SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Southern Conference today announced its football Players of the Week for the week of September 26. Appalachian State’s Richie Williams was tabbed the Offensive Player of the Week while teammate Marques Murrell earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Furman’s Joel Bell was named the Freshman of the Week.
A 6-3, 190-lb. quarterback from Camden, SC, Williams led the Mountaineers to a 45-13 win over The Citadel on Saturday. The senior completed 20-of-27 passes for 259 yards with three touchdowns and rushed for 94 yards, all season highs. He spread his 20 completions among six receivers and avoided an interception for the fourth-straight game. His last interception came in the first quarter against Western Carolina in the 2004 season finale. Williams’ three-touchdown performance was the seventh of his career, while his 353 yards of total offense marked the eighth time he has topped 300 yards in a game.
Other top offensive performances from September 24 include Elon’s Reggie Hall (180 yards on 32 carries, 1 TD), Furman’s Ingle Martin (22-of-34 for 176 yards, 3 TDs) and Georgia Southern’s Jayson Foster (21 carries, 134 yards, 3 TDs).
Murrell, a 6-2, 230-lb. defensive end from Fayetteville, NC, anchored the defense in the Mountaineers’ 45-13 win over The Citadel. The junior racked up three tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the win. Murrell’s forced fumble in the first quarter set up ASU’s first touchdown of the game. Murrell leads the SoCon and is nationally ranked this season averaging 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
Other top defensive performances include The Citadel’s Fred Townsend (1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 2 tackles), Elon’s Chad Nkang (15 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack) and Georgia Southern’s John Mohring (7 tackles, 1 INT).
A 6-7, 305-lb. offensive tackle from Spartanburg, SC, Bell made his first career start for the Paladins, filling in at the last minute for starter John Kivett. He registered 90 plays and graded out at 81 percent with 12 knockdowns in helping Furman to a 44-41 double overtime win over No. 17 Hofstra. He assisted Furman in posting a record 102 plays and 448 yards of total offense, including 312 yards rushing. His previous experience included 16 plays over the first three games this season.
Other top freshmen from last week include Appalachian State’s Trey Hennessee (8 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD), Elon’s Ricky Durham (10 knockdown blocks) and Georgia Southern’s Larry Beard (5 tackles, 3 solo).