- Copyright 2024 © CollegeFootballPoll.com
- About CFP / Contact
- Legal Statements
(NOTE: In addition to numerous other awards, CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a season-end voter for these awards in this article: Ray Guy, Bednarik, Maxwell, Lou Groza, Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski)
In no particular order, here are the Players of the Week, as announced by some of college football's major award recipients.
The Maxwell Football Club announces that North Carolina State wide receiver Kevin Concepcion has been named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the week after leading the Wolfpack to a nail biting victory over Clemson. In the 24-17, the receiver accumulated a total of 134 total yards, with 51 on the ground and 83 receiving yards. Concepcion tacked on 2 touchdowns as well, one of which was a 72 yard house call on a short slant, which was the Wolfpack’s longest reception of the season so far. He also had a 50 yard rush, which was also the longest rush of the season for the Wolfpack. The true freshman ranks third of all true freshmen with 5.2 receptions per game. The Wolfpack looks to build off of the victory when they host the Hurricanes next.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Kevin Concepcion, WR, NC State
Week 8: Reuben Bain Jr., DE, TCU
Week 7: Josh Hoover, QB, TCU
Week 6: Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona
Week 5: Caleb Downs, DB, Alabama
Week 4: Rocco Becht, QB, Iowa State
Week 3: Jordan Castell, S, Florida
Week 2: Anthony Hill, Jr., LB, Texas
Week 1: Dylan Edwards, RB, Colorado
The Augusta Sports Council and the Ray Guy Award are proud to announce James Ferguson-Reynolds of Boise State as the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week for Week 9 games. Ferguson-Reynolds was chosen from Ray's 8, announced Monday. Ferguson-Reynolds punted 3 times during the game against Wyoming for a total of 156 yards. His gross and net averages were 52 due to him having no punts returned. Three of his punts ended up inside Wyoming's 20-yard line and he had a long punt of 68 yards.
The Broncos are just 4-4 over-all, but 3-1 in the Mountain West in a tie With UNLV and Fresno State. This Saturday, Boise State visits Fresno State which is 7-1 over-all. The Bulldogs are No. 34 in the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com while the Broncos are No. 56, but BSU is a 6.54-point computer pick.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
Week 8: Tory Taylor, Iowa
Week 7: No announcement
Week 6: Austin McNamara, Texas Tech
Week 5: Oscar Chapman, Auburn
Week 4: Matt Hayball, Vanderbilt
Week 3: Tyler Perkins, Iowa State
Week 2: James Burnip, Alabama
Week 1: Ryan Rehkow, BYU
DALLAS (FWAA) – Center Leif Fautanu and the Arizona State Sun Devils reached notable offensive numbers in their 38-27 home win over Washington State, topping 250 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in the same game for the first time in five seasons. Fautanu’s guidance on the offensive line helped create five touchdowns from the ground game and earned him the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 28, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
Fautanu, 6-2, redshirt junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, has been Arizona State’s mainstay in the middle. He is currently the 14th-highest graded center in the FBS as a pass blocker with a score of 83.1. Fautanu did not allow a single pressure this week according to PFF and was the 15th-highest graded center in the nation according to their ratings.
Against Washington State, Fautanu and the offensive line helped the Sun Devils post 509 total yards with 274 through the air and 235 on the ground. It is the first time ASU has topped 250 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in the same game since 2018 in a win over No. 15 Utah. The five rushing scores are the most by ASU since the 2021 season-opener against Southern Utah (six) and the most against an FBS opponent since the 2020 season finale against Oregon State (also six).
This week’s Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week has given up only seven quarterback hurries on the season, tied for 24th among FBS centers with at least 250 pass blocking snaps.
Arizona State has a finalist in its Outland Trophy past in offensive tackle Juan Roque from 1996. Roque is also the Sun Devils’ last offensive lineman to make the FWAA All-America team.
The Sun Devils go to Utah for a 2 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday broadcast on the Pac-12 Network. Arizona State (2-6, 1-4) is No. 109 in the computer rankings while Utah ranks 19th after the loss to Oregon. The Utes fell out of the Super 16 Poll and into the "also receiving votes' category (essentially ranked 20th). They are 18th in the AP and Coaches' polls.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Leif, Foutanu, OL, Arizona State
Week 8: Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
Week 7: Charles Turner III, C, LSU
Week 6: Walter Rouse, OL LT, Oklahoma
Week 5: Jeremy Flax, OL, Kentucky
Week 4: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Week 3: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Week 2: Anez Cooper, G, Miami (FL)
Week 1: Tanor Bortoloini, C, Wisconsin
Oklahoma State University running back Ollie Gordon II has been named the Maxwell Award Player of The Week after their dominant performance against Cincinnati. Gordon had an exceptional showing, rushing for 271 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, and tallied four catches for 21 yards for a total of 292 all-purpose yards. The sophomore from Fort Worth, TX would also join Barry Sanders as only the second player in program history with back-to-back games of 250+ rushing yards. As well as becoming the only Power Five player with multiple 200+ yard games this season; eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in just eight games.
Oklahoma State (is back in Stillwater, OK to take on Oklahoma this Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Cowboys (6-2, 4-1) are ranked 32nd by the computer, 26th in the AP and 27th by the coaches. The Sooners fell to 7-1, 4-1 after the loss to Kansas and are No. 15 in the computer rankings, 10th in the AP and Super 16 polls, and 11th in the Coaches' Poll.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Ollie Gordon !!, RB, Oklahoma State
Week 8: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Week 7: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Week 6: Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma
Week 5: Ray Davis, RB, Kentcuky
Week 4: Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State
Week 3: Michael Penix, Jr., QB, Washington
Week 2: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
Week 1: Jordan, QB, Florida State
Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has been named the Bednarik Player of The Week after he helped his team take down South Carolina. The 6’3 230 junior had a standout day with 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU, and 1 fumble recovered. Cooper would also set his career high for hurries with 4, as well as mark the fourth time he had multiple TFLs and at least 1 sack across five SEC games.
The Aggies (5-3, 3-2) are on the road next weekend to face Ole Miss this Saturday, Nov. 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Texas A&M is No. 31 in the computer rankings and unmentioned in any of the polls. Ole Miss is No. 10 in the computer rankings and the Coaches' Poll, and 11th in the AP and Super 16 polls.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Edgrrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
Week 8: Nathaniel Wilson, LB, Mississippi State
Week 7: Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas
Week 5: Howard Cross III, DL, Notre Dame
Week 4: Dallas Turner, LB, Alabama
Week 3: Daquan Evans, DB, USF
Week 2: Jaden Hicks, DB, Washington State
Week 1: Kaimon Rucker, LB, North Carolina
College football’s top kicking award is presented by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. Each week, they announce the Lou Groza Award "Stars of the Week".
Andres Borregales of Miami may not have had the most field goals by a kicker this week, but arguably no one combined distance and importance as he did in a 29-26 overtime win against Virginia. The junior from Miami, Fla. twice tied the game in the fourth quarter, first with a 50-yarder and then a 48-yard kick to send the game to OT. Add those kicks to his 47-yard make in the first half and Borregales joined his brother, 2020 Groza winner Jose, as the only Hurricanes in the last decade with three field goals from at least 40 yards in the same game.
John Love of Virginia Tech jumped out to a big early lead thanks to three first-half field goals from Love, who added two more late in the Hokies’ 38-10 win over Syracuse. The freshman from Spartanburg, S.C. was the only FBS kicker with five field goals this week. A 43-yarder marked his longest kick of the season, joined by makes from 39, 32, 31, and 24 yards in a 5-for-5 performance. He added three PATs for an 18-point game, the most in the nation this week. Love is tied for 7th in the country with 15 field goals on the season.
Brandon Talton of Nevada kicked four field goals in a game for the fourth time in his prolific career, this time as the Wolf Pack topped New Mexico 34-24. The senior from Vacaville, Calif. set a new season-long with a 52-yarder to go along with makes from 47, 34, and 22 yards out. With the 4-FG performance, he regained his spot as the FBS active leader in career field goals with 78. With two PATs, his 14 points marked his first double-digit scoring game of the season and proved crucial in the 10-point win.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Andres Borregales (Miami), John Love (Virginia Tech), Brandon Talton (Nevada)
Week 8: Isaiah Hankins (Baylor), Dragan Kasich (Minnesota), Jose Pizaono (UNLV)
Week 7: Alex Hale (Oklahoma State), Scott Taylor Renfore (Troy), Trey Smack (Florida)
Week 6: Alex Hale (Oklahoma State), Brock Travelstead (Louisville), Peyton Woodring (Georgia)
Week 5: John Hoyland (Wyoming), Will Reichard (Alabama), Drew Stevens (Iowa)
Week 4: Michael Lantz (Georgia Southern), Trey Smack (Florida), Dominic Zvada (Arkansas State)
Week 3: Harrison Mevis (Missouri), Jose Pizano (UNLV), Noah Rauschenberg (North Texas)
Week 2: Colton Boomer (UCF), Caden Davis (Ole Miss), Camden Lewis (Oregon)
Week 1: Josh Karty (Stanford), Andrew Stein (Southern Miss), Brock Travelstead (Louisville)
DALLAS (SMU) – Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II rushed for 271 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, while adding four catches for 21 yards to account for 292 all-purpose yards in Oklahoma State’s 45-13 win over Cincinnati. The performance earned him the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 28. It’s the third straight week Gordon has been honored by the Doak Walker Award.
Gordon’s rushing total marked the most for any FBS player in Week 9 and the fourth-most for an FBS player in a game this season. He also has the top rushing performance in the FBS this season (282 last week), as well as three of the top five scrimmage yard games.
The sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, now has five straight games with more than 100 rushing yards and is the only Power Five player with multiple 200-yard rushing games this season. Gordon has scored 11 total touchdowns on the season, including multiple scores in three straight games.
Gordon has moved into some rare air as just the second player in program history with back-to-back games of 250 rushing yards, joining the legendary Barry Sanders in 1988. After carrying the ball just 19 times in Oklahoma State’s first three games, he has passed the 1,000- yard mark for the season (1,087), while averaging 7.7 yards per carry.
The Cowboys host in-state rival Oklahoma on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Other candidates for the honor in Week 9 included:
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Week 8: Nay-Quan Wright, South Florida
Week 7: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Week 6: Trey Benson, Florida State
Week 5: Ray Davis, Kentucky
Week 4: DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Week 3: Trevor Etienne, Florida
Week 2: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Week 1: Dylan Edwards, Colorado
DALLAS (FWAA) – Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts ascended to the top spot among FBS interceptions leaders with two picks during last week’s 58-7 win over Pitt. Now with six interceptions on the season and for maintaining a high standard in the Irish defensive backfield, Watts has earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 28, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
Watts was also the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games the weekend of Oct. 14 following another two-interception game against USC. He is the only FBS player to have two multi-interception games this season.
Watts, a 5-11, 200-pound senior safety but with junior eligibility from Omaha, Neb., has been a point-producer for Notre Dame (7-2) despite playing defense. His six interceptions have led to 30 points for the Irish – including a pick-six by Watts – just short of 10 percent of Notre Dame’s (345) scoring this season. Watts gained 31 yards on his two interception returns against Pitt and also had three tackles, one of them a TFL.
Notre Dame held Pitt’s passing game in check due in part to Watts’ efforts. Pitt entered the game averaging 320.9 yards of total offense per game, but the Irish held them to just 255 yards. The Irish snagged four interceptions against Pitt quarterbacks who had only thrown five coming into the game. Irish teammates Christian Gray and Jaden Mickey also had interceptions.
Watts’ six interceptions account for almost half of Notre Dame’s 13 total interceptions, a team figure that ranks third among all FBS teams. Watts has 39 tackles this season to lead the Notre Dame defensive backs and list fourth on the team. Notre Dame’s four defensive touchdowns
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2012. He is Notre Dame’s lone previous winner. Fellow linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a finalist for the award in 2020, as was cornerback Shane Walton in 2002. The Fighting Irish have had a defensive back earn FWAA All-America status in three of the past five seasons – two-time first-team All-America safety Kyle Hamilton did it in 2020 and 2021, and cornerback Julian Love earned it in 2018, also on the first team.
The Irish (7-2) play one of the country’s feature games on Saturday, traveling to Clemson (4-4) for a Noon ET kickoff on ABC. Notre Dame is ranked No. 12 by the computer and all three of the voter polls. Clemson is No. 43 in the computer rankings.
Weekly Winners
Week 9: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Week 8: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Week 7: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Week 6: Devin Grant, S, Buffalo
Week 5: Caden Jenkins, CB, Baylor
Week 4: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Week 3: Carlton Johnson, DB, Fresno State
Week 2: Ron Stone, Jr., EDGE, Washington State
Week 1: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado