SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week Monday for all games played Saturday, Oct. 12. Georgia Southern’s Jerick McKinnon was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while Chattanooga’s Davis Tull was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week. GSU quarterback Kevin Ellison earned the league’s Freshman of the Week honor. Wofford kicker Kasey Redfern was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern, Sr., QB, Marietta, Ga.
Georgia Southern’s Jerick McKinnon moved from quarterback to running back Saturday against The Citadel and churned out a game-high 198 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries for the Eagles as GSU topped the Bulldogs, 28-21. The senior tied the game with his first touchdown run of the day, which he set up with a 63-yard scamper earlier on the drive. McKinnon also caught two passes for 10 yards and completed a pass on GSU’s two-point conversion late in the game.
Other Nominees: Marcus Cox (Appalachian State), Ben Dupree (The Citadel), Mike Quinn (Elon), Fabian Truss (Samford), Keon Williams (Chattanooga), Karnorris Benson (Western Carolina) and Jonny Martin (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Davis Tull, Chattanooga, Jr., DL, Knoxville, Tenn.
Chattanooga’s Davis Tull anchored the Mocs’ defense, which held Furman to 189 yards in a 31-9 victory for UTC. Tull recorded five tackles and was credited with 3.5 sacks, which resulted in minus-21 yards. The junior added two forced fumbles and came up with a fumble recovery. Tull now has 23.0 career sacks and is just one half-sack shy of tying the school record set by Josh Williams (2009-12). The Knoxville, Tenn., native currently ranks second in the SoCon with 5.5 sacks this season.
Other Nominees: Karl Anderson (Appalachian State), Akeem Garnett (The Citadel), David Wood (Elon), Kyle Oehlbeck (Georgia Southern), Justin Shade (Samford), Sertonuse Harris (Western Carolina) and Alvin Scioneaux (Wofford).
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Kevin Ellison, Georgia Southern, QB, Cornelia, Ga.
Starting at quarterback for the Eagles, Kevin Ellison carried 23 times for 135 yards and one touchdown. He tied his season long with a run of 53 yards in the third quarter and completed 7-of-10 passes for 138 yards. In the second quarter, he connected with B.J. Johnson on a 45-yard pass to move inside the Bulldogs’ 20-yard line, which set up a score from Jerick McKinnon to give GSU a 13-7 lead. With GSU trailing 21-20 in the fourth quarter, Ellison engineered an 11-play drive that covered 86 yards and capped it off with a 4-yard touchdown run to push the Eagles ahead, 28-21.
Other Nominees: Bentlee Critcher (Appalachian State), Jorian Jordan (The Citadel), Corey Mitchell (Elon), Karel Hamilton (Samford), Dee Virgin (Chattanooga), Trey Morgan (Western Carolina) and Nick Colvin (Wofford).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kasey Redfern, Wofford, Sr., PK, Jamestown, N.C.
Kasey Redfern turned in a solid all-around kicking performance in Wofford’s 31-27 come-from-behind win over Elon. Redfern placed five of his six kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks and averaged 65.0 yards per pick. The senior punted five times and only allowed one return as he averaged 42.2 yards per kick. Redfern recorded one punt of 54 yards, placed one inside the Elon 20-yard line and forced four fair catches. The Jamestown, N.C., native also converted four PATs and booted a 27-yard field goal in the Terriers’ win.
Other Nominees: Bentlee Critcher (Appalachian State), Derek Douglas (The Citadel), John Gallagher (Elon), Ray Early (Furman), Alex Hanks (Georgia Southern), Warren Handrahan (Samford), A.J. Hampton (Chattanooga) and Richard Sigmon (Western Carolina).