MAC announces Week Five POTW

The Mid-American Conference announced its football Week Five Players of the Week Monday. 

Former RB turned quarterback Nick Holley (Kent State) took Offensive Player of the Week in the East Division. Joining him were Defensive Player of the Week LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Akron) and punter Michael Farkas (Ohio) as Special Teams Player of the Week.

WR Corey Davis (Western Michigan) and QB Logan Woodside (Toledo) shared Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors for the West Division. Other West winners were LB Sean Folliard (Northern Illinois) for Defensive Player of the Week and punter Austin Barnes (Eastern Michigan) as Special Teams Player of the Week.

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East Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Kent State QB Nick Holley
Kent State junior Nick Holley (Toledo, Ohio) played quarterback for the first time since his senior year of high school in 2012, and completed 19 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-27 loss to Akron.  He also rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, making him the first Kent State player with 400 yards of total offense (402) for the first time since 2004 (Josh Cribbs). Since 2013, Holley had played both running back and wide receiver.
 
Defensive Player of the Week: Akron LB Ulysees Gilbert III
Akron sophomore linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) led the Zips’ defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including a career-best 10 solo stops and a career-high 3.0 TFL, in the 31-27 Wagon Wheel victory at Kent State. In just the fifth starting appearance of his collegiate career, Gilbert record double-digit tackles for the fourth time this fall. After five games, Gilbert is the Zips’ leading defender with 55 tackles, including team-bests of 31 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. He has two sacks and five hurries.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week:  Ohio P Michael Farkas
Ohio redshirt freshman punter Michael Farkas (Mishawaka, Ind.) had six punts for 232 yards averaging 38.7 yards per punt in a 17-7 win at Miami. Farkas pinned Miami inside the 20 three times during the outing including pinning them on the one-yard line late in the game, which led to Ohio’s sack in the end zone which sealed Ohio’s win. Farkas also gave his punt team adequate time to hold Miami to only a single return, which netted zero yards. Farkas ranks seventh in the MAC in punting and Ohio ranks first in the MAC in punt return defense and third in the country.

West Division
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan WR Corey Davis
Western Michigan senior wide receiver Corey Davis (Wheaton, Ill.) had six catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns in Western Michigan’s 49-10 victory over Central Michigan on Saturday, helping the Broncos earn their first ranking in the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll at No. 25. The win was the largest for the Broncos over the Chippewas since 1970, when they defeated Central Michigan 41-0 in Mt. Pleasant. During the game, Davis surpassed Jordan White for the all-time MAC career receiving yards record which was previously 4,187. Davis’ 72 yards gives him 4,252 for his career. His two touchdowns also give him 39 for his career, breaking the tie in the MAC career receiving TDs record with his brother Titus and moving into a tie for second with former Bronco Greg Jennings, just eight behind Darius Watts of Marshall.
  
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Toledo QB Logan Woodside
Toledo senior quarterback Logan Woodside (Frankfort, Ky.) completed a career-best 30-of-38 passes for a school-record 505 yards and a collegiate-tying best five touchdowns in a 55-53 loss at BYU. Bruce Gradkowski held the previous record of 461 yards passing vs. Pitt on Sept. 20, 2003. Woodside's total of 505 yards passing tied for the seventh-most yards in a game in Mid-American Conference history, Tyler Sheehan of Bowling Green also had 505 yards passing in a game at KSU in 2009. Woodside has 16 TD passes for the season and has thrown at least four TD passes in each of the last three games. Woodside's five TD tosses are tied for third most in school history in a single game. Woodside leads the nation in passing efficiency (207.6)
 
Defensive Player of the Week:  Northern Illinois LB Sean Folliard
Northern Illinois senior linebacker Sean Folliard (Crystal Lake, Ill.) made a career-high 17 tackles, including 11 solo stops, in a 31-24 win at Ball State.  Folliard’s 17 tackles are the most by a Huskie defender since Tyrone Clark had 17 stops versus Army in 2012.  Folliard had 2.5 tackles for loss for minus 12 yards that included a 10-yard quarterback sack.  He added a pass break-up as the Huskie defense gave up just seven points in the final 43:45 seconds of the game.  Folliard made 11 tackles in the first half and had two critical stops to help stop a Ball State drive in the fourth quarter, forcing a punt late in the fourth quarter with NIU holding a 31-24 lead.
  
Special Teams Player of the Week: Eastern Michigan P Austin Barnes
Eastern Michigan junior Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill.) punted five for a 50.0-yard average in a 28-25 win at Bowling Green. His five punts were highlighted by a long of 56 yards and he pinned the Falcons inside their own 20 on three occasions and forced two fair catches. Two of his five punts left Bowling Green with long fields as the Falcons had to start drives inside their own five-yard line. With the win, the Green and White moved to 4-1 on the season, its best start since 1995, and 1-0 in league play. The MAC-opening victory marked the first for the Eagles since 2005.