SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week today for all games played Sept. 24. Chattanooga running back Derrick Craine was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while VMI’s Ryan Francis earned the Defensive Player of the Week award. Chattanooga’s Henrique Ribeiro 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: Derrick Craine, Chattanooga, Sr., RB, McDonough, Ga.
Derrick Craine rushed for a career-high 222 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns as Chattanooga topped Samford, 41-21, Saturday afternoon. Craine’s 222 yards was the third-highest single-game total in school history. The senior was especially efficient in the second half, carrying 14 times for 194 yards after intermission. He added two receptions for nine yards in the win. Craine leads the Southern Conference and ranks 10th nationally with 114.3 yards per game. With Saturday’s performance, he moved into eighth place on the school’s all-time rushing list and now has 2,371 yards for his career.
Other Nominees: Kelvin McKnight (Samford), Daz Palmer (VMI) and Lorenzo Long (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ryan Francis, VMI, Jr., LB, Knoxville, Tenn.
Ryan Francis tallied a career-high 16 tackles in VMI’s 23-17 triple-overtime win at Bucknell on Saturday. Francis was credited with 14 solo stops in the win. The junior added two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass break-up. Francis came up with a tackle for loss on third down in the second overtime period, which forced Bucknell to attempt a 42-yard field goal that was missed. The senior ranks second in the league with 11.0 tackles per game, is tied for first with 6.5 TFLs and is tied for third with 3.0 sacks on the season.
Other Nominees: Shaheed Salmon (Samford), Keionta Davis (Chattanooga) and Miles Brown (Wofford).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Henrique Ribeiro, Chattanooga, Sr., P/K, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Henrique Ribeiro turned in a strong all-around performance for the Mocs on Saturday. Ribeiro made both field goal attempts, including a long of 48, against Samford. With 11 points Saturday, Ribeiro moved into second place on UTC’s all-time scoring list with 246. The senior punted three times against the Bulldogs and also kicked off eight times, averaging 61.6 yards per kick.
Other Nominees: Austin Barnard (Samford) and David Marvin (Wofford).