SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its football players of the week Monday for all games played so far this season. Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while Wofford’s Malik Rivera and Luke Carter earned the Defensive Player of the Week award and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tyrie Adams, Western Carolina, R-So., QB, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams accounted for 377 yards of total offense in the Catamounts’ 41-18 loss at FBS Hawai’i on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore went 23-for-40 with 270 yards passing, including a 16-yard touchdown throw in the second quarter. Adams also carried the ball a career-high 23 times for a career-best 107 yards on the ground. The weekly award is the second for Adams, who also took the honor on Sept. 12 of last year en route to SoCon Freshman of the Year honors.
Other nominees: Cam Jackson (The Citadel), Austin Herink (ETSU), P.J. Blazejowski (Furman), Kaelan Riley (Mercer), Kelvin McKnight (Samford), Joseph Parker (Chattanooga) and Brandon Goodson (Wofford).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Malik Rivera, Wofford, Sr., S, Saint John’s, Fla.
Wofford safety Malik Rivera recorded a team-best 10 tackles, including five solo stops, as the Terriers opened their season with a 24-23 win over SoCon rival Furman on Saturday. The senior from Saint John’s, Florida, sealed the win for the 11th-ranked team in the nation when he intercepted Furman’s go-ahead 2-point conversion attempt with just 46 seconds left in the game, helping preserve Wofford’s third straight win in the series. The weekly honor is the first of Rivera’s career.
Other nominees: Ja'Lon Williams (The Citadel), Nasir Player (ETSU), LeMarkus Bailey (Mercer), Shaheed Salmon (Samford), Lucas Webb (Chattanooga) and Marvin Tillman (Western Carolina.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Luke Carter, Wofford, So., P/K, Florence, S.C.
Wofford punter/place kicker Luke Carter had an all-around impressive day for the Terriers in their win over Furman, averaging 62.2 yards on five kickoffs and 42.2 yards on four punts. The sophomore kicker also made his first career field-goal attempt, a 44-yard strike in the second quarter, and was 3-for-3 on point-after attempts. The weekly honor is the first of Carter’s career.
Other nominees: JJ Jerman (ETSU), Austin Barnard (Samford), Colin Brewer (Chattanooga) and Bill Hogan (VMI).
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