SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week today for all games played Aug. 28-30. Western Carolina’s Troy Mitchell and Furman’s Gary Wilkins have been named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. VMI’s Al Cobb was selected as the Freshman of the Week, while Wofford’s David Marvin was tabbed as the Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Troy Mitchell, Western Carolina, Jr., QB, Houston, Texas
Junior quarterback Troy Mitchell threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns at FBS South Florida as the Catamounts fell 36-31 to the Bulls. The junior added 21 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground for WCU. He completed a school-record 44 passes and connected with eight different receivers. Mitchell’s 374 yards through the air was the ninth-best single-game performance in school history.
Other Nominees: Tyler Renew (The Citadel), John Russ (Mercer), Tommy Hudson (Chattanooga), Al Cobb (VMI) and Ray Smith (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gary Wilkins, Furman, Sr., DE, Covington, Ga.
Senior defensive end Gary Wilkins anchored a suffocating Furman defense Saturday as the Paladins topped Gardner-Webb, 13-3. Wilkins recorded five tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in the season-opening victory. The Covington, Ga., native also was credited with a forced fumble in the win as Furman limited Gardner-Webb to just 194 yards of total offense, including just 25 yards and two first downs in the second half. Wilkins recorded 2.5 sacks for minus-12 yards, which was part of a five-sack performance by the Furman defense.
Other Nominees: Tevin Floyd (The Citadel), Tyler Ward (Mercer), Jamerson Blount (Samford), Muhasibi Wakeel (Chattanooga), Tyson Dickson (Western Carolina) and Boston Bryant (Wofford).
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Al Cobb, VMI, Fr., QB, Pulaski, Tenn.
Freshman Al Cobb completed 27 of 40 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns as VMI fell at Bucknell (42-38) Saturday night. The Pulaski, Tenn., native added a rushing touchdown and tied the school record for most touchdowns accounted for (five). Cobb became the seventh player in school history to throw four TD passes in a single game and his 27 completions tied for the third-best mark in school history.
Other Nominees: DeVonta Delaney (The Citadel), John Croft Hollingsworth (Furman), Alex Lakes (Mercer), Lucas Webb (Chattanooga), Destry Barnwell (Western Carolina) and David Marvin (Wofford).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: David Marvin, Wofford, Fr., PK/P, Charlotte, N.C.
Marvin handled all kicking duties for Wofford at Georgia Tech on Saturday. The freshman averaged 43.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 51 yards. Marvin connected on both field goal attempts, including a 51-yard effort in the third quarter, which was the second-longest kick in school history. The Charlotte, N.C., native also handled the kickoff duties for the Terriers and averaged 63.0 yards on five kickoffs.
Other Nominees: Eric Goins (The Citadel), John Croft Hollingsworth (Furman), Chandler Curtis (Mercer), Greg Peranich (Samford), Henrique Ribeiro (Chattanooga) and Destry Barnwell (Western Carolina).