COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

ILLINOIS, MINNESOTA, OHIO STATE AND OREGON EARN WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 5 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week Presented by IFS.ai were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees: 

Co-Offensive Players of the Week

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

QB – Sr. – Starkville, Miss. – Starkville

·       Accounted for four touchdowns and 359 yards of offense in No. 23 Illinois’ 34-32 win against No. 21 USC, becoming the first player to have 300+ passing yards, a passing touchdown, a rushing, and a receiving touchdown in a Big Ten game in at least 30 years

·       Finished with 328 passing yards and completed 20 of his 26 passes, while adding 28 yards on the ground

·       First player to record a rushing, receiving, and passing touchdown in a Big Ten game since 2011 (Vincent Smith, Michigan vs. Minnesota)

·       Engineered his national-leading sixth game-winning drive in the final minute or overtime over the last three seasons

·       Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: Aidan Laughery (Dec. 2, 2024)

Dante Moore, Oregon

QB – So. – Detroit, Mich. – Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School

·       Led No. 6 Oregon to a thrilling 30-24 win at No. 3 Penn State in double overtime, the program’s eighth win ever against a top-three opponent and first on the road since 2021

·       Completed 29-of-39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 35 yards

·       Threw two touchdown passes in overtime, including a 25-yard score in the second OT that proved to be the game winner

·       In five games as Oregon’s starting quarterback, has completed 100-of-134 passes (74.6%) for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception

·       Last Oregon Offensive Player of the Week: Dillon Gabriel (Oct. 14, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week

Caden Curry, Ohio State

DE – Sr. – Greenwood, Ind. – Center Grove

·       Recorded personal bests of 11 tackles, nine solo tackles, five tackles-for-loss and three quarterback sacks as Ohio State limited the Huskies to 234 yards of total offense and six points

·       Tied the school record with his five TFLs, a mark he now shares with the likes of Chase Young, Ryan Shazier, John Simon and Andy Katzenmoyer

·       Ranks third nationally with 8.0 TFLs on the season and fourth nationally with 5.0 sacks

·       He also leads Ohio State in tackles with 25

·       Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Cody Simon (Nov. 24, 2024)

Special Teams Player of the Week

David Olano, Illinois

K – Jr. – Naperville, Ill. – Naperville North

·       Kicked a walk-off 41-yard field goal to give No. 23 Illinois a 34-32 win against No. 21 USC

·       Made all six kicks, with two field goals (45, 41) and four extra points

·       Made the third game-winning field goal in Illinois history kicked with the Illini trailing as time expired

·       Last Illinois Special Teams Players of the Week: Hank Beatty (Sept. 1, 2025)

Freshman of the Week

Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

QB – Fayetteville, Ark. – Fayetteville

• Completed 31-of-41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s 31-28 win against Rutgers
• Led Minnesota on a seven-play, 72-yard drive over the course of 3:05 to give Minnesota the lead with a four-yard touchdown pass to Javon Tracy
• His 31 completions were tied for the fifth most in program history and his 41 attempts were the fourth-most since 1995 without an interception
• Since 1995, no Minnesota quarterback has completed 31 passes, attempted 41 passes, thrown for 324 yards and thrown for three touchdowns
• Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Koi Perich (Oct. 28, 2024)

MAC ANNOUNCES WEEK 5 FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

MAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Tucker Gleason, Toledo, QB 
Sr., Tampa, Fla. (Plant)          
Tucker Gleason completed 16-of-19 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another in Toledo’s 45-3 win over Akron. Gleason, who completed 15-of-16 passes in the first half, set his career completion percentage record of 84.2%. He had a two-yard rushing TD and a season-long run of 35 yards.
 
MAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Cameron Hollobaugh, Ohio, LB        
Gr., Warren, Ohio (Warren JFK)       
Hollobaugh kicked off Ohio’s first conference match-up with a bang, scoring on the first drive of the game with a 71-yard pick six. In the second half, Hollobaugh’s forced fumble marked the defense’s first of the season. On the game, Hollobaugh recorded eight tackles– including three solo stops– one tackle for loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries.
 
MAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Palmer Domschke, Western Michigan, Kicker         
R-Junior, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)  
Palmer Domschke went 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points in WMU’s 47-14 win over FCS Top-10 opponent Rhode Island. His first field goal was from 29 yards out to cut URI’s lead to 7-3 at 6:48 in the first quarter. He then connected from 41 and 49 yards late in the third quarter to push the lead to 41-7 and 44-7. His 49-yard field goal was a season long.

BIG 12 ANNOUNCES WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONOREES

Offensive Player of the Week:
Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor and Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati

Defensive Player of the Week:
Prince Dorbah, DL, Arizona State and Sione Fotu, LB, Houston

Special Teams Player of the Week:
Jesus Gomez, K, Arizona State and Stephen Rusnak, K, Cincinnati

Freshman of the Week:
Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU

Offensive Line of the Week:
Cincinnati

Defensive Line of the Week:
Arizona State

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference announced its football award winners for Week Five, which included four players winning for the second time this season. The quarterback tandem of Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby (offensive) were honored as well as Arizona State’s Prince Dorbah and Houston’s Sione Fotu (defensive). Place kickers Jesus Gomez from ASU and Stephen Rusnak from UC earned awards (special team) as BYU’s Bear Bachmeier was named Freshman of the Week for a second time this season. The offensive line and defensive line awards were claimed by Cincinnati and Arizona State, respectively.

Robertson ranked in the top three nationally for the week with 393 passing yards and four touchdown passes in Baylor’s win in Stillwater. He connected with four different Bears in the endzone, giving the program its first game in a decade of four different receivers catching a touchdown. His performance also marked his fifth-straight game with at least three passing touchdowns, the longest streak by a Big 12 quarterback since Kyler Murray in 2018.

Earning a second weekly honor in three weeks, Sorsby threw for 388 yards and a pair of scores in addition to 52 yards on the ground in Cincinnati’s 37-34 win at Kansas in its Big 12 opener. His 440 yards of total offense were the second most by an FBS player in Week Five. Sorsby completed 18 passes for first downs on Saturday, which were the most by a Big 12 player this season. With 388 yards through the air, the Bearcat QB also tallied the second-highest passing day of his career in his 27^th start.

Dorbah gave Arizona State’s defense its top performance in the 27-24 win versus then-No. 24 TCU with four tackles for a loss, three sacks and forced a strip fumble of TCU quarterback Josh Hoover in the final two minutes. He became the first Big 12 player with four tackles for a loss in a Conference game since K-State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah in 2021. Dorbah was a big contributor in ASU’s 13 tackles for loss as a team, its most in a single game since 2018. 

With a career-high 15 tackles in Friday’s victory at Oregon State, Fotu posted the most tackles in a game by a Houston linebacker since Austin Robinson in 2018. The junior from Salt Lake City was a catalyst of a defensive performance that held the Beavers to a 38% conversion rate on third and fourth downs. Fotu was also one of four Power Four players to tally 15 or more tackles last week.

Gomez picked up Big 12 honors for the second consecutive week with his pair of field goals and three extra points in ASU’s win versus then-No. 24 TCU. The senior nailed a game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with 1:14 remaining after making a 26-yarder in the third quarter. Gomez becomes just the fifth FBS player since 2015 to make game-winning field goals in back-to-back games and the first Big 12 player since Oklahoma State’s Ben Grogan in 2015.

Posting a perfect day 7-of-7 kicking in UC’s win at Kansas on Saturday, Rusnak made field goals from 24, 29 and 43 yards out. He has made all six of his field goal attempts this season as well as all 18 extra points. Rusnak is the only kicker in FBS who has not missed a field goal attempt since the beginning of the 2024 season, posting a perfect 17-of-17 mark.

Winning Big 12 Freshman of the Week for a second time in a month, BYU’s Bachmeier was efficient in a 24-21 victory at Colorado. He completed 70.4% of his 27 pass attempts for 179 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards in Boulder. Bachmeier’s 98 yards on the ground are the second most in a single game by a BYU freshman QB, only behind Taysom Hill versus Hawaii in 2012. The Murrieta, California native is one of 12 FBS starting quarterbacks without an interception thrown this season.

Cincinnati’s offensive line helped pave the way to 603 yards of total offense in the Bearcats’ 37-34 win at Kansas, which marked the third-most yards of offense in FBS for the week. The unit gave up one sack, its first of the season, as quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Sorsby, alongside running backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker, rushed for 215 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns in the victory.

With a defense that tallied six sacks and 13 tackles for a loss, the Arizona State defensive line was a key contributor to the Sun Devils’ 27-24 win over then-No. 24 TCU. Five of its six sacks were recorded by defensive linemen, as ASU also held the Horned Frogs to just 10 yards rushing for the game, nearly 175 yards below their average entering the week. Friday marked the fewest yards allowed on the ground by the Sun Devils’ defense since 2018.

WEEK 5 ACC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced its Football Players of the Week following standout performances in Week 5. Honorees were selected by a vote of a select media panel.
 
QUARTERBACK – Chandler Morris, Gr., QB, Virginia (Highland Park, Texas)

• Was responsible for five touchdowns (3 rush, 2 pass), including the go-ahead score on a four-yard scramble in the second overtime of Virginia’s upset victory over No. 8 Florida State.
• Was 26-for-35 and threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
• Added 37 yards on the ground and became the first Cavalier quarterback since 2019 to rush for three touchdowns in a game.
• Became just the third quarterback since 1995 with two passing TDs, three rushing TDs, and at least a 74 % completion percentage against a ranked team.
• Has been responsible for 10 touchdowns in his last two games and ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 8 in FBS with 86 points responsible for.
• Second straight ACC Quarterback of the Week honor.

 
RUNNING BACK & ROOKIE – Nate Sheppard, Fr., RB, Duke (Mandeville, Louisiana)

• Made his first career start at Syracuse and rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
• His 169 rushing yards are the fourth most by a Duke freshman in a game in program history and the most nationally by a freshman in a game this season.
• Averaged 11.2 yards per rush, the highest by a Duke freshman (minimum 15 attempts) in a single game.
• Rushed for two touchdowns at Syracuse to become one of 11 true freshmen in the country to rush for multiple scores in a game this season and just the second true freshman to do so against a Power Four opponent.
• Finished the game with 201 all-purpose yards, which is tied for the fifth most by a Duke freshman in a game and the second most nationally by a freshman in a game this season.
• Averaging 8.09 yards per carry this season, which is second in the ACC overall and the fifth-highest mark among freshmen, true or redshirt, nationally with at least 20 carries.

 
RECEIVER – Chris Bell, Sr., WR, Louisville (Yazoo City, Mississippi)

• Led Louisville’s receivers with 135 yards on 10 receptions, including a 25-yard TD for his seventh career TD in the road win over Pitt.
• Logged the third 100-yard receiving game of his career.
• Was targeted 16 times in the ACC-opening win.

 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Brian Parker II, R-Jr., RT, Duke (Cincinnati, Ohio)

• Started at right tackle and helped pave the way for Duke to reach 503 yards of total offense while rolling to a 38-3 victory at Syracuse.
• Posted an 88.2 PFF offensive grade for Week 5, the highest among tackles nationally.
• Recorded an 88.1 PFF run blocking grade, the highest among tackles nationally.
• Helped Duke surpass 500 yards of total offense for a fifth consecutive game, the most for the program since the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl and the first four contests of the 2014 season.
• Duke’s offense remained explosive at Syracuse, adding seven more plays of at least 20 yards, including four plays that went for at least 30 yards. The Blue Devils are up to sixth nationally in offensive plays of 20+ yards this season and third in plays of 30+ yards.
• Helped to provide running lanes for true freshman Nate Sheppard to have a record-setting day with an 11.2 yards per carry average, the highest by a Duke rookie in program history.
• Opened holes for three rushing touchdowns, including two by Sheppard.
• Named to the Pro Football Focus (PFF) National Team of the Week for his efforts.

 
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Mitchell Melton, Gr., DE, Virginia (Silver Springs, Maryland)

• Recorded a career-high seven tackles from his defensive end position in Virginia’s thrilling double-overtime win over No. 8 Florida State.
• Forced the first fumble of his career and recorded a team-best fourth tackle-for-loss this season.

 
LINEBACKER – T.J. Quinn, Sr., LB, Louisville (Valdosta, Georgia)

• Recorded his first two interceptions of the season and the third of his career to go along with five tackles in the 34-27 win over Pitt.
• His first interception set Louisville up for its go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
• His second interception ended Pitt’s final drive, clinching the win with four seconds left in the contest.
• Posted his first pass breakup and quarterback hurry of the season on the same 4th-and-7 play late in the fourth quarter.
• His second ACC Linebacker of the Week honor this season.

 
DEFENSIVE BACK – Ja’son Prevard, Jr., DB, Virginia (Atlantic City, New Jersey)

• Recorded two interceptions, including one on the final play of the game to seal Virginia’s 46-38 double-overtime victory over No. 8 Florida State.
• His interception in the first quarter came on an incredibly athletic effort where he tipped the ball to himself while blitzing off the edge.
• Added two tackles and a pass breakup to help Virginia to its first win over a top-10 opponent at home in 20 years.

 
SPECIALIST – John Love, R-Jr., PK, Virginia Tech (Spartanburg, South Carolina)

• Connected on three field goals in a 23-21 road win over NC State.
• Made the game-winner from 49 yards out.
• Also made good on field goals of 39 and 32 yards and made both of his extra points.
• 9-of-10 in field goals and 10-of-10 in PATs this season.
• Moved into eighth place on the all-time scoring list at Virginia Tech.

SEC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPT. 29

OFFENSIVE

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

• Accounted for three total touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 24-21 win at then-No. 5 Georgia.
• Finished 24-of-38 passing for 276 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
• Spread the ball across eight different pass-catchers on the night and averaged 11.5 yards per completion.
• Added four rushes for 12 yards and a score with his legs.
• Converted a pair of key first downs while adding a two-yard rushing touchdown across his four carries.
• Helped UA finish with 397 yards of total offense and 25 first downs against one the nation’s top defenses.
• Played a key role in the Crimson Tide converting 13-of-19 third downs on the night, the most against UGA by any team in the last 30 seasons.

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

• Accounted for 385 yards of total offense in leading Ole Miss past No. 4 LSU.
• Completed 23-of-39 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown while adding 71 rushing yards on 14 carries.
• Connected on his final five pass attempts, including a 20-yarder on fourth down with 1:46 remaining to seal the win.
• First SEC player with 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in three straight games over the last 30 years.
• Became the first Ole Miss QB to throw for 300 yards in each of his first three career starts since Jordan Ta’amu in 2017, and his 1,219 yards of total offense in his three starts are the most since Ta’amu (1,265).
• Surpassed 4,000 passing yards in his overall career (4,288).

DEFENSIVE

Arion Carter, LB, Tennessee

• Carter delivered a memorable performance as Tennessee outlasted Mississippi State, 41-34, on the road in overtime.
• He finished with a career-best 17 tackles and provided the game-winning pass breakup in overtime on fourth down at the goal line.
• Carter’s 17 tackles tied for the most by an FBS player in a game this season (Chisom – UCLA, Hinspeter – UMass).
• Carter leads the SEC and is tied for second in among Power Four players with 49 tackles this year.
• That total is 15 better than the next closest SEC player.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Brock Taylor, PK, Vanderbilt

• Converted both field goals and was 6-of-6 on PATs in Vandy’s victory over Utah State.
• Hit multiple field goals in a game for the first time this season.
• 46-yard field goal as time expired at the half gave the Dores a double-digit lead for good in the contest.
• Has now made 16 field goals in a row dating back to Oct. 5, 2024.
• Scored a season-best 12 points, one shy of his career high.
• Posted fifth game with 10-plus points since the start of the 2024 campaign.
• Recorded touchbacks on five of six kickoffs as well.
• Helped lead the Commodores to their first 5-0 start since the 2008 season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Patrick Kutas, OL, Ole Miss

• Led an impressive Ole Miss offense in the victory over No. 4 LSU.
• Directed a Rebel line that allowed zero sacks, marking the first time to do so against a top-five team since facing No. 1 LSU in 2019.
• Helped amass 480 yards of total offense, the most allowed this season by the Tigers, who entered the game top-five in the SEC in total defense.
• The Rebels maintained possession for 8:56 of the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama

• Played every snap at left tackle against the fifth-ranked Bulldogs.
• Graded out at a team-high 89 percent by the Crimson Tide coaching staff.
• Did not allow a pressure or a sack on the night.
• Helped keep Ty Simpson upright as the Tide offensive line did not allow a sack against the vaunted Georgia defense.
• Added one reception/rush for an 11-yard gain and an Alabama first down, barreling over multiple Bulldog defenders along the way.
• His catch set up the Crimson Tide’s final touchdown which would eventually prove the difference in the game.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Bryan Thomas Jr., EDGE, South Carolina

• Logged a game-high and career-high seven tackles in the Gamecocks’ 35-13 win over Kentucky.
• Credited with a career-high 2.0 sacks and matched his career high with 2.0 tackles for loss.
• Added a quarterback hurry.
• The Carolina defense held Kentucky to 13 points and 232 total yards of offense and just three points and 91 total yards after the first quarter.

Tyre West, DE, Tennessee

• West finished with three tackles, two sacks for a loss of 11 yards and provided the key forced fumble that swung the momentum of the game as Tennessee outlasted Mississippi State, 41-34, in overtime.
• With State driving looking to extend its lead in the fourth quarter, West strip sacked MSU QB Blake Shappen, and Joshua Josephs scooped it up and scored to tie the game.
• West set a career high in sacks and added to Tennessee’s nation-leading total of 20 through five weeks.

FRESHMAN

Oscar Bird, P, Ole Miss

• Played a key role in helping limit the LSU offense in the Rebels’ victory over the No. 4 Tigers.
• Booted three 50-yard punts, including a long of 54.
• Averaged 47.5 yards on a career-high four punts.
• Pinned the Tigers inside their own 27-yardline in three of his four punts.

MW FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – SEPT. 29

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Old Trapper Mountain West Football Players of the Week have been announced for Week 5. Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado has been tabbed the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, while Boise State sophomore linebacker Boen Phelps was named MW Defensive Player of the Week and Hawai‘i senior placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa earned MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

The MW awards are the fifth and sixth for Alejado, the third for Matsuzawa and the first for Phelps.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER/FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
MICAH ALEJADO, HAWAI‘I
Redshirt Freshman, Quarterback, Las Vegas, Nevada/Bishop Gorman HS
• Went 35-for-47 for a season-high 457 yards and three touchdowns to lead Hawai‘i to a 44-35 road win over Air Force.
• Became the first quarterback in program history to throw for 450-plus yards twice within his first five career starts.
• Including his 6 rushing yards, his 463 yards of total offense are good for the third-highest single-game total in the FBS this season.
• Led the Rainbow Warriors to a season-best 535 yards of total offense and their most points in the Timmy Chang era.
• Threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jackson Harris, including a 74-yard strike in the fourth quarter to put Hawai‘i ahead 41-28.
• Was named one of the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 for Week 3.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BOEN PHELPS, BOISE STATE
Sophomore, Linebacker, Spokane, Washington/Freeman HS
• Had six tackles (three solo), a quarterback hurry and an interception return for a touchdown in Boise State’s 47-14 win over App State.
• Was the highest-graded linebacker and second-best defensive player in the FBS last week according to PFF (94.4).
• Helped the Broncos hold App State’s offense, which came in ranked third in the FBS in passing offense, to just 65 passing yards, including only 2 in the second half, and 184 total yards.
• Returned his first career interception 33 yards for a score in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KANSEI MATSUZAWA, HAWAI‘I
Senior, Placekicker, Tokyo, Japan/Hocking College
• Connected on three field goals as part of a 14-point afternoon in Hawai‘i’s 44-35 win at Air Force.
• Hit from 31, 39 and 25 yards to move to 16-for-16 on field goals this season.
• Set Hawai‘i and Mountain West records for consecutive made field goals to start a season.
• Dating back to last season, has converted 17 straight field-goal attempts, the second-longest streak in program history.

C-USA FB: SEPTEMBER 29 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS – Conference USA announced Monday its weekly award winners for week four. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – La’Vell Wright, WKU – Gr. – RB – Louisville, Ky.
Wright provided more late-game heroics for the second week in a row, this time scoring two second-half touchdowns to help lift the Hilltoppers (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) to a 27-22 victory at Missouri State on Saturday. He finished with a team-high 104 all-purpose yards, including 91 yards on 10 rushing attempts. After the Bears took a 16-10 lead early in the second half, Wright put the Hilltoppers back ahead with a two-yard touchdown run. Wright had touches on the last four plays and accounted for 29 yards of the 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The running back extended the lead with 1:16 to play in the third quarter when he took a direct snap 17 yards to the end zone to make it a 24-16 game.
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Caleb Offord, Kennesaw State – Sr. – DB – Southaven, Miss.
Offord helped anchor the backend of the Owls’ (3-2, 1-0 CUSA) secondary for nearly 40 minutes (38:59) as Kennesaw State won its third-straight game and CUSA opener against MTSU 24-16. He finished the game with five tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, and three massive pass breakups. Offord covered the Blue Raiders’ top target on their final drive of the game and broke up two passes to seal the victory. He led all CUSA defensive players with 51 snaps in pass coverage and led the league in overall defensive PFF grade (82.1), as well as coverage grades in both man (81.9) and zone (75.6) coverage.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech – Fr. – P/K – Shreveport, La.
Chance set a new career high with a 68-yard punt, while averaging 49.17 yards on six punts in the Bulldogs’ (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) 30-11 win at UTEP. He had two punts travel 50 or more yards, two downed inside the 20, and two that were fair caught. Chance was a perfect 6-6 on touchbacks during kickoff opportunities. 
 
Freshman of the Week – Alonzo Jackson Jr., LA Tech – R-Fr. – LB – Haynesville, La.
After losing All-CUSA linebacker Kolbe Fields to injury in the game, Jackson stepped up in a big way, registering a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown, six tackles, four solo stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry. His interception return for a score marked the fifth defensive score of the season for LA Tech and sealed the 30-11 win over UTEP in the fourth quarter. He set career highs in tackles, TFLs, and pass breakups, while the interception and touchdown were the first of his career. Jackson had not recorded any tackles coming into the night, mostly seeing time on special teams during the first four games. 
 
Offensive Lineman of the Week – Marshall Jackson, WKU – R-Sr. – LT – Brandenburg, Ky.
Jackson helped WKU put up 476 yards of offense in its 27-22 win at Missouri State on Saturday, with 317 yards through the air and 159 yards on the ground. It was the third time this season the Hilltoppers have thrown for over 300 yards in a game, and it was the second-highest rushing yardage in a game this season. Jackson, who played 74 snaps at left tackle, posted a 65.8 run blocking grade – the highest among WKU offensive linemen in the win. The Hilltoppers put up 128 yards rushing in the second half, including 92 in the fourth quarter, to close out the win. Jackson also posted an 87.1 pass blocking grade for the top passing offense in CUSA.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

WEEK 5 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

IRVING, Texas – The American Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors from Week 5 of the 2025 season.
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Greg Desrosiers Jr. • Sr. • RB • Memphis
Desrosiers rushed for a career-high 204 yards and three touchdowns (2, 90, 1) on 19 carries to lead Memphis to a 55-26 win at Florida Atlantic, keeping the Tigers unbeaten at 5-0 and extending the nation’s longest active winning streak to nine games. Desrosiers’ 204 yards were the most by an American player this season and marked only the second time this season that an FBS player surpassed 200 yards on the ground.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Santana Hopper • Jr. • DL • Tulane
Hopper registered six tackles, including 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss with two quarterback hurries, in Tulane’s 31-14 win at Tulsa in the Green Wave’s American Conference opener. Hopper’s four tackles for loss matches the most by an American player this season as Tulane limited the Golden Hurricane to just 92 rushing yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alec Clark • So. • P • Tulane
Clark was instrumental in the field position battle in Tulane’s 31-14 win at Tulsa as he averaged 44.5 yards on eight punts, pinning the Golden Hurricane inside the 11-yard line four times. Clark, who ranks fourth in the American in punting average (45.6) did not have a punt go for a touchback against Tulsa. 

HONORABLE MENTION
DeMarco Ward • So. • DB • Memphis
Had nine tackles with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble in a 55-26 win at Florida Atlantic.
 
Blake Horvath • Sr. • QB • Navy
Rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns (8, 2) on 21 carries and completed 8 of 13 passes for 172 yards in a 21-13 win against Rice.
 
MarcAnthony Parker • So. • LB • Navy
Registered 13 tackles and two tackles for loss in a 21-13 win against Rice.
 
Caleb Hawkins • Fr. • RB • North Texas
Rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns (6, 27) and had two receptions for 78 yards and a 68-yard TD in a 36-22 win against South Alabama.
 
Javin Gordon • Fr. • RB • Tulane
Rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns (12, 25, 4) in a 31-14 win at Tulsa.

AP TOP 25 EXTRA POINTS: ELLIOTT WOULD GO FROM HOT SEAT TO HOT COACH IF NO. 24 VIRGINIA KEEPS RISING

The vibe around Virginia football has never been more upbeat than at this moment in coach Tony Elliott’s four seasons in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers are 4-1 for a second straight season and in a three-way tie for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference after Friday’s two-overtime win against what was a top-10 Florida State team. On Sunday, they appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019.

Sustained success has been fleeting for the program, so the No. 24 ranking and all the rest are worth celebrating.

At the center of it is Elliott, who has had far more lows than highs since he left his longtime assistant’s job at his alma mater of Clemson to take over the Cavaliers in 2022.

Three Virginia players died in a campus shooting late in his first season, a tragedy that changed his role from coach to counselor and prompted the cancelation of the final two games. A win over a top-10 North Carolina highlighted a three-win campaign in 2023. Last year’s 4-1 start was followed by losses in six of the last seven games.

Through three years, Elliott was 11-23 overall and 6-17 in ACC play and his name was prominent on hot-seat lists entering 2025.

“There’s been days I didn’t know how I was going to do it,” he said.

Virginia brought in a promising class of 22 high school recruits and a highly regarded group of 32 transfers headed by North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris. The Cavaliers are in the top 10 in scoring and total offense, and their defense is allowing opponents to convert just 25% of their third downs.

“Stay the course. Don’t deviate from the plan. Double down on what you believe in,” Elliott said of his mantra. “I came here because I believed Virginia can be one of the premier football programs in the country to go alongside being one of the premier academic schools, that everything associated with this university can just ooze with excellence.”

Virginia visits unbeaten Louisville on Saturday looking to keep stacking wins. The Cavaliers’ only loss was to North Carolina State in a designated nonconference game. A win over the Cardinals would make them 3-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2007.

“We wanted to be in the driver’s seat, and that’s all we did was keep ourselves in the driver’s seat,” Elliott said of the win over FSU. “So we have to keep two hands on the wheel, keep the seatbelt on, make sure we check the rearview mirror and make sure we’re awake so we don’t hit a pothole along the way.”

What, me worry?

Many saw Illinois’ 63-10 loss at Indiana as proof the Illini were overrated and on the verge of spiraling. Coach Bret Bielema said he certainly didn’t see it that way and the 34-32 bounce-back win over previously unbeaten Southern California was no surprise. It was expected.

“The part that really gave me satisfaction during the course of this week is that I know my roster better than anybody in the country,” said Bielema, whose team is ranked No. 22. “I know who they are, what they represent. I knew how they would respond. I saw them hurt. I felt myself hurting. But I knew we could respond and I thought we would play pretty well today.”

Time for a break

There might be no team in need of an open date more than No. 17 Georgia Tech.

The unbeaten Yellow Jackets (5-0) have played five straight weeks and have had three heart-pounding wins.

They overcame turnovers on their first three possessions of their opener to win 27-20 at Colorado on Haynes King’s late 45-yard touchdown run. It took a 55-yard field goal as time ran out to beat Clemson, 24-21. And they had to have an interception on Wake Forest’s 2-point try in overtime to pull out a 30-29 win.

Georgia Tech joins Iowa State, Mississippi and UNLV as the only Bowl Subdivision teams with three one-score wins, according to Sportradar.

“We’ve got to recharge and mentally get ourselves back ready to go,” coach Brent Key said. “Everybody thinks about the physical part but the mental grind starts to mount as the season goes on. … Everybody comes out of the gates sprinting. The last third of the season you see the finish line. This middle part, that’s the endurance phase.”

Next up is an Oct. 11 home game against Virginia Tech.

Extra points

Penn State coach James Franklin faced his 4-21 record against top-10 opponents head-on following his team’s 30-24 loss to Oregon in two overtimes. “I get that narrative. It’s really not a narrative; it’s factual. It’s the facts. I get it. I try to look at the entire picture and what we’ve been able to do here. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to win those games. I totally get it. And I take ownership and I take responsibility.” … Alabama’s 24-21 win that ended Georgia’s 33-game home win streak makes the Bulldogs 49-2 at Sanford Stadium since 2019. … Ohio State has allowed just two touchdowns, and its average of 5.5 points allowed per game is best in the nation after a Week 5 since Georgia allowed 4.6 per game at this point in 2021.

DUCKS QB DANTE MOORE NEWEST HEISMAN FAVORITE

Five official weeks of the 2025 college football season have now produced a half dozen Heisman Trophy favorites.

The new leading candidate is Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who rose to the top spot at most sportsbooks following the Ducks’ 30-24 win at Penn State on Saturday. Moore completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns while Oregon improved to 5-0, and he is now the +750 Heisman favorite at BetMGM and DraftKings, among other.

Moore began the season at +2000 but has benefited from a combination of injuries and subpar play from five other quarterbacks who have spent time at the top: Texas’ Arch Manning, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

Moore’s rise thus far pales in comparison to that of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who opened as a +5500 longshot. A season-opening loss to Florida State was a further setback, but Simpson has impressed since. That includes throwing for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Saturday’s win at Georgia, after which Simpson vaulted to the No. 2 Heisman favorite at +900 with DraftKings.

All the shuffling among the marquee quarterbacks has also helped the campaign of Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He is now tied for the third-shortest odds at +1100 along with Beck and Mendoza.

Smith has racked up 396 yards and four touchdowns on 28 catches through five games. Mendoza briefly rose to the Heisman favorite perch last week, but slipped following a modest performance in a tight victory over Iowa.

HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS*
PLAYER, POS, TEAM, WEEK 5, CURRENT
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (+1000), (+750)
Carson Beck, QB, Miami (+1200), (+900)
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (+2000), (+1000)
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1400), (+1000)
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (+650), (+1300)
Joey Aguilar, QB, Tennessee (+1500), (+1300)
Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M (+1500), (+1500)
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt, (+5000), (+1500)
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss (+1500)
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (+1700), (+1700)
Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+2500), (+2000)
Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia (+1400), (+2000)
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State (+4000), (+2000)
Jayden Maiava, QB, Southern Cal (+1600), (+2000)

Miami quarterback Carson Beck was idle over the weekend ahead of a critical game for his Heisman hopes at rival Florida State this Saturday. He currently owns the second shortest odds at BetMGM, where Smith and Simpson are both being offered at +1000 ahead of Mendoza and Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar at +1300.

Simpson was +2000 at the book just last week. In addition to the big win at Georgia hurting counterpart Gunner Stockton’s campaign, Simpson benefitted by LSU’s Nussmeier and Southern Cal’s Jayden Maiava suffering losses over the weekend.

One of the biggest risers this week was Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who rocketed from +5000 to +1500 after accounting for six touchdowns in a rout of Utah State. Also entering the conversation was Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who wasn’t even on BetMGM’s board at the outset. But he is now +1500 after orchestrating the 24-19 upset of LSU.

The constant fluctuation in the Heisman race before the calendar even his October stands to serve as a significant win for sportsbooks.

BetMGM reported that its four biggest liabilities in the market are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Manning, Mateer and Sellers. Manning has still been backed by the most money (12 percent), followed by Nussmeier (8.8), Mateer (7.6) and Sellers (7.1). Love, who opened at +5000, is still on the outside of the conversation at +2500 while drawing 4.7 percent of the money.

The biggest current threat to the book is Smith, who has been backed by 6.9 percent of the money and 8.0 percent of the bets since opening at +1300.