NEW ORLEANS – Following the Sun Belt’s fourth-straight week with a win over an autonomy five opponent, Marshall’s Rasheen Ali, Texas State’s Brian Holloway and Arkansas State’s Dominic Zvada claimed the conference’s weekly accolades.
Football Offensive Player of the Week
Rasheen Ali, Marshall
(Jr., RB – Cleveland, Ohio)
Thundering Herd junior running back Rasheen Ali rushed for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Marshall took down Virginia Tech, 24-17. The victory gave the Thundering Herd back-to-back seasons with a win over an autonomy five program. The Cleveland, Ohio, native recorded his third-straight multi-touchdown performance and is the only player in the FBS to score multiple touchdowns in every game this season. Ali also paces the FBS, averaging 14.0 points per game. Marshall (3-0) is 1-of-3 remaining undefeated teams in the Sun Belt, joining Georgia State (4-0) and James Madison (4-0).
Football Defensive Player of the Week
Brian Holloway, Texas State
(RS Sr., LB – Clear Lake, Texas)
Bobcats redshirt senior linebacker Brian Holloway posted a team-high 12 tackles in Texas State’s largest comeback win in its FBS history against Nevada. The Bobcats overcame a 17-0 deficit en route to a 35-24 win. The Clear Lake, Texas, product added two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry on the day. Holloway played every snap for the Texas State defense that held the Wolf Pack to 5.0 yards per play. At 3-1 on the season, the Bobcats are off to their best start in a decade.
Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State
(So., K – Chandler, Ariz.)
Red Wolves sophomore kicker Dominic Zvada scored 14 points in Arkansas State’s 44-37 conference-opening win over Southern Miss. The Chandler, Ariz., native was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and 5-for-5 on extra point tries on the day. With a season-long 53-yard make in the second quarter, Zvada became the fourth kicker in Arkansas State program history to convert on multiple field goals of 50-or-more yards. His career-long 56-yarder came last season at Texas State.
2023 Sun Belt Football Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – TJ Finley, Texas State (RS So., QB – Ponchatoula, La.)
Week 2 – Davis Brin, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., QB – Boerne, Texas)
Week 3 – Darren Grainger, Georgia State (RS Sr., QB – Conway, S.C.)
Week 4 – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (Jr., RB – Cleveland, Ohio)
2023 Sun Belt Football Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Clayton Isbell, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., S – St. Charles, Ill.)
Week 2 – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
Week 3 – LaMareon James, Old Dominion (Jr., CB – Norfolk, Va.)
Week 4 – Brian Holloway, Texas State (RS Sr., LB – Clear Lake, Texas)
2023 Sun Belt Football Special Teams Players of the Week
Week 1 – Andrew Stein, Southern Miss (RS Jr., K – Slidell, La.)
Week 2 – Aiden Fisher, James Madison (So., LB – Fredericksburg, Va.)
Week 3 – Camden Wise, James Madison (RS Sr., K – Blacksburg, Va.)
Week 4 – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler Ariz.)