SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference named its football players of the week today for the games played on Saturday, November 20. Elon's Scott Riddle was named the Offensive Player of the Week while The Citadel's Demetrius Jackson earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Citadel's Ben Dupree was selected as the Freshman of the Week, and Samford's Cameron Yaw was tabbed the Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Scott Riddle, Elon, QB, Sr., Ramseur, N.C.
Riddle closed out his record-setting career at Elon with a career-high five touchdowns as Elon topped Western Carolina, 45-14. The senior signal caller completed 25 of 37 pass attempts for 452 yards and five scores through the air. With 3,231 yards, Riddle becomes the first player in Southern Conference history to lead the league in passing four consecutive seasons. He also closed his career by throwing at least one touchdown in his last 22 games.
Other Nominees: Rickey Anderson (The Citadel), Jaybo Shaw (Georgia Southern), Dustin Taliaferro (Samford), Deja Alexander (Western Carolina) and Brenton Bersin (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Demetrius Jackson, The Citadel, DB, Sr., Columbus, Ga.
Jackson finished second on the team with eight tackles as The Citadel downed Samford, 13-12 Saturday afternoon in Birmingham. All eight of Jackson's tackles were solo stops for the senior defensive back. With Samford driving inside The Citadel territory in the final minute of the game, Jackson broke up Dustin Taliaferro's pass attempt on fourth down. His eight tackles tied a season high.
Other Nominees: D.J. Smith (Appalachian State), Dale Riley (Elon), Darius Eubanks (Georgia Southern), Bryce Smith (Samford), Ricky Schwarz (Western Carolina), and Blake Wylie (Wofford).
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Ben Dupree, The Citadel, QB, Fr., Harrisburg, Pa.
Dupree scored the game-winning touchdown as The Citadel knocked off Samford. Trailing the Bulldogs 12-7, Dupree ran in from eight yards out with 3:04 left to play to give The Citadel the 13-12 advantage. He rushed for 22 yards on the day and also completed 3-of-5 pass attempts for 29 yards as The Citadel earned its second consecutive win over Samford.
Other Nominees: Brandon Brant (Elon), Lavelle Westbrooks (Georgia Southern), Roland Johnson (Western Carolina) and Mike McCrimon (Wofford).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cameron Yaw, Samford, PK, So., Trussville, Ala.
Yaw accounted for all 12 of Samford's points against The Citadel as he went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts. Yaw made kicks of 19, 21, 27 and 42 yards against the Bulldogs. His four made field goals was a career high. The sophomore also kicked off five times for an average of 64.8 yards per kick. He finished the season seventh in scoring in the SoCon with 6.4 points per game.
Other Nominees: Sam Martin (Appalachian State), Travis Ruff (The Citadel), Kenton Beal (Elon), Adrian Mora (Georgia Southern), Blake Cain (Western Carolina) and Landon Bennett (Wofford).