE
Jamal Young, RB • Sr., 5-7, 175 • Jackson, Miss. • Jacksonville State
Young rushed for a career-high 162 yards and three touchdowns as the fourth-ranked Gamecocks topped Eastern Illinois 28-23 in the league opener for Jacksonville State. Dating back to last season, it was the eighth-straight win for Jax State which is now the longest streak nationally (FCS). All three of Young’s scores came in the second quarter as Jacksonville State erased an early 9-0 deficit. The senior scored on a one-yard run with 10:38 left to put JSU on the board and then exploded 76 yards for a score to put the Gamecocks on top with 2:35 left in the quarter. Just one minute later Young scored on a five-yard rush to complete the hat trick. In the second quarter alone, Young carried the ball seven times for 116 yards and three touchdowns. It marked the first 100-yard rushing game by a JSU player this season and Young became the first Gamecock to rush for more than 150 yards in a game since the 2006 season.

TRI-OFFENSIVE
Henry Harris, RB • Sr., 5-8, 185 • Memphis, Tenn. • Southeast Missouri
After winning the award last week, Harris had an even better game this week, rushing for a career-high 196 yards and a touchdown to lift Southeast Missouri State to a 23-21 victory over Tennessee Tech. With the win the Redhawks improved to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in OVC play (only the second time the program has started 2-0 in OVC competition). The senior carried the ball 32 times and averaged 6.1 yards/carry en route to his third-straight 100-yard rushing game of the season. He became the first Southeast Missouri running back to achieve that feat since the 2007 season. Harris also had 14 receiving yards and 21 kickoff return yards to finish the contest with 231 all-purpose yards. Harris is averaging 195.0 all-purpose yards/game, which is the fourth-best mark among all FCS players.

TRI-OFFENSIVE
Preston Brown, RB • Sr., 5-10, 191 • Antioch, Tenn. • Tennessee State
Brown carried the ball 28 times for 233 yards and a touchdown as Tennessee State ended an eight-game losing streak to Florida A&M, topping the Rattlers 29-18 in front of 54,202 fans (the largest crowd to see an FCS game this season) at the Atlanta Football Classic held at the Georgia Dome. The 233 yards is the fourth-best performance by a running back in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) so far this season. On the second play of the game, Brown took a handoff and raced 71 yards for a score to put the Tigers up 6-0 as TSU would never trail in the game. Brown averaged 8.3 yards/carry and reached the 100-yard plateau for the third-straight game and the 200-yard plateau for the second time in three weeks. The senior now has two of the top five rushing games in the FCS this season. Brown is averaging 153.75 rushing yards/game this season, the second-best mark nationally.

Others Nominated: Jimmy Potempa, Eastern Illinois; Mike Harris, Murray State; Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech.

DEFENSIVE
Rico Council, LB • Jr., 6-0, 256 • Chattanooga, Tenn. • Tennessee State
Council led Tennessee State with seven tackles and two sacks in the Tigers 29-18 victory over Florida A&M in front of 54,202 fans at the Atlanta Football Classic at the Georgia Dome. Council also added a pass break-up and keyed a TSU defense that limited the Rattlers to just 24 net rushing yards and 199 yards of total offense.

Others Nominated: Nick Nasti, Eastern Illinois; A.J. Davis, Jacksonville State; Nathan Brinkley, Murray State; Dustin Dillehay, Tennessee Tech.

SPECIALIST
Dontrell Johnson, RS • Jr., 5-11, 180 • Moultrie, Ga. • Murray State
Returning punts for just the second time in his career, Johnson took a punt back 91 yards for a touchdown to put Murray State on top of UT Martin 7-0 just 1:49 into the game, giving the Racers a lead they would never relinquish. Johnson finished the game with three punt returns for 148 yards (49.3 yards/return), including a 35-yarder that setup the Racers third score of the first quarter and a 22-yarder later in the game.

Others Nominated: Ryan Key, Austin Peay; Coty Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Julian Mallory, Tennessee State.

NEWCOMER
Mike Harris, RB • Jr., 5-11, 200 • Broken Arrow, Okla. • Murray State
Harris carried the ball 17 times for 119 yards and a touchdown in Murray State’s 52-16 victory over UT Martin on Saturday night. The junior also caught five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in amassing 164 all-purpose yards on the night. Harris caught a 25-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to put the Racers up 35-7 and added the final score of the night in the fourth quarter on a one-yard touchdown run. Harris was part of a Murray State attack that rushed for 211 yards and gained 443 yards overall in snapping a five-game losing streak dating back to last season.

Others Nominated: Brandon Large, Eastern Illinois; Coty Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Jamin Godfrey, Tennessee State; Jocques Crawford, Tennessee Tech; Dean Wathen, UT Martin.

PIONEER-LEAGUE WEEKLY HONORS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Josh McGregor, Jacksonville
Junior, Quarterback, Belle Glade, Fla.
McGregor threw for all six touchdowns in Jacksonville’s 42-15 PFL victory at Davidson, Saturday. He was 26-of- 41 passing (no interceptions) for a career-high 405 yards. McGregor’s 84-yard touchdown toss to Elliott Finkley in the second quarter is the fourth-longest pass play in the FCS this season. He also is the first FCS quarterback to throw more than four touchdowns in a single-game this season. In addition, McGregor’s 405 passing-yard effort is the fourth-best single-game performance in the FCS.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
David Witkiewicz, Drake
Junior, Nose Guard, Hales Corner, Wis.
Witkiewicz’ 13-yard interception return for a touchdown provided the winning score in Drake’s 21-19 PFL victory at Valparaiso, Saturday. He batted a pass down into his own hands and ran the return back for the score. Witkiewicz fin¬ished the day with three tackles and a half tackle for loss. He led a Bulldogs defensive unit that held Valparaiso to 158 yards total offense.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rainer Duzan, Morehead State
Sophomore, Kicker, Dublin, Ohio
Duzan scored nine points and kicked the ball 21 times as Morehead State won a 45-39 PFL contest at Marist, Sat¬urday. The Eagles all-pupose kicker, he had six PATs, a 39-yard field goal, six punts and eight kickoffs. Duzan aver¬aged 42.0 yards per punt, with a 64-yard long punt and two downed inside the 20. His kickoffs averaged 47.5 yards per kick, with a net yardage of 41.8 yards per kick.

OTHER PLAYERS NOMINATED FOR THIS WEEK’S HONORS
OFFENSE
Rashaun Brown (CAM), Dan Jacobs (DAY), Tommy Reilly (MAR), Zach Lewis (MOR), Phil Morelli (SAN)
DEFENSE
Milton Brown (CAM), Devon Langhort (DAY), Bradley Burns (JAC), Rory Foley (MAR), Keaton May (MOR), Mario Kurn (SAN), Bryce LaMore (VAL)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ted Moore (CAM), Ben Behrendt (DAV), Tyler Hujik (DAY), Kevin Pauly (MAR), Stanley Shurson (SAN), Brett Huber (VAL)

NEC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Everette Benjamin, Central Connecticut State
Sr., RB, 6-2, 225, Massapequa, NY/Hofstra
Benjamin did a bit of everything in his first-ever Northeast Conference contest. The senior running back rushed for three touchdowns, made two receptions, and completed a key pass attempt in Central Connecticut State’s 41-24 win over rival Bryant. Benjamin, a second team all-CAA fullback at Hofstra in 2009, ran 29 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns to help hand the Bulldogs’ their first loss of the season. After Bryant scored the game’s first 10 points, Benjamin put together a pair of touchdown runs (2, 42) that gave CCSU a 14-10 lead with 10:35 remaining in the first half. Contributing from all angles as the defending NEC champions opened their league schedule, he converted a 4th-and-10 by completing a 22-yard pass that led to an eventual field goal in the waning minutes of the second quarter.

NEC Football Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Michael Landers, Robert Morris
Sr., FS, 6-1, 210, Springdale, PA/Springdale
Landers led a defensive unit that forced five turnovers in a convincing 30-9 victory at Wagner. The senior safety made seven tackles (five solo) and accounted for two of the team’s four interceptions of preseason all-NEC quarterback Nick Doscher. Both of Landers’ picks came during Wagner’s scoreless second half. While helping ground a Seahawks’ offense that put up 41 points against Cornell one week earlier, Landers moved into the NEC’s all-time Top 10 for interceptions. His 11 career picks tie him for eighth.

Serge Kona, Duquesne
So., LB, 5-11, 223, Gaithersburg, MD/Gaithersburg
Kona forced a pair of important turnovers in Duquesne’s 28-17 win over NEC rival Albany. The sophomore linebacker also made a team-high seven tackles, including one for a loss, in the Dukes’ first-ever win over the Danes in four tries. Kona set up the game’s opening touchdown by forcing a fumble that gave the Dukes’ offense a short field. With Albany driving into Duquesne territory, the Marylander made his first career interception to help preserve what was a 21-7 second-quarter lead at that point. All seven of his stops limited Albany to a gain of three or fewer yards.

NEC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Joe Izzo, Central Connecticut State
Sr., K, 5-8, 205, Southington, CT/Southington
Izzo accounted for 11 points during Central Connecticut State’s 41-24 home win over Northeast Conference foe Bryant. Helping the defending NEC champions to victory in their league opener, the senior placekicker converted all seven of his attempts. Izzo went 2-for-2 on field goal tries and 5-for-5 on PATs. His 33-yard field goal extended CCSU’s lead to 17-10 only seconds before halftime. Izzo opened the second-half scoring by nailing a career-long 40-yarder that gave Central a 10-point lead midway through the third.

NEC Football Rookie of the Week
Steve Tellefsen, Sacred Heart
Fr., DB, 6-1, 180, Weston, FL/Cypress Bay
Sacred Heart picks up its second NEC Rookie of the Week award this season with the honors going to a defensive player this time around. Tellefsen made quite an impact in his first collegiate start. The freshman defensive back accounted for a team-leading eight tackles, all of which were of the solo variety, and logged three pass break-ups in a 21-19 road loss to Dartmouth. The last of his three PBUs came helped force a three-and-out late in the fourth quarter and gave the Pioneers’ offense a chance to post a last-minute win over an Ivy League foe.