Tag: sec player of the week

Crawshaw, Thornton named SEC Players of the Week after win over Ole Miss

For a second straight week, the SEC has named Florida Gators as the Defensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week.

Florida’s Week 13 upset against Ole Miss featured many heroes in Orange and Blue, but the SEC gave some special recognition to punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag].

Crawshaw earned conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors and Thronton got the nod as a Defensive Player of the Week for their play.

Thornton came up big in the fourth quarter, reeling in two interceptions to end both of Ole Miss’ final two drives of the game. He also finished the contest with a career-high 14 tackles and led the Gators’ defense, which allowed just 17 points from the Rebels — tied for their lowest total of the season.

Crawshaw, a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, recorded 327 punt yards, including a 62-yarder that went into the Ole Miss endzone. The Rebels failed to score a touchdown on any drive that started with a Crawshaw punt, scoring just one field goal on six drives. Ole Miss also muffed a punt from Crawshaw, which Florid recovered on the opposition’s 37-yard line.

It’s the second straight week multiple Florida Gators have been recognized as SEC Players of the Week. Following the win over LSU, DJ Lagway was named the Freshman of the Week, linebacker Shemar James got the nod on defense and kicker Trey Smack was a Special Teams Player of the Week.

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A pair of Tigers earn SEC Player of the Week honors

Senior running back Jarquez Hunter and freshman Cam Coleman earned individual accolades after Auburn’s upset victory

A pair of Auburn seniors took home SEC Player of the Week honors following the Tigers thrilling 4OT victory over the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday.

Senior running back Jarquez Hunter earned his second conference Offensive Player of the Week of the season after win. Although his stats were not as eye popping as the career-best 278 rushing yard total he accumulated against Kentucky the first time he won the award in 2024, Hunter’s impact on Auburn’s senior night victory was undoubtedly worthy of the honor.

The best running back to touch down on the Plains in quite some time, Hunter rushed for 130 yards and a trio of touchdowns to propel the Tigers to 43 points. The Philadelphia, MS native now has 1,145 yards and 8 touchdowns this season heading into the final game of the year against Alabama on Saturday. Hunter is now 162 yards away from entering the top 10 single-season rushing ranks in Auburn history. An upset victory on Saturday would give him an opportunity to not only enter the top 10, but possibly the top 6, where he needs 246 yards to usurp Kerryon Johnson (2016) and Brent Fullwood (1986) on the all-time list.

Auburn’s running game was not the only part of the offense that sizzled on Saturday. Freshman Cam Coleman, who led the contest with 7 receptions, 128 yards, and 2 touchdowns, earned himself SEC Freshman of the Week honors with the massive day. Coleman has now found the end zone 5 times over his two games and 7 times this season. If he were to keep up that pace over the required 3 seasons he needs to play on the Plains, Coleman would finish among all-time leaders in receiving touchdowns in Auburn history.

The pair of individual honors along with Auburn’s biggest team win of the season give Hugh Freeze’s squad plenty of momentum heading into another important Iron Bowl on Saturday. If Hunter, Coleman, and the Tigers can earn a second-straight upset victory, the team would clinch a second-consecutive bowl game in the Hugh Freeze era.

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DJ Lagway leads trio of Gators who earned SEC weekly honors vs. LSU

A trio of Florida Gators, headlined by true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, earned SEC Player of the Week honors after beating LSU.

The Southeastern Conference office honored three Florida Gators with Players of the Week awards after a 27-16 upset win against LSU on Saturday.

True freshman quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] got the nod for Freshman of the Week, linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] was named a Co-Defensive Player of the Week and kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] was named a Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.

Lagway led the offense to a 27-point outburst, including two scoring drives in the final quarter of the contest. He completed 13 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, finding senior Elijhah Badger six times for 131 yards and the score.

Lagway’s final connection with Badger, a 36-yard gain that involved him stepping up in the pocket to evade two defenders and throwing while on the run, set up the go-ahead touchdown run from Ja’Kobi Jackson, and he found Hayden Hansen for 19 yards just before Jadan Baugh broke a 55-yard score to put the game away.

James led all defenders with 11 total tackles (five solo), two sacks and two pass breakups, all of which are career highs. He is the only defender to record two sacks against LSU this season and led the defense to a 7-sack performance against a Tigers offensive line that had only allowed six all year.

Smack hit two long field goals to keep Florida within reach of LSU. The first came in the second quarter from 49 yards out to take a 10-7 lead, and the second set a new career-long at 55 yards to tie the game at 13. He was perfect on three point-after-touchdown attempts, bringing his season total to 34 of 34.

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Oklahoma Sooners Forward Raegan Beers earns national, SEC weekly honors

Oklahoma Sooners forward Raegan Beers earned several weekly honors after her impressive start to the 2024-2025 college basketball season.

The Oklahoma Sooners Women’s Basketball team is off to a strong start at 2-0, winning by a margin of 38 points in their first two games. The Sooners moved up to No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The Sooners boast an experienced roster and have been led by Oregon State transfer addition Raegan Beers. In two games with the Sooners, Beers is averaging 23.5 points and 14 rebounds per game.

For her efforts, Beers was named AP Player of the Week for the opening week of the women’s basketball season. Beers was also named the SEC Player of the Week and earned a selection to the USBWA’s starting five of the week. Beers was also named to the Wade Trophy watch list, as selected by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

She’s been as advertised, providing the Sooners an inside scoring presence and has impressed with her range and rebounding ability. Beers shot an incredible 70% from the field and 50% from the three-point line.

The Sooners are one of the more intriguing teams in the nation with an experienced group and one of the more talented frontcouts in college basketball with Beers, Skylar Vann, and Sahara Williams.

Johni Broome takes home SEC Player of the Week honors

Auburn’s best player has already added the weekly award to his senior season resume.

Auburn forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] won the first of what is expected to be many accolades during his final collegiate season on Monday. Auburn’s best, and most impactful, player was bestowed SEC Player of the Week honors after leading his Tigers to a perfect 2-0 start to the season.

The 6-10 superstar was solid in Auburn’s opener against Vermont, but erupted into dominant form in the Tigers’ neutral-site win over No. 4 Houston, scoring 20 points alongside nine rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals. Broome now has 32 points, 16 boards, seven blocks, five assists, and three steals through Auburn’s first two contests.

Last season’s SEC Tournament MVP, the Plant City, Florida native has much bigger plans for his final season on the Plains than winning conference player of the week. Still, the honor shows Broome can become the best player in the conference over any given stretch, which could prove pivotal to [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s team’s success throughout a long SEC basketball campaign.

Broome is unlikely to defend his Player of the Week title in the second seven-day stretch of the campaign as Auburn only plays one game this week, on Wednesday against Kent State. The Tigers get busy shortly after that as the team travels to Maui for the Maui Invitational after another home contest against North Alabama.

The Tigers open the Maui Invitational against No. 7 Iowa State on Nov. 25. Broome and Auburn could also face any combination of No. 3 UConn, No. 11 North Carolina, and perennial Final Four threat Michigan State during their stay in Hawaii.

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Izavion Miller takes home SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors

The Memphis, Tennessee native continues to be a key contributor for the Tigers since his commitment in 2022.

Auburn lineman Izavion “Too Tall” Miller earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors following the Tigers’ outstanding performance on the ground in week nine.

The senior played every snap of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]’s record-breaking rushing night at the right tackle position, consistently providing key blocks in front of Hunter, [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

While Hunter received most of the accolades following his career-high 278 rushing yard night, most of those second-level yards would not have been possible without Miller and the rest of the Auburn offensive line. Miller’s position of right tackle is often considered the “anchor” of a team’s run game, and the senior was undoubtedly just that on Saturday night. One three of Jarquez Hunter’s four longest rushes, Miller provided the key lead block to spring his running back through the hole. According to Pro Football Focus, Miller allowed just one pressure in 78 snaps on Saturday.

The Memphis, Tennessee native continues to be a key contributor for the Tigers since his commitment in 2022. He and the rest of the Tigers offensive line will continue their quest to help Hunter finish as the SEC’s leading rusher when Auburn returns home to host Vanderbilt on Saturday. If Miller can continue producing solid individual performances like this, he could find himself penciled into NFL mock drafts as the spring approaches.

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Keldric Faulk tabbed SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

Faulk continued a fantastic sophomore campaign on Saturday by registering his third multi-sack game of his season.

Auburn sophomore [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career following his phenomenal performance against Kentucky in week nine.

The second-year Tiger continued a fantastic sophomore campaign on Saturday by registering his third multi-sack game of his season against the Wildcats, showcasing his presence early and often during the 24-10 win in which Auburn’s defense held Kentucky to just 224 total yards.

The 6-6, 288-pound lineman created chaos throughout the night despite only accumulating 3 tackles. After his two early sacks, Faulk consistently drew double teams from the Wildcats offensive front, allowing his teammates to win one-on-one matchups. His presence on the line helped the Tigers stuff nearly every run scheme Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops attempted, as the Tigers front seven allowed just 70 rushing yards in 60 minutes of action.

Faulk’s pair of sacks vaulted his season total up to seven this season. He trails only South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard (8), LSU‘s Bradyn Swinson (8), and stand-out Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins (8) for the top spot in the conference. With a guaranteed four games left on the schedule, Faulk has the opportunity to be the first Tiger to register double-digit sacks since 2017, when linebacker [autotag]Jeff Holland[/autotag] had 10.

If the sophomore can manage 4 more sacks, he would tie defensive tackle Nick Fairly (12) for the most in Auburn history. His next chance to register a sack will come this Saturday against a Vanderbilt squad that has only allowed 11 this season.

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Jarquez Hunter earns SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors

The senior ran for a career-high 278 yards in Auburn’s week 8 victory against Kentucky.

Auburn senior running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] has been tabbed as the “SEC Offensive Player of the Week” following his career-best performance in the Tigers’ 24-10 victory over Kentucky.

Hunter has been a key cog of the Auburn offense since he stepped foot on the Plains as a freshman, but his output Saturday was far and away his greatest feat as a Tiger. The senior ran for a career-high 278 yards in the victory. That total was not only the highest of his career, but the fourth highest among any Auburn rusher in the Tigers’ long and storied history.

Hunter’s 278 rushing yards were also the most among any FBS rusher this season, which is especially impressive considering Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is in the middle of possibly the best collegiate running back season of all time.

Ten of the senior’s 23 carries went for over 10 yards, elevating his already outstanding yards per carry metric to an unworldly 7.2 yards per carry through eight contests this season. He added 19 receiving yards as well, finishing just three yards short of a 300 all-purpose yard performance.

Hunter is the first Tiger to take home the accolade since 2021 when Bo Nix earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after a win over LSU. The honor is Hunter’s fourth of the week. Auburn’s best offensive player also earned the East-West Shrine Bowl Offensive Breakout Player of the Week, Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week, and the “National Running Back of the Week” accolade, given by the Doak Walker Award committee.

Hunter now leads the conference in rushing yards and yards per carry following week 8. He’ll have the chance to improve further on his outstanding numbers at home against a Vanderbilt run defense that ranks middle-of-the-pack in week nine.

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Two Kentucky Wildcats get SEC Player of the Week honors

Two Kentucky football players were given SEC Player of the Week honors after beating Ole Miss.

The Kentucky Wildcats football team got one of its biggest upset wins in program history on Saturday, beating Ole Miss 20 – 17. The Rebels were ranked fifth in the nation, but the Cats shut down their high-powered offense.

There were a number of Kentucky players who stepped up and deserve some credit for the win. Two Wildcats were officially honored by the SEC, though, after the big win.

Related: Five things learned in Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss

Defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine was named as the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He had three tackles in the game, including two sacks of Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. He added another quarterback hurry as well.

The other honoree was Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor, who was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. He has been fantastic all season, and was 2-of-2 on Saturday, including a 48-yarder in the second half.

Both players were terrific, along with several other Wildcats who could have been honored as well. Congratulations to Oxendine and Raynor.

Sooners Linebacker named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Oklahoma Linebacker Kip Lewis named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

[autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after his heroics in the win over Auburn. It’s the third SEC weekly award for the Sooners. Punter Luke Elzinga was named Special Teams Player of the Week for week one, and defensive tackle Gracen Halton earned Defensive Player of the Week in the Sooners week two win over Houston.

With the Sooners trailing by five late in the fourth quarter, Lewis looked to be blitzing on third-and-four. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne thought as much and attempted to throw the ball to the spot Lewis looked to have vacated. However, shortly after the snap, Lewis disengaged the offensive lineman and dropped quickly into coverage just as Thorne threw the ball right to the Sooners linebacker.

Lewis intercepted the pass after a brief bobble and immediately raced down the sideline 63 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown in the Sooners win.

In addition to the pick-six, Lewis recorded five total tackles and a tackle for loss. He was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded player in the win and looked like Oklahoma’s best defender throughout. PFF credited him with four stops, which consider down and distance.

Lewis has turned into one of Oklahoma’s best defenders since emerging into a starting role in 2023. His play speed and physicality have been huge for the Sooners.

Oklahoma has one of the best linebacker rooms in the nation in 2024. While Danny Stutsman often garners the headlines, Lewis and the rest of the bunch have been turning in noteworthy performances in 2024.

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