NFL
By: Bill Carroll
Here are the Week 5 New NBS Nutties This past week was “moving week” in college football as we began to truly see which teams are legitimate contenders and which are three toddlers in a trench coat. Not only that but we have had several Nutties candidates stamp their tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive our highest college football awards.
FBS Defense
Utah, CB, Clark Phillips IV was the single most important player on the field. He posted career-high three interceptions against the Beavers, adding three tackles. His three picks are the most in a game by an FBS player this season. This ties, all-time, for second-most at Utah in a single-game. He had two interceptions in the first quarter, picking off the Beavers on their first drive of the game and again on a perfectly read play with a 38-yard return to the end zone. His final interception of the game came in the fourth quarter on a second-and-five, Beaver wide receiver helpless watched as Phillips swooped above him, in the corner of the end zone.
Honorable Mentions
UNLV CB, Cam Oliver is building off a strong rookie season. The sophomore has had two 4th quarter pick-6s to ice the game for the Rebels in back-to-back home games this season. He had the deciding interception to secure the win over the Lobos of New Mexico.
Arkansas Linebacker, Drew Sanders is having a historic season. He leads the FBS in sacks and started his career with the Crimson Tide. He showed them what they are missing with six solo tackles, six assists and a sack versus Alabama.
FBS Offense
QB, East Carolina, Holton Ahlers, The Pirates’ QB completed 31-of-41 passes for 465 yards and tied his own school record with six passing touchdowns against no interceptions in the 48-28 victory versus S. Florida. He’s completed 69 percent of his throws for 1,532 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Ahlers has also scored once on the ground and has added 81 net yards as a runner.
FBS Special Teams
Arkansas State, Running Back, Johnnie Lang is now the third-ever Sun Belt student-athlete to record a kickoff return, rushing & receiving touchdown in the same game. He returned a kickoff 98 yards
for a TD Saturday in a win over ULM. Lang returned three kicks for 146 yards in A-State’s win over ULM, including a 98-yard return for a touchdown. His 48.6 kickoff return average set a single-game program record; he finished with three touchdowns in the game: A rushing and a receiving score to go along with the kickoff return. He became the third player in Sun Belt history to accomplish that feat, the first since former FIU and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton did it in 2010. Lang became just the 15th player to do that in all of FBS since 2000.
FCS Defense
Southern U, CB, Corione Harris, a McNeese State University graduate transfer, proved his pick versus LSU was no fluke with a 62-yard pick 6 versus UAPB. He also contributed two solo tackles and a tackle for loss.
Honorable Mention
Illinois State, Linebacker, Zeke Vandenburgh had a full day’s work when facing the Salukis of SIU-Carbondale with seven solo stops, seven assists, three and a half TFLs and a sack.
FCS Special Teams
Punter, Patrick Rohrbach had four punts for 211 yards in Montana’s 28-20 win at Idaho State this past weekend. The freshman punter
averaged 52.8 yards per attempt, with a long of 68 yards on the day. The 52.8 average and long of 68 are both highs in the Big Sky so far this season. Rohrbach has earned a 44.1 punt average in 2022, which tops the Big Sky and ranks 10th in the FCS. In the kickoff game, he totaled 268 yards on five attempts, averaging 53.6 yards per kick. Idaho State returned just two of those kicks for a total of 43 yards.
Honorable Mention
William and Mary, PK, Ethan Chang made a pair of field goals, including a 57-yarder that tied a 20-year old CAA record and matched the longest in FCS this season. His deep kick offs also aided in holding off Stony Brook for a 27-10 win in the CAA.
Division II Defense
Defensive End, Fayetteville State, Cameron Merrell, had three sacks for -12 yards in a tight tilt facing Chowan. He led the Broncos with 12
tackles overall, 8 of them solo. He also He also forced a fumble on a strip-sack deep in Chowan territory and recovered the fumble in the 13-10, defense defined contest.
Honorable Mention
Mississippi College, Safety, Nick Grady Changed the complexion of the game with wo interceptions and two pass breakups, along with four tackles in the win. Both of his picks came when West Georgia had driven deep into the Choctaws’ red-zone and he thwarted two scoring opportunities.
Division II Offense
Bowie State, Quarterback, [Morgan State transfer], Dion Golatt Jr. showed uncanny accuracy as he was 32 of 40 passes. They went for a school-record 439 yards and four touchdowns in a big 69-0 win over Livingstone. He also rushed for 22 yards on seven carries for a total of 451 yards! He moves well, has a plus arm and is accurate. If he’s at the right all-star game he’ll be in an NFL camp.
Honorable Mention
Delta State, Quarterback, Patrick Shegog, was a marksman connecting on 26-of-29 pass attempts, for 346 yards and. He also led the rushing attack with 65 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Shegog accounted for 411 of Delta State’s 703 total yards, while posting seven total touchdowns with four by air and three by land.
Division II Special Teams
Western Colorado, WR/RS, Victory David, is a sprinter on the track team and the 200 meters is his specialty, that speed was on display as he
tied the RMAC record with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and set a RMAC record for kickoff return average, caring up the coverage for 49 yards per return on three attempts. Versus Colorado Mesa, he compiled 147 return yards in addition to creating openings for other receivers by stretching the defense deep.
