MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio, QB
Grad., Oakville, Ontario, Canada (Holy Trinity)
Highlighted by becoming the second leading passer in program history, Rourke led the Bobcats to a 25-14 victory over the Akron Zips (Nov. 24). The quarterback's rushing touchdown marked Ohio's first touchdown of the game, followed by a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to three points. Their next drive, Rourke reclaimed the Ohio's lead with a one-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Miles Cross.
MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Jordan Porter, Bowling Green, DL
Senior, Muskegon, Mich. (Muskegon HS)
Jordan Porter played a crucial role in Bowling Green's 34-10 victory over Western Michigan. In the game, Porter totaled four tackles and showcased his defensive prowess by forcing a fumble. Notably, he achieved a career-high with two timely sacks in the first half, contributing to BGSU’s impressive 5.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss as a team. The Falcons' defense, led by Porter, effectively limited Western Michigan to 258 yards of total offense. In the first half alone, Porter and the defense held the Broncos to a mere 117 yards, allowing the Falcons to secure a commanding 31-3 lead at halftime. This victory was particularly significant for the team as it marked BGSU’S first winning season since 2015.
MAC East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Jack Wilson, Ohio, P
R-Jr., Lancefield, Victoria, Australia (Gisborne Secondary College (ProKick Australia))
Wilson recorded three punts in the Bobcats' final regular-season victory on Friday (Nov. 24), averaging 43.3 yards per punt. His longest punt of the day (58) matched the career-high he set against Miami (Ohio) earlier this season (Oct. 28).
MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Peny Boone, Toledo, RB
Junior, Detroit, Mich. (King)
Peny Boone rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in Toledo's 32-17 win over CMU on Nov. 24. It was his second-highest output and eighth 100-yard game of the season. He is the first Rocket to break the 100-yard mark eight times in a season since Kareem Hunt did it in 2016. Boone now has 1,359 for the season, which ranks fifth in the nation. He is also third in the country in yards per carry (7.43) and fifth in rushing TDs (15).
MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Ray Thomas, NIU, Defensive End
Junior, Racine, Wis. (Washington Park)
NIU leading tackler Ray Thomas recorded his second double-figure tackle game of the season with 10 stops, including seven solo tackles and added a tackle for loss as the Huskies defeated Kent State 37-27 to earn bowl eligibility. NIU outscored the Flashes 27-10 in the second half while holding KSU to 17 rushing yards.
MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Mitchell Tomasek, Eastern Michigan, P
Junior, Columbus, Ohio (Worthington Kilboure)
Mitchell Tomasek continued to flip the field for the Eagles as he averaged 43.2 yards per punt, including two of his five kicks being downed inside the 20-yard line, to help Eastern to a 24-11 win at Buffalo for not only the first road win of the season for EMU, but also making the team bowl eligible for a program-record third consecutive season. The second-ranked punter in the MAC and 19th nationally with 45.3 yards per punt, Tomasek currently sits third in the FBS with 24 punts inside the 20 while his 2,764 yards of accumulated punts standing fifth nationally and eighth in EMU single-season history.
