Football Sun Belt Conference

Football Players of the Week (Week 13)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
Tolbert recorded a career-best 10 receptions for a school game-record 252 yards, the third-highest total in Sun Belt Conference history, and three touchdowns to lead the Jaguars to a come-from-behind victory at Arkansas State. The junior posted all three scores in the second half after South fell behind by 10 points; he reached the end zone from 42 and 37 yards out in the third quarter to put the Jags back in front, and after the Red Wolves regained the lead in the final period his 51-yard touchdown catch put USA in front for good. Not only was it his second 100-yard game of the season, with the effort Tolbert became the school's season record holder with 993 receiving yards this fall while tying the school standard with eight touchdown catches on the year.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
Tarron Jackson led the Coastal defense with six total tackles, five of which were solo stops, 2.5 sacks, and 3.0 tackles-for-loss in the Chants' 49-14 blowout win over Texas State. The redshirt-senior defensive end set the tone of the game with a sack on the very first play of the game. His 2.5 sacks and 3.0 TFL's matched season highs for a Chant defender in a single game this season. CCU held Texas State to just 318 total yards of offense on 202 passing yards and 116 rushing yards for the game. Coastal is 9-0, the best start ever by a Sun Belt Conference football team, and won the Sun Belt East Division Championship title in only their fourth year in the league.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Noel Ruiz, Georgia State
Georgia State placekicker Noel Ruiz booted three field goals and an extra point in Georgia State's 30-24 victory over Georgia Southern. His third field goal of the game gave the Panthers a six-point lead with less than two minutes to play. In the game, Ruiz hIt field goals of 35, 29 and 25 yards and scored 10 points. The graduate transfer from Wilson, N.C., leads Sun Belt kickers with 7.9 points per game (second among all players) and 1.38 field goals per game. Ruiz ranks sixth among all active FBS kickers with 313 career points, fourth with 169 PAT and 13th with 48 career field goals.