SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week Monday for all games played Oct. 31. Chattanooga’s Jacob Huesman was named the Offensive Player of the Week. Furman’s Cory Magwood was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week, while his teammate Jon Croft Hollingsworth was named the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jacob Huesman, Chattanooga, Sr., QB, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Quarterback Jacob Huesman turned in his 11th career game with at least 100 yards passing and 100 yards rushing as the Mocs topped Western Carolina, 41-13, on Saturday. Huesman completed 14-of-15 passes for 191 yards in the win and rushed 20 times for 168 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It was the 12th 100-yard rushing performance of his career, bringing Huesman just one game shy of the school record. With 216 points scored at UTC, he ranks second in school history after passing Rodney Allen (1989-92) on Saturday.
Other Nominees: Antonio Wilcox (Furman), Kelvin McKnight (Samford), Troy Mitchell (Western Carolina) and Evan Jacks (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cory Magwood, Furman, So., LB, Varnville, S.C.
Senior Cory Magwood highlighted a strong second-half performance from Furman’s defense as the Paladins shut out the Samford Bulldogs in the second half to rally from a 17-0 deficit, marking Furman’s largest comeback since 1973. Magwood recorded a season-high 16 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Furman’s defense limited Samford to just 134 yards of total offense in the second half and held the Bulldogs to 360 yards of offense for the game, below the Bulldogs’ 459-yard average.
Other Nominees: Kalik Williams (The Citadel), Shaheed Salmon (Samford), A.J. Hampton (Chattanooga), Marvin Tillman (Western Carolina) and Drake Michaelson (Wofford).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jon Croft Hollingsworth, Furman, So., P/PK, Greenwood, S.C.
Furman’s Jon Croft Hollingsworth kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Paladins to a 20-17 victory at Samford. The sophomore accounted for eight of Furman’s 20 second-half points, including two field goals in the final quarter. Hollingsworth averaged 41.0 yards on six punts, including three that went inside the Samford 20-yard line, and averaged 64.0 yards on four kickoff attempts. He also rushed for two yards to convert a fake punt in the first quarter.
Other Nominees: Matt Shiel (Mercer), Austin Barnard (Samford) and Henrique Ribeiro (Chattanooga).