This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference Players of the Week include RB TaMerik Williams of North Dakota State; LB Alex Howard of Youngstown State; K/P Hunter Dustman of South Dakota State; and QB Aidan Bouman of South Dakota.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
RB TaMerik Williams, North Dakota State
6-1, 229, Sr., Angleton, Texas (Angleton HS / SMU)
Williams rushed for a game-high 120 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 56-17 road win over Western Illinois. Williams scored on a 25-yard run early in the first quarter and added a 1-yard TD late in the third quarter. He was one of 10 ball carriers for NDSU, which rushed 55 times for a season-high 453 yards and seven touchdowns.


 
Defensive Player of the Week
LB Alex Howard, Youngstown State
6-2, 233, So., Cincinnati, Ohio (Mount Healthy)
Howard stepped up big in the Penguins' 19-17 win over yesterday. Howard finished with a career-high 11 total tackles in a defensive battle with the Redbirds. He had three solo stops, eight assists and a QB hurry. On the final play of the game, he recovered an Illinois State fumble to end the game. His previous best was six tackles.


 
Special Teams Player of the Week
K/P Hunter Dustman, South Dakota State
6-3, 230, Jr., East Bethel, Minn. (St. Francis H.S.)
Dustman tied a career high with three field goals, including the game winner from 26 yards with no time remaining as South Dakota State clinched at least a share of the league title with a 31-28 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 5. He put the Jackrabbits on the board with a 23-yard field goal on SDSU’s first drive of the game and connected on a career-long 45-yarder to end the first half. In addition, Dustman handled the punting and kickoff duties for the Jackrabbits. He punted six times for an average of 39.7 yards with a long of 50 and recorded touchbacks on four of his five kickoffs. 
 


Newcomer of the Week
QB Aidan Bouman, South Dakota
6-5, 240, R-Fr., Buffalo, Minn. (Buffalo HS)
Bouman completed 17-of-25 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 20-13 win against Missouri State. He threw a 44-yard touchdown to Wesley Eliodor and a 23-yard touchdown to Carter Bell while making his second collegiate start.

OTHERS NOMINATED

QB Jason Shelley, Missouri State -- Shelley matched a Missouri State career record with his 18th 200-yard passing game (in 21 games), completing 23-of-38 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He helped spark two fourth-quarter scoring drives for MSU and had the ball in hand for a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter before stalling out in the final minute.

QB Mitch Davidson, Youngstown State -- Davidson guided the Penguins to their second wild come-from-behind win in the past three weeks with a 19-17 win at Illinois State. The Guins marched 80 yards in just over a minute and claimed the win when Davidson connected with Bryce Oliver on a 12-yard score with just five seconds remaining. For the contest, he was 10-of-19 passing for 143 yards while rushing for 55 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.

RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State -- Davis totaled 139 all-purpose yards in South Dakota State’s 31-28 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 5. He rushed 24 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, while tying a career high with five receptions for 34 yards out of the backfield. Davis topped the 100-yard mark in rushing for the fifth time this season and 12th time in his career. 
 
QB Tommy Schuster, North Dakota -- In the 42-7 win at Indiana State, Tommy Schuster not only broke two school records with his arm, but also finished 16-of-19 passing in a game where wind gusted over 25-MPH consistently. Schuster paced the offense through the air, throwing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-19 passing. The two touchdowns thrown gave Schuster the UND Division I record for touchdown passes (37), while the 162 yards passing gives him 6,259 yards through the air to make him the all-time career passing yardage leader at UND.  Schuster passed Todd Kovash (1987-90) for the all-time passing yards record. Kovash threw for 6,234 yards in his career. Schuster broke the Division I touchdown record on a 16-yard pass to Isaiah Smith in the third quarter, using his legs to elude the defense and extend the play on fourth and four before finding Smith in the end zone. The previous UND Division I touchdown record was held by Keaton Studsrud (2014-17), who threw for 36 TD’s in his career.

CB C.J. Siegel, North Dakota -- In the 42-7 win at Indiana State, C.J. Siegel intercepted a Sycamore pass and returned it 29 yards. Eight plays later, Tyler Hoosman extended the UND lead to 21-7 with 2:03 left before intermission. Siegel finished the day with four tackles, the interception and a pass breakup. Siegel is now tied for fifth on UND’s Division I list for career pass breakups with 22. His interception also has him tied for sixth on the UND Division I list for career interceptions with five.

WR Jack Wright, North Dakota -- Early in the game at Indiana State, Jack Wright made a heads-up play and helped down the Sycamores at their own one-yard line after a 41-yard punt from Cade Peterson. The Hawks attempted to use a delay of play penalty to help while punting with the wind, but it was declined. On the punt, Wright helped Peterson pin the Sycamores at their own one. On the next play, Aaron Cooper forced an ISU fumble that was recovered at the six. On the following play, Tyler Hoosman took it in for the touchdown to break the 7-7 tie and put UND up 14-7.

DT Caleb Sanders, South Dakota State -- Sanders was a disruptive force throughout the day in South Dakota State’s 31-28 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 5, recording a career-high three sacks among his four total tackles. Sanders’ three sacks resulted in a loss of 30 yards and his last sack of 10 yards helped give the Jackrabbits excellent field position to set up their last-second, game-winning field goal. SDSU recorded five sacks on the day and Sanders upped his season total to five sacks to take over the team lead.

CB Marques Sigle, North Dakota State -- Sigle returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown in North Dakota State’s 56-17 road win over Western Illinois. The pick-six came on Western’s opening possession of the second half and put NDSU ahead 35-10 after the extra point. It was the second interception of the year for Sigle and one of four by the Bison on Saturday.

DB Korby Sander, UNI -- Despite coming up on the losing end, Korby Sander notched a career-high 14 tackles in UNI’s 31-28 home loss to No. 1 South Dakota State. Recording four solo tackles, Sander played a key role in slowing the Jackrabbit offense, which had scored 49 points in its previous two games. Thanks to critical defense by Sander on SDSU’s opening drive, the Panthers were able to hold the Jackrabbits to a field goal after driving inside the UNI 10-yard line.

LB Brock Mogensen, South Dakota -- Mogensen had a game-high 13 tackles in leading South Dakota to a 20-13 win against Missouri State Saturday. It was the fewest points scored by the Bears this season and it came one week after Missouri State totaled 64 points in a win against Western Illinois. Mogensen has posted double-digit tackles four times this season.

P Grant Burkett, Missouri State -- The All-American punter made an understated impact in Saturday's game at South Dakota, averaging 45.2 yards on four punt attempts with two downed inside the Coyotes 20 yard line to flip the field and keep MSU in the game. The MVFC season leader (44.6) and FCS active career leader (44.5) in punting now has 41 career punts downed inside the 20-yard line and 40 punts of 50 yards or better.

P John Bickle, South Dakota -- Bickle averaged 41.2 yards on five punts without allowing a return in Saturday’s 20-13 win against Missouri State. Two punts were fair caught at the 9- and 11-yard lines. His long was 52. The Bears’ average field position was their own 23. Saturday.

P Paddy Lynch, Youngstown State -- Lynch had seven punts for an average of 43.3 yards a punt on a wild and windy day at Hanock Stadium. Lynch had a career-long 56-yard punt that was downed at the one-yard line against the Redbirds in a 19-17 win. Into the wind on his final punt of the afternoon he had a 42-yard kick.

QB Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois State -- Rittenhouse got his first start behind center for the Redbirds and nearly led them to a victory against Youngstown State. Starting in place of injured starter Zack Annexstad, Rittenhouse finished the game with 103 yards passing on seven completions in extremely windy conditions at Hancock Stadium and also scored the Redbirds’ only two touchdowns of the game on the ground. On ISU’s first offensive play from scrimmage, Rittenhouse called his own number and ran 42 yards untouched for a touchdown to give the Redbirds an early lead. He also added a one yard run late in the second quarter, as he finished with 81 yards rushing on the day.

WR Red Wilson, North Dakota -- Red Wilson, a transfer from Mesabi Range Community College had a breakout game in the 42-7 win at Indiana State. Wilson had seven rushes for 77 yards, scoring the first touchdown of his UND career on a 45-yard scamper early in the second half to make it 28-7. He also added three receptions for 29 yards.