Offensive Player of the Week
Caleb Evans (UL Monroe, Fr., QB, Undecided)
In his first collegiate start, freshman quarterback Caleb Evans threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Marcus Green in overtime, as ULM downed visiting South Alabama 42-35 in OT Saturday night. Evans finished the night 26-for-38 with 279 yards passing, while he added 36 yards rushing. He completed passes to 11 different receivers in the win, led by five catches each from Marcus Green (37 yards receiving) and Ajalen Holley (40 yards receiving). He led ULM to five scoring drives of 66 yards or more, and led the Warhawks to a perfect 4-for-4 night on fourth down, including going for and executing three fourth down conversations on their final drive of the second quarter before scoring later in the drive. With Evans’ three touchdowns, ULM has now had three different quarterbacks throw for two or more touchdowns in a game, joining Garrett Smith and Will Collins. This marks the second consecutive season that the Warhawks have had three different quarterbacks with multiple touchdown games, after they were one of just four FBS programs with that distinction during the 2015 campaign.
Defensive Player of the Week
Kennan Gilchrist (Appalachian State, Sr., LB, Criminal Justice)
Gilchrist had two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in App State’s 35-10 win over Texas State on Saturday. The senior had a team-high eight tackles and was a big part of the Mountaineers forcing six Bobcat punts and an interception on their next seven drives, after Texas State took a brief 3-0 lead. The Apps finished with 13 tackles for loss and four sacks in the win, holding Texas State to only 197 yards of total offense. Gilchrist is sixth in the Sun Belt in conference play in sacks and second in TFLs. App State leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense allowing 8.4 points per game and have held back-to-back opponents under 200 yards of total offense.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State, Jr., PR, Business Administration)
Junior cornerback Blaise Taylor returned three punts for 98 yards, the most by a Sun Belt Conference player this season, and a touchdown during Arkansas State’s 31-16 road victory at Georgia State. Taylor scored on a 68-yard return with 13:30 left in the fourth quarter to give the Red Wolves a 24-10 advantage. The return was the second longest of his career and the longest by a Sun Belt player this year. His 98 total return yards were the sixth most of his career and tied the 15th most in the nation this season. Taylor averaged 32.7 yards per attempt, which was the second highest in A-State history. The score also gave him three career punt returns for a touchdown, which are the second most in SBC history tied for the fifth most in the nation among active players. Taylor increased his career punt return yardage to 669, moving him past FIU’s T.Y. Hilton (2008-11) for the second most ever by a Sun Belt player. Additionally, Taylor recovered a blocked PAT after Georgia State had pulled within a touchdown of the Red Wolves 13:15 remaining in the game.