Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WEEK TWO
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE, DEFENSIVE, SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
 
East Division:
Offensive Player of the Week: Kent State QB Nick Holley
Kent State senior quarterback Nick Holley (Toledo, Ohio) rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown in Kent State’s 38-31 win over Howard on Saturday. Holley also threw for 105 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
 
Defensive Player of the Week:  Akron LB Ulysees Gilbert III
Akron junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) led the defense with 10 tackles in Akron’s 52-3 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff.  He also scored a touchdown on his first career interception, returning the ball 30 yards to put Akron ahead, 24-0. It was also the linebacker’s second career touchdown. In 2016 at Marshall, he blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a score. The last time Akron scored a touchdown on an interception was in 2016 in the win at Marshall. After two games, Gilbert leads the Akron defense with 15 tackles, a TFL, and an interception.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week:  Bowling Green K Jake Suder
Bowling Green junior kicker Jake Suder (Toledo, Ohio) went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts in a 35-27 loss to South Dakota, tying a Doyt L. Perry Stadium record for made field goals in a single game. Suder made field goals of 30, 27 and 40 yards in the first half, before nailing a 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to wrap up his perfect day. Suder tied former kicker Tyler Tate, who made four field goals in a 2014 victory over Indiana. Bowling Green’s current kicker is now a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals for the 2017 season.
 
West Division:
Offensive Player of the Week:  Central Michigan QB Shane Morris
Central Michigan senior quarterback Shane Morris (Hazel Park, Mich.) tossed five touchdown passes while going 28-of-37 passing for 467 yards and no interceptions in a 45-27 win at Kansas. Morris had scoring passes of 14, 40, 6, 7 and 75 yards and also rushed for 32 yards. His 467 yards passing in a game is the third-best total in Central Michigan program history.
 
Defensive Player of the Week:  Eastern Michigan DL Jeremiah Harris
Eastern Michigan junior defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.) totaled one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception and a pass defensed in a 16-13 win at Rutgers on Saturday afternoon. Harris had the game-sealing sack on the final play of the game to clinch the first victory over a Big Ten opponent in program history. In addition to the sack, Harris added an interception to halt a potential Rutgers scoring drive. Harris was the catalyst for a defense that held Rutgers to just 128 yards rushing, 198 passing, and 15 first downs. The game-winning sack was the 6.5th of his career, while the pick was his second. The win was also Eastern Michigan’s first win over a Big Ten opponent in 39 tries. The Eagles are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week: Western Michigan KR Darius Phillips
Western Michigan senior kickoff returner Darius Phillips (Detroit, Mich.) had a 100-yard kickoff return in a 28-14 loss at Michigan State this past Saturday. He totaled 4 kickoff returns for 181 yards and the 100-yard return for a touchdown. It was the second straight week Phillips has taken a 100-yard return to the house, also doing so in the season-opener at No. 4 USC on Sept. 2. Phillips now has four 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and five overall kickoff returns for touchdowns. It was the second time with a 100-yard return against Michigan State in his career, his first was in 2015. In addition to the 100-yarder, Phillips also had returns of 52, 18 and 11 yards. Phillips accounted for both Western Michigan scores against Michigan State, also forcing a fumble and then recovering the ball for a 67-yard touchdown.