SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Southern Conference today announced its football Players of the Week for the week of October 31. Appalachian State’s Richie Williams, Chattanooga Eldra Buckley and Georgia Southern’s Jayson Foster shared the Offensive Player of the Week honor while The Citadel’s Andrew Rowell earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Chattanooga’s Jarvis Newson was named the Freshman of the Week.
Williams, a 6-3, 190 quarterback from Camden, SC, led the Mountaineers to a 35-25 win over Chattanooga on Saturday. The senior threw for 256 yards on 17-of-23 passing while picking up 70 yards on the ground. He accounted for four of ASU’s five touchdowns, two passing and two rushing. Williams became ASU’s all-time leading passer with 6,725 career yards to date, and is now second all-time in SoCon annals in total offense with 8,028 yards. It is Williams’ fourth honor this season.
Buckley, a 5-10, 190-lb. tailback from Charleston, MS, set a career high against the Mountaineers on Saturday. The junior rushed for a personal-best 210 yards on 31 carries, the most rushing yards by a back in the SoCon this season. Buckley is the first Moc to run for over 200 yards since Charles McNeill set the school record with 235 against Kentucky State in 2001. He also became the first player to gain over 200 yards rushing against Appalachian State since Georgia Southern’s Adrian Peterson in 1998.
Foster, a 5-9, 164-lb. quarterback from Canton, GA, rushed for a personal-high 178 yards and three rushing touchdowns in a 55-42 win over South Dakota State on Saturday. The sophomore was also 4-of-7 for career-high 131 yards passing, the second-straight game in which he threw for 100 yards. Foster amassed a career-high 309 yards of offense and keyed the most rushing yards ever allowed by South Dakota State.
Other top offensive performances from October 29 include Elon’s Kye Hamilton (15-of-32, 156 yards, 2 TDs), Western Carolina’s John Bush (2 TDs on five rushes) and Wofford’s Shiel Wood.
Rowell, a 5-11, 220-lb. linebacker from Opelika, AL, totaled a career-high 17 tackles against Wofford on Saturday. The sophomore had eight solo tackles, and one-and-a-half tackles for loss for a total of 10 yards. Rowell is second on the team with 65 total tackles and has one sack this season.
Other top defensive performances include Appalachian State’s Jason Hunter (8 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack), Elon’s Chad Nkang (12 tackles, 10 solo, 2.5 TFL), Georgia Southern’s John Mohring (11 tackles, 1 INT), Western Carolina’s James Conklin (12 tackles, 1 TFL) and Wofford’s Layton Baker (6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT for TD).
Newson, a 5-11, 200-lb. defensive back from Decatur, GA, stepped into the starting role at safety on Saturday. He set a season-high with 12 tackles to lead the Mocs defense against Appalachian State. Newson has played in seven games and has 23 tackles this season.
Other top freshmen from last week include Western Carolina’s Jonathan Parsons (1 FG, 4-for-4 on PAT) and Wofford’s Layton Baker (6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT for TD).