Record Setters Honored As CSJ Names Players of the Week
College Sports Journal
News Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Kicker Eddie Camara of Central Arkansas, quarterback Derek Carr of Tennessee-Martin, Southern Utah punter Brock Miller, cornerback Jeremy Moore of Georgetown, defensive back Johnny Towalid of Indiana State, and running back Trabis Ward of Tennessee State have been selected as the College Sports Journal/GameWornUniforms.com national players of the week for the seventh week of NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision play.
Quarterback John Robertson of Villanova and defensive back Johnny Towalid have been named as the College Sports Journal freshmen of the week for the seventh week of the Football Championship Subdivision season.
Here are the conference write-ups for each of the players of the week and freshmen of the week:
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Trabis Ward, Tennessee State, Junior, Running Back, 5-10, 200, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Ward carried the ball 43 times for 267 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and four touchdowns as Tennessee State improved to 7-0 on the season — making the Tigers one of just four undefeated teams at the FCS level —with a 40-28 victory at Southeast Missouri.
The 267 yards and four touchdowns were both the second-highest single-game totals in Tennessee State history. Among all FCS performances this season, the 43 carries were the most, the four rushing touchdowns were tied for the most and the 267 yards were the fourth most this season.
Ward scored on a seven-yard run in the second quarter and then added three fourth quarter scores, running it in from four yards out, one yard out and capping the game with a 30-yard touchdown scamper with 1:26 to play.
Ward currently ranks second nationally in scoring (11.14 points/game), sixth in rushing (129.71 yards/game) and 16th in all-purpose yards (142.29/game).
Derek Carr, Tennessee-Martin, Senior, Quarterback, 6-1, 191, McKenzie, Tennessee
Carr was nearly perfect in UT Martin’s 66-59 shootout victory over Murray State on Saturday as he broke a 23-year-old NCAA record for passing efficiency with a mark of 243.78.
Carr had touchdown passes of 22, 15, 22, 34, 17, 42 and 34 yards in the victory. The seven touchdown passes set the UT Martin school record (and momentarily tied the OVC record, until broken later in the game by Murray State’s Casey Brockman), as did his 560 passing yards.
The seven touchdown passes pushed his career total to 54, setting a new Skyhawk career mark in that category as well.
The 560 passing yards are the second-most in a single game in the FCS this season and the seven touchdowns are tied for second among all FCS players.
During the game Carr moved into seventh place on the OVC career passing list (7,172), ninth place in career completions (559) and 10th in career total offense (7,205).
Carr currently ranks sixth nationally in total passing yards (2,020), seventh in passing yards/game (288.57), 14th in total offense (284.29 yards/game), 16th in passing efficiency (146.22) and completions (22.57/game) and 20th in points responsible for (13.71/game).
DEFENSE
Jeremy Moore, Georgetown, Senior, Cornerback, 5-11, 185, New Haven, Connecticut
Georgetown forced seven turnovers in its 17-14 loss to No. 10 Lehigh on Saturday, and Moore had a hand in four of them with three interceptions and a fumble recovery to go with seven tackles in the defeat.
He returned his first interception 80 yards for a touchdown to give the Hoyas a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
Moore’s turnovers came in the first half, with his final interception giving him the Patriot League and Georgetown career record with 318 interception return yards.
Moore leads the nation with five interceptions for the season. He receives his second Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award of the year.
Johnny Towalid, Indiana State, Senior, Defensive Back 5-11, 170, Indianapolis, Indiana
Towalid scored both of the Sycamores’ touchdowns as Indiana State secured a thrilling 17-14 victory over No. 1 North Dakota State at the Fargodome.
Towalid staked the Sycamores to a 10-3 advantage in the second quarter with a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown and then gave the Sycamores a 17-6 advantage early in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown off his second interception of the contest.
His first interception broke a string of 140 consecutive passes for NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen without allowing one.
Towalid is the first Sycamore to ever record two interception returns for a touchdown in a single game and now has three for his career which ties the Sycamore school record also held by John Karazsia, which was set between 1970-72.
He also tied Karazsia’s record of interception returns for a touchdown in a season with two set in 1971. Towalid also had six tackles in the game with a pass breakup and the two interceptions for 58 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Eddie Camara, Central Arkansas, Sophomore, Place Kicker, Cedar Hill, Texas
Camara kicked the game-winning field goal from 47 yards out with 23 seconds to play in the game to left the Bears to a 27-26 victory at McNeese State.
The sophomore from Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill H.S.), also connected on a 41-yard field goal in the first half to go with his career-long 47-yard boot. He also made all three PATs.
After making his third PAT to cut the Bears' deficit to 26-24, he would also execute a perfect onsides kick to set up his field goal. Dezmin Lewis would take his kick and return it to the McNeese State 38 yard line to set up the game-winning kick.
Brock Miller, Southern Utah, Junior, Punter, 5-11, 175, Solana Beach, California
Miller, a 5-11, 175-pound junior from Solana Beach, Calif., averaged 43 yards per punt and ran for 22 yards on a fake punt to set up the go-ahead score in Southern Utah’s 30-20 road win over Montana.
Miller punted seven times, pinning Montana inside its 20-yard line four times.
The Grizzlies had minus-two return yards.
Miller’s biggest play came with the score tied at 20-20 in the fourth quarter.
"We were looking for [the fake punt] all game," Thunderbird head coach Ed Lamb said. "Montana's coaches did a nice job of changing things up throughout the season with different punt return looks, but the common denominator is the either bring a lot of rush or they block a lot of people. We could see they were trying to block our guys and get returns set up so we felt that the fact they were so far off the ball they had to put their eyes on our coverage guys instead of putting their eyes on the punter, so we felt like if we needed it, in a situation, it would be there for us and from there of course it's the players doing a great job executing it."
On and fourth-and-two from the UM 49-yard line, Miller ran for 22 yards on a fake punt. It led to a 38-yard field goal, which gave SUU the lead for good. This is Miller’s first Big Sky Player of the Week honor.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
John Robertson, Villanova, Quarterback, Redshirt Freshman,
Robertson looked like a proven veteran as Villanova poured on 38 unanswered points to upset Old Dominion on Saturday.
The now four-time CAA Rookie of the Week finished an efficient 10-of-18 passing for 151 yards, including a 44-yard score, and no interceptions.
Robertson could not be contained on the ground, racking up a career-high 189 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.
The newcomer's rushing performance represents his second-straight 100-yard outing and the ninth best in school history.
DEFENSE
Johnny Towalid, Indiana State, Senior, Defensive Back 5-11, 170, Indianapolis, Indiana
Towalid scored both of the Sycamores’ touchdowns as Indiana State secured a thrilling 17-14 victory over No. 1 North Dakota State at the Fargodome.
Towalid staked the Sycamores to a 10-3 advantage in the second quarter with a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown and then gave the Sycamores a 17-6 advantage early in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown off his second interception of the contest.
His first interception broke a string of 140 consecutive passes for NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen without allowing one.
Towalid is the first Sycamore to ever record two interception returns for a touchdown in a single game and now has three for his career which ties the Sycamore school record also held by John Karazsia, which was set between 1970-72.
He also tied Karazsia’s record of interception returns for a touchdown in a season with two set in 1971. Towalid also had six tackles in the game with a pass breakup and the two interceptions for 58 yards.
