DALLAS – After completing 25-of-37 passes for 336 yards and five touchdown passes to lead No. 15 Marshall to a 42-14 victory over Middle Tennessee, Thundering Herd redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells has been voted the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week and third time this season. The Defensive Player of the Week honors went to UTSA senior S Rashad Wisdom, who had nine tackles and forced two fumbles to help the Roadrunners shut out UTEP in the second half of a win over the Miners. The Special Teams Player of the Week award was given to Marshall redshirt senior P Robert LeFevre, who placed four of his five punts inside the 20-yard line and also handled kickoff duties in the win over Middle Tennessee. C-USA Football Players of the Week are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
Wells completed 25-of-37 passes for 336 yards and five touchdowns (most ever by a Thundering Herd freshman) in a 42-14 victory over Middle Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The contest was Marshall’s annual game to remember those lost in the Southern Airways Flight 932 crash of 1970. Wells’ numbers all represented career-highs and league-highs for the weekend. The Charleston, West Virginia native, who had 39 yards on the ground, also earned a helmet sticker from ESPN for his efforts. Wells threw one touchdown each to wideouts Corey Gammage and Willie Johnson, who had a career day himself with eight grabs for 137 yards. The other went to tight end Hayden Hagler from one yard out. Wells’ 7-0 record as Marshall’s starting quarterback ties him with Chase Litton for the second-longest win streak to start a career as the starting signal-caller in program history.
Wisdom led a stout UTSA defense with nine tackles and a pair of forced fumbles to help guide UTSA to a 52-21 victory over UTEP on Saturday at the Alamodome. The sophomore safety tallied seven solo stops as part of his team-high tackles total to help the Roadrunners hold the Miners to 246 yards of offense, including only 71 as part of a second-half shutout. Wisdom became the 14th FBS player this season to cause two fumbles in a game, including one in the third quarter that was recovered by Antonio Parks and led to a touchdown drive that put UTSA up 38-21. The Converse, Texas, has posted 72 tackles through nine games this season to rank third in C-USA and 12th nationally.
LeFevre pulled double-duty for the Thundering Herd on Saturday, downing four of his five punts inside the 20 (13, 13, 6 and 15-yard lines) to go with a touchback and a 57.2-yard average as Marshall’s kickoff man during the latter stages of Saturday’s 42-14 win over Middle Tennessee. One of the punts was muffed by Middle Tennessee and recovered by Marshall for an eventual touchdown. For the season, the Hilliard, Ohio, native has averaged 41.0 yards per punt on 24 kicks with nine inside the 20.
2020 WINNERS:
Offensive Player of the Week – Sept. 7 – Grant Wells, QB, Marshall; Sept. 14 – Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA; Sept. 21 – Frank Harris, QB, UTSA; Sept. 28 – Luke Anthony, QB, Louisiana Tech; Oct. 5 – Tyrrell Pigrome, QB, WKU; Oct. 12 – Aaron McAllister, RB, Charlotte; Oct. 19 – Jason Bean, QB, North Texas; Oct. 26 – Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA; Nov. 2 – Aaron Allen, QB, Louisiana Tech; Nov. 9 – Grant Wells, QB, Marshall; Nov. 16 – Grant Wells, QB, Marshall.
Defensive Player of the Week – Sept. 7 – KD Davis, LB, North Texas; Sept. 14 – Tyler Murray, LB, Charlotte; Sept. 21 – Tavante Beckett, LB, Marshall; Sept. 28 – Jamal Ligon, LB, UTSA; Oct. 5 – Leighton McCarthy, OLB, Florida Atlantic; Oct. 12 – Tavante Beckett, LB, Marshall; Oct. 19 – Eli Neal, LB, Marshall; Oct. 26 – Trey Baldwin, LB, Louisiana Tech and Antonio Parks, S, UTSA; Nov. 2 – Bee Jay Williamson, CB, Louisiana Tech; Nov. 9 – DeAngelo Malone, DE, WKU; Nov. 16 – Rashad Wisdom, S, UTSA.
Special Teams Player of the Week – Sept. 7 – Matt Quinn, K, UAB; Sept. 14 – Hunter Duplessis, K, UTSA; Sept. 21 – Jacob Barnes, K, Louisiana Tech; Sept. 28 – Lexington Joseph, KR, FIU; Oct. 5 – Brayden Narveson, K, WKU; Oct. 12 – Duron Lowe, KR, UTEP; Oct. 19 – Nikia Eason, Jr., OLB, UAB; Oct. 26 – Jalen Jackson, CB, Middle Tennessee; Nov. 2 – Jacob Barnes, K, Louisiana Tech; Nov. 9 – Matt Hayball, P, Florida Atlantic; Nov. 16 – Robert LeFevre, P, Marshall.
https://conferenceusa.com/news/2020/11/16/nov-16-football-players-of-the-week.aspx
