This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include AP Javon Williams Jr. of Southern Illinois; S Rylan Cole of Indiana State; DT Will Mostaert of North Dakota State; DB Cole Davis of North Dakota; and PK Ian Wagner of Illinois State.
Offensive Player of the Week
AP Javon Williams Jr., Southern Illinois
6-2, 237, Jr. (Centralia, Ill./Centralia)
Williams Jr. led a Saluki offensive attack that scored 38-straight points at nationally ranked Missouri State, as Southern Illinois won it’s fourth-straight game. Williams Jr. scored two touchdowns and totaled 121 yards of offense (45 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards, 37 passing yards). His 28-yard pass to Avante Cox set up SIU’s first TD, he caught a 12-yard pass on 4th-and-7 that led to another score, and Williams Jr. scored himself on a pair of 1-yard TD runs. He also returned two kickoffs for 43 yards.
Defensive Player of the Week
S Rylan Cole, Indiana State
6-0, 205, So. (McCordsville, Ind./Mt. Vernon)
Cole posted one of the top defensive games in Indiana State history on Saturday afternoon as the sophomore safety was all over the field against NDSU. The McCordsville, Ind. native posted 19 tackles (nine solo, 10 assisted) in posting the most tackles by a Sycamore defender since former Sycamore Katrell Moss recorded 19 stops in the 2018 season. Cole’s 19 tackles are the most by a player in the MVFC and tied for third-best in the FCS this season. He added a forced fumble midway through the first quarter that ended a NDSU scoring drive inside the Sycamore 10-yard line. Eleven of his stops came in the second half, including a stretch of five tackles over a six-play span in the third quarter.
Special Teams Player of the Week
DT Will Mostaert, North Dakota State
6-2, 260, Jr., Lakeville, Minn. (Lakeville North HS)
Mostaert blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt to preserve a four-point lead late in the third quarter of North Dakota State’s 31-26 road win over Indiana State. Mostaert, who also had a solo sack and quarterback hurry in the game, made the block three plays after NDSU muffed a punt inside its own 20-yard line. It was NDSU’s second blocked field goal of the season.
Co-Newcomer of the Week
DB Cole Davis, North Dakota
5-10, 170, R-Fr. (Marengo, Ill./Marengo)
Davis’s heads-up play midway through the fourth quarter played a huge role in North Dakota’s 35-30 victory at Youngstown State. In the back-and-forth contest, Davis gave the Hawks momentum, blocking a punt and returning it three yards for a touchdown to put UND up 35-24 with 8:38 remaining in the contest. It was Davis’s first touchdown down of his career. With the score, it was the first blocked punt returned for a touchdown for UND since April 24, 2021, when Hayden Reynolds blocked Missouri State and scored in the 44-10 win.
Co-Newcomer of the Week
PK Ian Wagner, Illinois State
6-2, 210, R-Fr. (Sierra Vista, Ariz./O’Fallon HS)
Wagner returned from injury quicker than most expected and made the most of his opportunity against UNI, connecting on three field goals including the would-be game winner against the Panthers. Wagner, who missed the first four games of the season due to injury, competed in his first game as a Redbird and connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts. He connected from 33 yards in the first quarter to put the Redbirds back in the lead and extended the advantage to six points as time expired in the first half on a 25-yard make. His final make of the game, which came from a career-long 41 yards, proved to be the difference for the Redbirds in the 23-21 defeat of the Panthers.
OTHERS NOMINATED
QB Tommy Schuster, North Dakota -- In the 35-30 win at Youngstown State, Tommy Schuster went 20-of-31 passing for 292 yards and a touchdown. With his 292 yards passing, Schuster became the career passing leader in UND’s Division I history with 5,492 yards. He passed Keaton Studsrud (2014-17), who threw for 5,452 yards in his career. Schuster is also now 17 completions away from becoming UND’s all-time record holder for career completions. He currently has 510 completions and is trailing only Todd Kovash (1987-90) who had 526 completions in his career.
WR Dante Hendrix, Indiana State -- Hendrix posted his first 100-yard game of the 2022 season as the redshirt senior continued to climb the Indiana State record books in ISU’s game against North Dakota State. Hendrix hauled in seven passes for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Sycamores’ loss to NDSU. His 14-yard grab in the second quarter put the Sycamores ahead 6-0, while his one-yard grab in the fourth quarter pulled ISU back within 31-26 with two minutes to play. The Florence, Ky. native had a pair of circus catches in the game, including a key 36-yard grab down the right sideline in the first half that led to an ISU touchdown, while his 34-yard reception in fourth quarter led to ISU’s final touchdown. He moved into the top-25 all-time in the MVFC in career receptions (162), while his 109 yards made him the fourth ISU player to eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards (2,106).
QB Zack Annexstad, Illinois State -- Annexstad had his best game as a Redbird in ISU’s big 23-21 road win over UNI Saturday night. Annexstad completed 29 passes for a career-best 257 yards with a touchdown and rushed for 24 yards on the ground on six attempts. He got the Redbirds off to a good start, finding tight end Bryson Deming for a 3-yard touchdown on the team’s opening drive of the game. Annexstad was also cool under pressure all game, helping the Redbirds convert 13-of-20 third-down conversions and 2-of-2 on fourth down, one of which he picked up on a sneak.
RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State -- Davis rushed 15 times for 108 yards and three touchdowns in South Dakota State’s 28-3 win over South Dakota on Oct. 8. Davis’ 47-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Jackrabbits a 14-3 lead, and he added TD runs of 5 yards and 1 yard in the second half to complete long drives and help seal the victory. Davis topped the century mark for the second week in a row, third time this season and 10th time in his career. His three touchdowns matched a career high, marking the third time he accomplished the feat.
RB TaMerik Williams, North Dakota State -- Williams rushed for a career-high 145 yards and three touchdowns to spark North Dakota State to a 31-26 road win over Indiana State. Williams averaged 11.2 yards on 13 carries including a long of 38 yards. His 2-yard touchdown run brought the Bison back within 13-10 before halftime. Williams scored on three straight possessions including TD runs of 16 and 27 yards in the third quarter.
S Cale Reeder, South Dakota State -- Reeder came up with a game-changing interception and shared team-high honors with seven tackles (six solo), including a sack, in South Dakota State’s 28-3 home victory over South Dakota on Oct. 8. With the Jackrabbits trailing 3-0 early in the second quarter and USD with the ball at the SDSU 9 after a muffed punt, Reeder picked off a pass in the end zone for a touchback. The Jackrabbits scored on the ensuing drive for a 7-3 lead and never looked back in defeating their in-state rivals. Reeder’s sack was one of seven on the afternoon for the Jackrabbits, who held USD to 136 yards of total offense (44 passing, 92 rushing). His interception was his team-leading second of the season.
LB Kenton Wilhoit, Illinois State -- Linebacker Kenton Wilhoit led the way for the Redbird defense, which came up with two huge stops at the end of the game to secure the win at UNI. Wilhoit led the Redbirds with 11 tackles and recorded a crucial sack of UNI quarterback Theo Day that forced an early UNI punt.
Richie Hagarty, Southern Illinois -- Notched two more sacks for the Salukis in Saturday’s win at Missouri State. He led the charge for an SIU defense that sacked Jason Shelley six times and held Missouri State to 285 yards of total offense. Hagarty has 5.0 sacks in the last three games, including a sack at Illinois State last week that stopped a potential ISU game-winning drive.
DB Jayson Coley, North Dakota -- Coley played a key role in the final moments of UND’s 35-30 victory at YSU. Coley sacked Mitch Davidson for a nine-yard loss when the Penguins were facing third-and-seven from the UND 29 with just over a minute left in the game. The sack brought up fourth-and-16 from the UND 38. On the next play, Davidson connected on a 10-yard pass to Bryce Oliver and was immediately tackled by C.J. Siegel. The turnover on downs allowed the Fighting Hawks to escape with the win, while Coley’s sack helped seal the deal. He also had four tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
LB Jason Freeman, South Dakota State -- Freeman registered seven tackles, including a sack, in South Dakota State’s 28-3 home victory over South Dakota on Oct. 8. His seven tackles marked a season high, and his sack was one of seven on the afternoon by the Jackrabbits, who limited USD to 136 yards of total offense (44 passing, 92 rushing) and six first downs in the rivalry contest.
QB Cade Chambers, Indiana State -- Cade Chambers took advantage of his first collegiate start in nearly guiding Indiana State to the upset over No. 1/1 North Dakota State. The Maryville, Tenn. native went 12-for-26 through the air for 162 yards and two touchdown passes, while adding a third touchdown on the ground in the Sycamores’ 31-26 loss. Chambers completed four consecutive passes in the Sycamores’ first touchdown drive of the game, including a 14-yard score to Dante Hendrix over the middle. He added completions of 36 and 34 yards on the day while targeting four different receivers in the loss.
RB Shaun Lester, Southern Illinois -- the true freshman led SIU in rushing with 81 yards on 17 carries (4.8 avg.). He added one catch for nine yards. Subbing for the injured Ro Elliott, Lester had career-highs in all categories. Southern scored 38-straight points, after falling behind Missouri State, 14-0.
RB Jacardia Wright, Missouri State -- Wright carried 15 times for a game-high 83 rushing yards on Saturday against Southern Illinois with two rushing touchdowns. The transfer from Kansas State averaged 5.5 yards per carry and with game-long 28-yard rush and TD runs of 10 yards and 2 yards.