SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A record-breaking offensive display and a defensive performance that garnered national recognition highlight the Southern Conference Football Player of the Week awards presented by GEICO for all games played March 20. Samford quarterback Liam Welch was named the Offensive Player of the Week after a career passing day, while Chattanooga linebacker Ty Boeck was named the Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in a top-15 showdown. Mercer punter/kicker Caleb Dowden earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Liam Welch, Samford, Sr., QB, Augusta, Ga.
Samford quarterback Liam Welch set school and SoCon records with 570 passing yards in Saturday’s 38-37 overtime loss to No. 19/18 VMI. The senior from Augusta, Georgia, completed 37 of his 59 passes, throwing for touchdowns of 96, 8, 60 and 13 yards. Welch averaged 15.4 yards per completion in breaking the former school and league records held by Devlin Hodges, who threw for 562 yards against Western Carolina during his Walter Payton Award-winning season of 2018. Welch added 11 rushing yards to finish with 581 yards of total offense, the second-best mark in league history behind Hodges’ 586 from the same WCU contest. Welch’s weekly award is his second this season, as he also claimed the honor on March 1.
 
Other nominees: Nakendrick Clark (Mercer), Tyrell Price (Chattanooga), Reece Udinski (VMI) and Donnavan Spencer (Western Carolina).
 
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ty Boeck, Chattanooga, Jr., LB, Soddy Daisy, Tenn.
Chattanooga linebacker Ty Boeck recorded a team-high eight tackles (six solo) and had two takeaways in the No. 11/12 Mocs’ 20-18 win at No. 13/11 Furman on Saturday. The junior from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, had his first career interception in the first quarter, ending the Paladins’ first drive of the game and setting up the Mocs’ first touchdown of the day. On Furman’s second drive, Boeck recovered a fumble to end another possession. Boeck was part of a defensive unit that held the Paladins to just 170 yards of total offense on the day, the fewest Chattanooga has allowed to Furman in the 50-game series. Boeck was also named the Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts, which helped the Mocs remain undefeated in SoCon play at 3-0 and jump two spots to No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.  
 
Other nominees: Tyree Robinson (ETSU), Braden Gilby (Furman), Danijah Gammage (Mercer), Trimarcus Cheeks (Samford), Josh Sarratt (VMI) and Ty Harris (Western Carolina).
 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Caleb Dowden, Mercer, R-So., P/K, Statesboro, Ga.
Mercer punter/kicker Caleb Dowden scored nine points for the Bears in their 45-28 win over Western Carolina on Saturday. Dowden, a redshirt sophomore from Statesboro, Georgia, went 6-for-6 on point-after attempts and tied his career long with a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Dowden also punted four times for an average of 44.5 yards, with his long of 52 yards in the fourth quarter pinning Western Carolina at its own 11-yard line and leading to a three-and-out.
 
Other nominees: Matt Campbell (The Citadel), Skyler Wilson (Chattanooga) and Calvin Jones (Western Carolina).
 
2020-21 SoCon Football Players of the Week presented by GEICO
Offensive
Feb. 22             Quay Holmes, R-Jr., RB, ETSU
March 1            Liam Welch, Sr., QB, Samford
March 8            Ryan Miller, Jr., TE, Furman
March 15          Donnavan Spencer, Sr., RB, Western Carolina
March 22          Liam Welch, Sr., QB, Samford
 
Defensive
Feb. 22             Donovan Manuel, R-So., LB, ETSU
March 1            Connor Riddle, R-Sr., LB, VMI
March 8            Chris Edmonds, So., S, Samford
March 15          Chris Edmonds, So., S, Samford
Marc 22            Ty Boeck, Jr., LB, Chattanooga
 
Special teams
Feb. 22             Paxton Robertson, Fr., K, Western Carolina
March 1            Gabe Boring, Jr., P, Chattanooga
March 8            Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., PK/P, Furman
March 15          Mitchell Fineran, Jr., PK, Samford
March 22          Caleb Dowden, R-So., P/K, Mercer