This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include FB Hunter Luepke of North Dakota State; LB Grant Dixon of Youngstown State; RB Isaiah Davis of South Dakota State; and PK Jose Pizano of Missouri State.
Offensive Player of the Week
FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
6-1, 245, So., Spencer (Wis.) High
In his first game of the spring back from injury, Luepke accounted for 195 yards and three touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 34-13 win over North Dakota. Luepke had a 55-yard rushing TD on his first touch of the game and carried 28 times for 190 yards as the Bison played without RB Jalen Bussey and lost RB Kobe Johnson midway through the game. Prior to Saturday, Luepke had seven carries for 70 yards in 15 career games. NDSU rushed for 316 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry against a UND defense allowing just 85.3 yards per game in four previous contests.
Defensive Player of the Week
LB Grant Dixon, Youngstown State
6-3, 225, Sr., Roxbury (N.J.) High / Marist
Dixon had a hand in three turnovers and was credited with four solo tackles in YSU's 28-10 victory over South Dakota. Dixon had his first career interception in the first quarter. In the third quarter he recovered a fumble at the USD 29 that set up a touchdown. Later in the period he hustled to force a fumble from Kai Henry that YSU recovered. His first and last turnovers set up YSU field goals.
Newcomer of the Week
RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State
6-1, 220, Fr., Joplin (Mo.) High
Filling in for an injured Pierre Strong, Jr., Davis rushed 22 times for a career-high 150 yards and scored three touchdowns in South Dakota State’s 44-3 road win at Southern Illinois on March 20. Davis scored a 3-yard touchdown in the second quarter, then added scoring runs of 1 and 45 yards in the third quarter in leading a Jackrabbit rushing attack that rolled up 392 yards on the ground for the game.
Special Teams Player of the Week
K Jose Pizano, Missouri State
5-7, 221, So., Lehi (Utah) High / Snow College
Missouri State's top scorer had a pivotal role in the Bears first win in Cedar Falls since 1998 as he converted both of his field goal attempts and the game's only extra point in a defensive clash that saw just one TD scored. Pizano's 31-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter came on the heels of a key interception by Montrae Braswell and pushed the visitors ahead 10-0 at the time. Later in the game with UNI gaining, Pizano capped a 55-yard scoring drive with a 33-yard field goal to give MSU a 13-6 lead and a 7-point cushion with just 4:30 remaining. He is now 10-for-12 on field goals for the season and a perfect 12-for-12 on extra points. Pizano also averaged 61.5 yards on four kickoffs vs. UNI.
OTHERS NOMINATED
TB Christian Turner, Youngstown State -- Turner scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the Penguins' 28-10 win over South Dakota. Turner caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and rushed for a 38-yard score in the fourth. He had nine rushes for 59 yards while catching three passes for 20 yards.
WR Damoriea Vick, Missouri State -- Vick hauled in game-highs 6 receptions and 67 receiving yards to help the Bears knock off No. 10 Northern Iowa this week. Vick game-high 67 receiving yards helped MSU quarterback Matt Struck complete 76 percent of his pass attempts. Vick had three pass receptions on Missouri State's final scoring drive of the fourth quarter, including a 22-yard gain on fourth-and-six at the UNI 35 that helped set up a field goal moments later -- his 100th career reception. Vick also had the third-down reception on the same drive as part of his 28th consecutive start.
RB Otis Weah, North Dakota -- Weah continued his assault on FCS defenses, rushing for 129 yards and a career-high 74-yard score on only 13 carries. The Moorhead, Minn., native averaged nearly 10 yards per carry to notch his second 100-yard game of the season.
LB Devon Krzanowski, North Dakota -- Krzanowski led the way for the Fighting Hawk defense once again, leading the team with eight tackles and a half stop for loss. The junior forced his third turnover of the year with an interception in the first quarter, the first of his career at UND.
CB Jeremy Webb, Missouri State -- Webb brought down 8 ball carriers as part of a dominant defensive effort by Missouri State to lead the Bears to their first win at UNI since 1998. He tallied 6 solo stops on the afternoon with a pass break-up. His efforts included a key third-down tackle to halt one UNI series, and a pass break-up on the Panthers final drive of the fourth quarter with the game in the balance. He also notched 5 tackles on pass plays, 2 on rush plays and 1 on special teams as the Bears held UNI to just 11 first downs and 27 rushing yards to break a 14-game UNI win streak in the series.
LB Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State -- Backhaus registered eight tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, and intercepted a pass to help lead a South Dakota State defense that didn’t allow a touchdown in the Jackrabbits’ 44-3 victory at Southern Illinois on March 20. Backhaus’ interception came late in the first half and set up a field goal that gave SDSU a 17-3 halftime lead. It was the first of three interception by the Jackrabbits, who forced a season-high four turnovers in the game.
DB Mike Lawson, Western Illinois -- Lawson recorded a season-high, game-high 13 tackles (9 solo) at Illinois State ... his second performance with 10-plus tackles ... added an interception to put Western at the Illinois State 42-yard line.
RB Pha’leak Brown, Illinois State -- Illinois State rushed for 274 yards against Western Illinois in its 26-18 victory and a big part of that success was due to the performance of redshirt freshman running back Pha’leak Brown. The Chester, South Carolina, native ran for a career-high 108 yards on the ground and averaged 5.1 yards per carry in the victory for the Redbirds. He recorded the longest run of the day at 26 yards and his one-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter gave the Redbirds an early lead they never relinquished.
QB Matt Struck, Missouri State -- Pressed into starting duty, Struck made the most of his first-ever start in a Bears uniform, completing 19-of-25 passes for a 76-percent completion percentage. He also finished with 174 total passing yards and a TD pass on a 91-yard scoring drive on the Bears first possession of the game (also the game's only touchdown drive by either team).
WR Bo Belquist, North Dakota -- The New Rockford, N.D., native led the visitors with 39 yards and touchdown on three catches to pull the green and white within a score on the opening drive of the second half.
PK Aidan Bresnahan, Illinois State -- Bresnahan booted a pair of field goals in ISU’s win over Western Illinois Saturday at Hancock Stadium. The LaGrange Park, Illinois, native connected from 33 and 35 yards, respectively to move him to 5-for-5 on the season in field goal attempts.
KR Luke Skokna, North Dakota -- Had two kick returns for 59 yards, including a 41-yard return to begin the second half that led to a touchdown drive for the Fighting Hawks.
PK Colt McFadden, Youngstown State -- McFadden drilled a pair of field goals, made two extra points and had four touchbacks on six kickoffs against South Dakota. He made field goals of 41 and 32 yards in the contest.
P/KO Garret Wegner, North Dakota State -- The FCS leader in punting continued his impressive spring averaging 51.0 yards on three punts with two inside the 20 in North Dakota State’s 34-13 win over North Dakota. Wegner also took over the kickoff duties for NDSU averaging 63.9 yards on seven kicks in place of injured placekicker Jake Reinholz. Wegner is averaging 47.2 yards per punt with 11 punts of 50-plus yards and 14 of 31 attempts inside the 20.
P Brady Schutt, South Dakota -- Averaged 49.5 yards and netted 48.8 yards per punt – third-longest of his career – on four kicks Saturday at Youngstown State. His second punt was muffed and the Coyotes recovered to setup their first score of the game. His third was a career-long 64-yarder downed on the 5. He added a 53-yarder with a 1-yard loss on the return in the second half.