This week's honorees are:
MAC EAST: Brett Gabbert (Miami), Davon Ferguson (Bowling Green), Graham Nicholson (Miami).
MAC WEST: Peny Boone (Toledo), Alex Merritt (Eastern Michigan), Kanon Woodill (Northern Illinois)
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Brett Gabbert, Miami, QB
R-Jr., St. Louis, Mo. (Christian Brothers)
Brett Gabbert threw for 223 yards and two scores and added a career-best two rushing touchdowns as the RedHawks downed Western Michigan 34-21 last Saturday. The win moved Miami to 6-1, its best start since 2003.
MAC Football East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Davon Ferguson, Bowling Green, CB
Senior, Baltimore, Md. (St. Vincent Pallotti)
Bowling Green's Davon Ferguson collected a career-high two interceptions in a 24-14 win at Buffalo. His first interception, disrupted Buffalo's second-half opening drive after the Bulls had maintained possession for nine plays and 4 minutes and 32 seconds. His second interception occurred with just 2:45 left in the game, a crucial play that helped secure a 10-point victory for the Falcons. In addition, Ferguson broke up two passes and made four of his five tackles as solo stops, adding a tackle for loss.
MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Graham Nicholson, Miami, K
Junior, Cincinnati, Ohio (Summit Country Day)
Graham Nicholson was perfect on Saturday in Miami's 34-21 win at Western Michigan. He connected on both field goal attempts (39, 40) and all four extra points. He added four touchbacks on seven attempts and is a perfect 13-13 on field goals in 2023.
MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Peny Boone, Toledo, RB
Junior, Detroit, Mich. (King)
Peny Boone ran for 148 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries in Toledo's 13-6 win over Ball State. Boone rushed for 91 yards in the decisive fourth quarter in which he scored the game-winning TD with 1:31 left in the game. Boone's 148 yards are the second-most in his Rocket career and his fifth-consecutive 100-yard outing.
MAC Football West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Alex Merritt, Eastern Michigan, DL
Senior, Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller)
Alex Merritt tallied a career-high eight tackles in Eastern Michigan’s 28-14 win over Kent State, Oct. 14. Merritt, who entered the game with just three total tackles on the season, recorded a career-high three tackles-for-loss, which is tied for the most by a MAC player this season (seventh MAC player with three TFLs in 2023). Merritt, who entered the game with just 4.5 TFLs in his career, joins teammate Chase Kline (Sept. 16 vs. Massachusetts) as Eagles to record three TFLs in a single game this season with both occurrences coming in Ypsilanti.
MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Kanon Woodill, NIU, Kicker
Sophomore, Plainfield, Illinois (Plainfield North HS)
While dealing with a swirling wind in DeKalb, sophomore kicker Kanon Woodill made field goals of 31, 37 and 32 yards and was perfect on PATs as well to account 11 of NIU's 23 points in the Huskies' 23-13 win over Ohio Saturday. Woodill's 2nd PAT gave NIU a 14-13 lead at 12:54 of the third quarter and he ended the Huskies' next three possessions with field goals to extend the lead. Woodill's three field goals and 11 points scored were both career highs.