MAC announces Week 3 football POTW
The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its Week 3 football Players of the Week.
This week's honorees are:
MAC East: Brett Gabbert (Miami), Matt Salopek (Miami), Bryce Houston (Ohio), Alec Bevelhimer (Miami)
MAC West: Peny Boone (Toledo), Bennett Walker (Eastern Michigan), Mitchell Tomasek (Eastern Michigan)
Click Read More for details . . .
This week's honorees are:
MAC East: Brett Gabbert (Miami), Matt Salopek (Miami), Bryce Houston (Ohio), Alec Bevelhimer (Miami)
MAC West: Peny Boone (Toledo), Bennett Walker (Eastern Michigan), Mitchell Tomasek (Eastern Michigan)
Click Read More for details . . .
MAC Football East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Brett Gabbert, Miami, QB
R-Jr., St. Louis, Mo. (Christian Brothers)
Brett Gabbert completed 12 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a career-best 75 yards in a 31-24 overtime win versus Cincinnati. Gabbert and the RedHawks captured the program's first win over a Big-12 program and helped reclaim the Victory Bell for the first time since 2005.
MAC Football East Division Defensive Co-Players of the Week
Matt Salopek, Miami, LB
R-Jr., Kent, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban)
Matt Salopek recorded a career-high 18 tackles in Miami's 31-24 overtime win at Cincinnati last Saturday. Salopek and the RedHawk defense allowed eight red zone trips, but surrendered just 23 points as Miami picked up the program's first win over a Big-12 school.
Bryce Houston, Ohio, LB
Grad, Lewis Center, Ohio
Houston continued his strong 2023 season, leading the defense as they held the Iowa State Cyclones to seven points in the Bobcats' 10-7 victory over the Power 5 school on Saturday (Sept. 16). The linebacker finished the game with a team-best 15 tackles, matching his career record that he set against Buffalo in 2021. Of his 15 tackles, Houston recorded five solo stops.
MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Alec Bevelhimer, Miami, P
Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
Alec Bevelhimer averaged 52.0 yards on four punts in Miami's 31-24 overtime win over Cincinnati. He had two punts travel 60-plus yards, including a career-best 63 yarder. He downed three kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line and allowed no return yards in Miami's first win over a Big-12 program.
MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Peny Boone, Toledo, RB
Jr., Detroit, Mich. (King)
Peny Boone rushed for a career-high 123 rushing yards with 97 coming in the second half of Toledo's come-from-behind 21-17 victory over San Jose State. He also caught two passes for 19 yards.
MAC Football West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Bennett Walker, Eastern Michigan, DB
JR, San Diego, Calif. (Patrick Henry)
Bennett Walker showed out for the Eastern Michigan defense in Saturday’s 19-17 win over UMass, recording two interceptions as EMU forced four turnovers for the first time since 2019. Walker’s first interception came when UMass was at the EMU 42 as he picked a deep pass down the right sideline just four yards outside of the endzone. Walker’s second interception came in the end zone to help the Eagles retain a 13-10 lead with 7:13 to go in the fourth quarter as UMass was on the verge of tying or taking the lead. Walker is the first Eagle to record two interceptions in a game since Brody Hoying at Northern Illinois, Nov. 19, 2019, and is the first player in the MAC this season with two interceptions in one game. Nationally, Walker is tied for the FBS lead with three picks and is averaging an NCAA-best 1.0 interceptions per game. He also is one of just six players nationally to record multiple picks in a single game so far this year.
MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Mitchell Tomasek, Eastern Michigan, P
JR, Columbus, Ohio
Junior punter Mitchell Tomasek punted seven times with a robust 45.9 yards per punt in Eastern Michigan’s 19-17 win on Saturday over UMass. With momentum swinging toward the Minutemen with less than five minutes remaining, EMU was clinging to a 13-10 lead and forced to punt from its own 15-yard line where Tomasek blasted a 61-yard punt to flip the field and ultimately forcing a block-in-the-back for net of 70 yards in field position. The 61-yard punt, his fifth of at least 60 yards for EMU, is the fourth-longest of his career for Tomasek, who placed three punts inside the 20 on the day. Overall, the Eagle currently ranks 13th in the nation with a 45.4 punting average.
Brett Gabbert, Miami, QB
R-Jr., St. Louis, Mo. (Christian Brothers)
Brett Gabbert completed 12 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a career-best 75 yards in a 31-24 overtime win versus Cincinnati. Gabbert and the RedHawks captured the program's first win over a Big-12 program and helped reclaim the Victory Bell for the first time since 2005.
MAC Football East Division Defensive Co-Players of the Week
Matt Salopek, Miami, LB
R-Jr., Kent, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban)
Matt Salopek recorded a career-high 18 tackles in Miami's 31-24 overtime win at Cincinnati last Saturday. Salopek and the RedHawk defense allowed eight red zone trips, but surrendered just 23 points as Miami picked up the program's first win over a Big-12 school.
Bryce Houston, Ohio, LB
Grad, Lewis Center, Ohio
Houston continued his strong 2023 season, leading the defense as they held the Iowa State Cyclones to seven points in the Bobcats' 10-7 victory over the Power 5 school on Saturday (Sept. 16). The linebacker finished the game with a team-best 15 tackles, matching his career record that he set against Buffalo in 2021. Of his 15 tackles, Houston recorded five solo stops.
MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Alec Bevelhimer, Miami, P
Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
Alec Bevelhimer averaged 52.0 yards on four punts in Miami's 31-24 overtime win over Cincinnati. He had two punts travel 60-plus yards, including a career-best 63 yarder. He downed three kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line and allowed no return yards in Miami's first win over a Big-12 program.
MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Peny Boone, Toledo, RB
Jr., Detroit, Mich. (King)
Peny Boone rushed for a career-high 123 rushing yards with 97 coming in the second half of Toledo's come-from-behind 21-17 victory over San Jose State. He also caught two passes for 19 yards.
MAC Football West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Bennett Walker, Eastern Michigan, DB
JR, San Diego, Calif. (Patrick Henry)
Bennett Walker showed out for the Eastern Michigan defense in Saturday’s 19-17 win over UMass, recording two interceptions as EMU forced four turnovers for the first time since 2019. Walker’s first interception came when UMass was at the EMU 42 as he picked a deep pass down the right sideline just four yards outside of the endzone. Walker’s second interception came in the end zone to help the Eagles retain a 13-10 lead with 7:13 to go in the fourth quarter as UMass was on the verge of tying or taking the lead. Walker is the first Eagle to record two interceptions in a game since Brody Hoying at Northern Illinois, Nov. 19, 2019, and is the first player in the MAC this season with two interceptions in one game. Nationally, Walker is tied for the FBS lead with three picks and is averaging an NCAA-best 1.0 interceptions per game. He also is one of just six players nationally to record multiple picks in a single game so far this year.
MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Mitchell Tomasek, Eastern Michigan, P
JR, Columbus, Ohio
Junior punter Mitchell Tomasek punted seven times with a robust 45.9 yards per punt in Eastern Michigan’s 19-17 win on Saturday over UMass. With momentum swinging toward the Minutemen with less than five minutes remaining, EMU was clinging to a 13-10 lead and forced to punt from its own 15-yard line where Tomasek blasted a 61-yard punt to flip the field and ultimately forcing a block-in-the-back for net of 70 yards in field position. The 61-yard punt, his fifth of at least 60 yards for EMU, is the fourth-longest of his career for Tomasek, who placed three punts inside the 20 on the day. Overall, the Eagle currently ranks 13th in the nation with a 45.4 punting average.
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