MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Harrison Waylee, NIU, RB
Freshman, Johnston, Iowa (Urbandale)
Harrison Waylee powered the Huskie running game in NIU's upset win over Georgia Tech with a career best 144 yards on 27 carries. He opened the scoring with a career-long 35-yard run for a touchdown to give NIU a 7-0 lead with 1:56 to play in the first quarter. Waylee ran for 63 of the Huskies' 74 yards on that drive. He had 95 yards by halftime and quickly surpassed that mark in the third quarter. His 144 yards were the most by a Huskie back since 10/26/19 when Tre Harbison went for 158 yards versus Akron.
MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Lance Deveaux Jr., NIU, LB
Senior, Pompano Beach, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
After playing just one game over the last two seasons due to injury, Lance Deveaux Jr. came back in a big way with a career night to lead the Huskie defense. Deveaux made a career high 12 tackles with eight solo stops to lead a stellar defensive effort by NIU in its 22-21 upset win over Georgia Tech. At one point, Deveaux looked to have a fumble recovery touchdown but the runner was ruled down and the play overturned on review.
MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Matt Ference, NIU, Punter
Senior, St. Louis, Mo. (Lafayette)
Ference punted seven times for a 41.0 yard average in NIU's upset win over Georgia Tech, with two punts downed inside the 10, including at the three- and seven- yard lines. Ference effectively flipped the field on multiple occasions to help the NIU defensive effort.
MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Kyle Vantrease, Buffalo, QB
Senior, Stow, OH/Stow-Monroe Falls
Kyle Vantrease went 15-for-19 for 231 yards and a touchdown in Buffalo’s 69-7 season-opening win over Wagner. The senior signal-caller completed his first seven passes of the game. On the game’s second play he connected with Jovany Ruiz for a 63-yard touchdown to give the Bulls a 7-0 lead they would never relinquish.
MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Darren Anders, Bowling Green, LB
Junior, North Olmsted, Ohio (North Olmsted)
Led Bowling Green with 14 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR. Anders was the only player in the nation the first week of the season to notch at least 10+ tackles (14), force a fumble (1), recover a fumble (1) and record at least one sack (1) when he did so at Tennessee. He had the third-highest tackle total in the nation over the weekend and led a defense that held Tennessee close until late in the third quarter.
MAC East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Josh Smith, Kent State, P
Fr, Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia (Pro Kick Australia)
Smith had an impressive debut for the Golden Flashes, averaging over 40 yards per kick with a long of 57. He dropped four kicks inside the 20 including two inside the 10. He neutralized the Aggie return game allowing just 11 total return yards off the eight punts.
