PSU QB McDonagh, JSU’s Brown Earn Freshmen Of The Week Awards
College Sports Journal
News Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Portland State quarterback Kieran McDonagh and Jacksonville State wide receiver/return specialist Telvin Brown have been named as the College Sports Journal freshmen of the week for the sixth week of the Football Championship Subdivision season.
McDonagh, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound passer from Vancouver, WA., threw for 280 yards, rushed for 66 and accounted for six touchdowns in Portland State’s 77-10 victory over Idaho State.
McDonagh scored on runs of 26, 11, two and two yards. He caught a 22-yard touchdown pass and passed for one score. The five touchdowns scored and 30 points is the most in FCS this season.
The Big Sky offensive player of the week completed 15-of-23 passes for 280 yards and accounted for 366 total yards.
PSU scored its most points since a 105-0 win over Delaware State in 1980. The Vikings rushed for a school-record 437 yards.
Brown piled up 275 all-purpose yards to help Jacksonville State to a come-from-behind 37-28 victory at Tennessee Tech in a key Ohio Valley Conference matchup on Saturday.
Brown, a 5-9, 167-pound speedster from Carrollton, GA., had two catches for 98 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter that gave the Gamecocks a 30-28 lead.
The 86-yard receiving touchdown was the longest under 13th-year head coach Jack Crowe, the third-longest in JSU school history and was the sixth-longest reception in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2012.
Brown also returned four kickoff for 144 yards, including one of 72 yards and four punts for 29 yards.
The OVC rookie of the week added one rushing attempt for four yards as Jacksonville State piled up 566 yards of total offense on the night.
Other candidates considered included:
Anthony Abeid, St. Francis, Running Back: Scored the lone touchdown of the game on a 50-yard reception and run less than three minutes into the second period and finished with 136 all-purpose yards as the Red Flash snapped a six-game losing streak against Robert Morris with a 10-3 Northeast Conference home win. Abeid had three receptions for 116 yards receiving (38.7 average) and opened the game by returning the first kickoff for 20 yards.
Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington, Quarterback: Making just his third career start, Adams completed 12-of-15 passes for 151 yards and four TDs to lead the Eagles to a 55-17 victory at home against North Dakota. He also rushed seven times for 38 yards to finish with 189 yards of total offense and had the seventh-best passing efficiency game in FCS this season.
Kade Bell, Jacksonville, Quarterback: The son of JU head coach and former Florida star QB Kerwin Bell, the younger Bell was responsible for all five TDs in Jacksonville's 38-17 victory over Morehead State Saturday on the road in a Pioneer Football League game. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 16 times for 36 yards and another score to finish with 274 yards of total offense. Four of the touchdown drives for the PFL offensive player of the week were 60 or more yards and it marked just the third time that a PFL QB had been responsible for five touchdowns in a single game.
Jeremy Butler, Tennessee-Martin, Wide Receiver: Had six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns in a 51-37 OVC home victory against Eastern Illinois. Butler scored UTM's first offensive touchdown on an 18-yard pass reception to give the Skyhawks a 14-6 lead late in the first period. His 43-yard catch and run midway through the third period for a score made it a 44-19 game.
James Dean, Georgia Southern, Fullback: This hard-nosed runner in the Eagles' triple-option attack was one of four Georgia Southern backs to rush for 90 or more yards in a 45-13 victory at Western Carolina on Saturday. Dean needed just five carries to pile up 95 yards (19.0 average). He capped off the scoring with a 43-yard scoring burst in the fourth quarter to earn Southern Conference freshman of the week honors.
William Dillard, Tennessee Tech, Defensive Back: Had 12 tackles, with eight solo stops and four assists in a 37-28 OVC loss to at home to Jacksonville State.
Brian Grove, Dartmouth, Running Back: Replacing an injured starter in the third quarter, Grove entered the game with the Big Green holding a slim 14-13 lead and scored a pair of touchdowns to spark his Dartmouth squad to a 34-13 Ivy League win at Yale. He scored on a nine-yard burst and a one-yard dive in the fourth quarter to help the Big Green pull away. He finished with 10 carries for 38 hard-fought yards and caught one pass for nine yards to set up his first score, one play later to earn Ivy League rookie of the week honors.
Carlton Heard, Gardner-Webb, Wide Receiver: Grabbed seven passes for a season-high 137 yards to spark an early Bulldog surge against Liberty in a 42-35 Big South Conference loss. His 54-yard reception on Gardner-Webb's first offensive play resulted in Heard's first career TD catch. Three of his catches resulted in first downs and two of them were for 25 yards or more as he earned Big South freshman of the week honors.
Shaquille Hill, Eastern Washington, Wide Receiver/Kick Returner: After sparking the Eagles to a 55-17 victory over North Dakota, Hill was named the CSJ national special teams player of the week and was the Big Sky Conference's top special teams performer for the second straight week. He had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 41-yard return to set up another score, finishing with two returns for 140 yards. The nation's third-leading kickoff returner currently (37.3 average), Hill also caught one pass for 11 yards.
Connor Kacsor, Dayton, Running Back: Became the second Flyer freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game, carrying the ball 11 times for 135 yards and two TDs in a 38-3 win at Davidson. He served as Dayton's feature back for the first time this season after getting just two carries before Saturday. His 30-yard scoring scamper in the second period gave the Flyers a 17-0 lead and Kacsor capped the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown burst in the third quarter.
Alex Mosley, James Madison, Defensive Lineman: Making just his second career start against 10th-ranked Towson, Mosley helped his teammates hold the defending CAA champs to just one touchdown and one field goal in a 13-10 victory Saturday at home. He had a season's best eight tackles and forced two fumbles, allowing Towson just 17 yards on those plays. Mosley had two solo stops and six assists as he won rookie of the week honors in the CAA.
Brendon Riddick, Norfolk State, Running Back: Had 13 carries for 68 yards, including a second-quarter burst of 13 yards for the game's first touchdown in a controversial 20-17 loss to Delaware State at home. He was named Mid-Eastern Conference freshman of the year for the second time this season.
Noah Robb, Lehigh, Linebacker: Playing his first game at outside linebacker, Robb had a solo stop an assisted tackle and a quarterback hurry, as well as excelling on three special teams unit in the Mountain Hawks' 35-14 win at home against Columbia. He earned Patriot League rookie of the week honors.
Jeff Smiley, Southeastern Louisiana, Wide Receiver/Kick Returner: Had six kickoff returns for 141 yards, three receptions for 37 yards and two rushes for three yards in a 52-3 loss at FBS Alabama-Birmingham. Smiley finished with 181 all-purpose yards.
Andre Stubbs, Youngstown State, Wide Receiver/Kick Returner: Had six kickoff returns for 148 yards, caught one pass for 21 yards and rushed twice for five yards in a 48-7 loss to top-ranked North Dakota State in a MVFC game on the road. Stubbs finished with 174 all-purpose yards and also had an assisted tackle.
Chris Sullens, Missouri State, Punter: Had five punts for 230 yards and a 46.0 average in a 31-17 Missouri Valley Football Conference loss at home to Indiana State. None of his five punts were returned.
D.J. Ward, Stephen F. Austin, Wide Receiver: Had six catches for 129 yards and one touchdown in the Lumberjacks' wild, 51-43 Southland Conference loss to Sam Houston State.
Dontel Watkins, Murray State, Wide Receiver: Had six catches for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns of eight and nine yards as Murray State beat Austin Peay 52-14 on the road in an OVC game. Watkins also had a catch and run of 44 yards.
Jourdan Wickliffe, Eastern Illinois, Defensive Back: Had six assisted tackles and broke up a pair of passes in a 51-37 loss at Tennessee-Martin.
Reco Williams, Austin Peay, Running Back: Rushed for 110 yards on 21 carries (5.2 average) in a 52-14 home loss to Murray State. Williams helped keep the Governors in this OVC game with the powerful Racers attack early, scoring on a 32-yard spurt in the second quarter to make it 14-7 in a game. He also caught two passes for 11 yards to finish with 121 all-purpose yards.
Josh Woodrum, Liberty, Quarterback: Led a big second-half comeback that allowed the Flames to take their first win of the season, 42-35 over Gardner-Webb at home as he took Big South Conference offensive player of the week honors. Woodrum completed 25-of-31 passes (80.6%) for a season-high 373 yards and three TDs. With the Flames trailing 28-10 at halftime, he had scoring tosses of 30, 45 and five yards — the last TD being the game winner. He also connected on a two-point conversion pass in the third period after another score.
