MAC East honorees are: QB Grant Loy (Bowling Green), DB Elvis Hines (Kent State) and DB Elvis Hines (Kent State).
MAC West honorees are: RB Tre Harbison (Northern Illinois), LB Drake Spears (Western Michigan) and K John Richardson (Northern Illinois)
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Offensive Player of the Week: Bowling Green QB Grant Loy
Bowling Green junior quarterback Grant Loy (New Washington, Ohio) accounted for 322 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in leading the Falcons to a 20-7 win over Toledo on Saturday afternoon. Loy made his second career start and led Bowling Green to its first win over Toledo since 2009. Loy completed 14-of-21 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown and added 19 carries for 137 yards and one touchdown. His 137 yards rushing marked the most rushing yards by a Bowling Green quarterback since Josh Harris ran for 138 yards in a 2002 win at Central Michigan. On Bowling Green’s first play from scrimmage, Loy ran the ball on a power rush for a 56-yard gain. The run is the longest from a Falcon quarterback since Matt Johnson registered a 56-yard rush in a MAC-East clinching win at Buffalo in 2013.
Defensive Player of the Week: Kent State DB Elvis Hines
Kent State junior defensive back Elvis Hines (Camden, N.J.) had a career-high 11 tackles and one sack in a 26-3 win at Akron. Hines recorded his second career sack and was part of a defensive unit that held the Zips to 297 yards of total offense and only 95 yards rushing.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Kent State K Matthew Trickett
Kent State sophomore kicker Matthew Trickett (Cleveland, Ohio) matched a career-high with four made field goals in a 26-3 win at Akron. Trickett was successful from 36, 43, 43 and 45 yards on the afternoon.
West Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Northern Illinois RB Tre HarbisonNorthern Illinois junior running back Tre Harbison (Shelby, N.C.) scored three second-half touchdowns and gained 113 yards on 25 carries in a 39-36 comeback victory at Ohio on Saturday. Harbison scored on runs of four, one and three yards. His two third-quarter touchdowns gave NIU a 22-21 lead and his third broke a 29-29 tie with 5:15 to play, giving the Huskies a 36-29 lead. Harbison became the first Huskie to score three touchdowns in a game since November 16, 2016 (Jordan Huff vs. Eastern Michigan). He averaged 4.5 yards per carry with a long run of 23 yards. On the Huskies’ game-winning drive in the final 3:38, he accounted for 42 of NIU’s 56 yards on six consecutive carries, including runs of 22 and 11 yards, setting up the Huskies’ field goal try from the 19-yard line on the final play.
Defensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan LB Drake SpearsWestern Michigan senior linebacker Drake Spears (Aurora, Ill.) led with seven tackles and one interception returned for a touchdown in a 38-16 win over Western Michigan. Spears intercepted Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-6 advantage in the first half. Spears was part of a defensive effort that limited Miami to just 127 yards in the second half. His 74-yard interception returned for a touchdown was the first since Darius Phillips with a 43-yarder on Nov. 8, 2017. It was the Broncos first defensive touchdown since Patrick Lupro had a fumble return against Delaware State on Sept. 15, 2018.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Northern Illinois K John Richardson
Northern Illinois redshirt freshman kicker John Richardson (Orland Park, Ill.) drilled a game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expiring for a 39-36 win at Ohio Saturday to snap the Huskies’ four-game losing streak. Richardson also hit a career long 51-yard field goal in the first quarter which tied as the sixth longest field goal in NIU history and was the longest since 2015. He scored nine total points in the game with three extra points added to the two field goals and averaged 61.6 yards on seven kickoffs.