SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its Football Player of the Week awards for all games played Sept. 10 on Monday. Chattanooga quarterback Preston Hutchinson was named the Offensive Player of the Week, ETSU linebacker Chandler Martin was named the Defensive Player of the Week and The Citadel kicker Colby Kintner was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Preston Hutchinson, Sr., QB, Chattanooga, Mason, Ohio
Quarterback Preston Hutchinson was responsible for three touchdowns in Chattanooga’s 38-20 win at Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The senior from Mason, Ohio, carried six times for 64 yards and two TDs, averaging 10.7 yards per carry and scoring on runs of 20 and 14 yards. Hutchinson also completed 17 of his 27 passes for 278 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown, giving him a pass efficiency of 154.27 on the afternoon. The Eastern Michigan graduate transfer, making just his second start at Chattanooga, rolled up 342 yards of total offense on the day in helping the Mocs move to 2-0 on the season. Hutchinson also pinned the Panthers inside their own 10-yard line twice on pooch punts.
 
Other nominees: Logan Billings (The Citadel), Jacob Saylors (ETSU), Tyler Huff (Furman), Michael Hiers (Samford), Hunter Rice (VMI) and Desmond Reid (Western Carolina).
 
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Chandler Martin, R-Fr., LB, ETSU, Lithonia, Ga.
ETSU linebacker Chandler Martin recorded a career-high and school-record 23 tackles in the Bucs’ 20-17 loss at The Citadel on Saturday. The redshirt freshman from Lithonia, Georgia, who entered the contest with 10 career tackles, posted the most tackles by a SoCon player since 2012, making six stops in the first quarter and seven each in the second and third quarters before finishing with three in the final period. Three of his tackles were solo stops, including one for a 2-yard loss. Martin’s 23 tackles Saturday are tied for the most by a Division I player – FCS and FBS – this season.
 
Other nominees: Isaiah Richardson (Samford), Ty Boeck (Chattanooga), Stone Snyder (VMI) and Andreas Keaton (Western Carolina).
 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Colby Kintner, Jr., K, The Citadel, Windermere, Fla.
Kicker Colby Kintner bookended the scoring in The Citadel’s 20-17 win over No. 8/9 ETSU on Saturday, including hitting the game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired. The junior from Windermere, Florida, scored eight points on the afternoon, getting the scoring started with a 36-yard field goal with 10:50 to play in the opening frame on The Citadel’s opening drive and tacking on PATs in the second and third quarters. Kintner also kicked off four times for an average of 50.5 yards in the contest as the Bulldogs knocked off their highest-ranked opponent since 2016.
 
Other nominees: Bradley Porcellato (Samford), Jack Culbreath (VMI) and Richard McCollum (Western Carolina).
 
2022 SoCon Football Players of the Week
Offensive
Sept. 5       Michael Hiers, Jr., QB, Samford
Sept. 12      Preston Hutchinson, Sr., QB, Chattanooga
 
Defensive
Sept. 5       Reuben Lowery III, So., DB, Chattanooga
Sept. 12      Chandler Martin, R-Fr., LB, ETSU
 
Special teams
Sept. 5       Richard McCollum, R-Jr., PK, Western Carolina
Sept. 12      Colby Kintner, Jr., K, The Citadel