SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Southern Conference today announced its football Players of the Week for the week of September 9. Georgia Southern’s Chris Covington was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Appalachian State’s Pierre Banks earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Elon’s Karlos Sullivan was named the Freshman of the Week.

Covington, a sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga., rushed for 216 yards on 29 carries against Central Connecticut State on Saturday in Georgia Southern’s season opener. The running back set a career-high and recorded the most rushing yards in a game by a Georgia Southern player since 1999. It was the 14th highest single-game high in Eagle history and was the most rushing yards in a season-opener.

Other top offensive performers include Appalachian State’s Kevin Richardson, Chattanooga’s Eldra Buckley, The Citadel’s Duran Lawson, Furman’s Cedrick Gipson and Wofford’s Josh Collier.

ASU's Pierre Banks

Banks, a junior linebacker from Durham, N.C., registered 16 tackles in anchoring the Mountaineer defense in a 21-10 win over James Madison on Saturday. His 16 stops was the most by an ASU player since Nygle Rogers had 21 and Jerrell Carter had 18 in a 40-35 loss to Northwestern State in 2004. Banks also had two forced fumbles, one which stopped a JMU drive deep in Mountaineer territory.

Other top defensive performers include Chattanooga’s Raeshon Ball, Elon’s Danny Boback, Furman’s Andrew Jones and Georgia Southern’s Harland Bower.

Sullivan, a corner back from Greenville, S.C., collected seven tackles against Towson on Saturday. The true freshman picked up five solo stops among his career-high tackles

Other top freshman performer included Georgia Southern’s Harland Bower.

Elon's Karlos Sullivan