This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include WR Jadon Janke of South Dakota State; QB Mark Gronowski of South Dakota State; S Cole Wisniewski of North Dakota State; PK Will Leyland of South Dakota; DE Tim Varga of Southern Illinois; and RB Isaac Erbes of South Dakota.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
WR Jadon Janke, South Dakota State
6-3, 210, Sr., Madison, S.D. (Madison HS)
For the second week in a row, Janke set a career high in receiving yards, hauling in a career-best 10 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown as South Dakota State completed a perfect regular season with a 35-17 victory over Missouri State on Nov. 18. Janke’s capped the Jackrabbit scoring with a 36-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter and also caught passes for 22, 36 and 40 yards in the contest. Janke’s 187 receiving yards are tied for the ninth-most in a game by a Jackrabbit history.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
QB Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State
6-3, 225, Jr., Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley HS)
Gronowski accounted for three touchdowns in an efficient regular season finale Nov. 18 against Missouri State. He completed 16-of-23 passes for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing seven times for 25 yards and a score. It marked the seventh time this season and 21st time in his career that Gronowski has passed and rushed for touchdowns in the same game.
Defensive Player of the Week
S Cole Wisniewski, North Dakota State
6-4, 217, Sr., Sparta, Wis. (Sparta HS)
Wisniewski made a game-high nine tackles and added a 75-yard interception return for touchdown in North Dakota State’s 48-27 road win over Northern Iowa. Wisniewski made one tackle for loss, stuffing a run 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage on second-and-goal from the 2, which helped hold UNI to a field goal on the opening drive of the second half.
Special Teams Player of the Week
PK Will Leyland, South Dakota
5-11, 205, So., Souderton, Pa. (Souderton HS)
Leyland completed a perfect regular season. He made two field goals, including a 47-yarder at the first half horn, to finish 10-for-10 on field goals and 33-for-33 on extra points. He is the only FCS kicker who has not missed a kick all season.
Newcomer of the Week
DE Tim Varga, Southern Illinois
6-4, 247, Sr., Newton, N.C. (Elk Grove Village HS / Eastern Illinois)
Varga had 8 tackles, including a strip sack and 3.0 tackles for loss, as SIU’s defense held its third conference opponent without a touchdown this season in the win against Indiana State.
Offensive Lineman of the Week
RB Isaac Erbes, South Dakota,
Sr., Urandale, Iowa (Urbandale HS)
Erbes made his 50th consecutive start Saturday in a 48-6 win at Western Illinois ... he aided a unit that racked up a season-high 559 yards and averaged nearly nine yards per play ... the Coyotes ran for 287 yards and four touchdowns including a 59-yard run on USD's first play of the second half and a 23-yard score later in the game ... USD had three touchdowns of more than 50 yards ... the Coyotes allowed no sacks and no tackles-for-loss
OTHERS NOMINATED
WR Sam Schnee, UNI -- Schnee hauled in 164 receiving yards on just eight catches (20.5 yards per catch) with one touchdown in Northern Iowa's loss on Saturday to North Dakota State in the regular season. Recording his third 100+ receiving yard game of the season, Schnee, who led the MVFC and ranked fourth nationally with 1,041 receiving yards in the regular season, finishes the year ranked seventh all-time in UNI history in both career receiving yards (2,234) and career catches (139).
WR Carter Bell, South Dakota -- Bell caught seven passes for a season-high 142 yards and hauled in a 56-yard touchdown in South Dakota's win at Western Illinois Saturday. Bell had six catches and 133 yards in the first half. He surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards and moved into fifth place on the program's all-time list. Bell's 16 career touchdown catches are tied for fifth-most in program history.
WR Izaiah Hartrup, Southern Illinois -- Hartrup had a career-high 8 catches for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 38-9 SIU win over Indiana State. Hartrup made a one-handed grab of a Nic Baker pass in the right corner of the end zone for a 22-yard score, and added a 60-yard TD reception right before halftime.
QB Tommy Schuster, North Dakota -- Schuster went 14-for-22 for 169 yards passing and a score in the 22-21 win over Illinois State. Schuster had an 11-yard scramble with under a minute remaining that led to Gaven Ziebarth’s go-ahead score with 25 seconds left in the game. Schuster ended the game with three rushes for 22 yards, highlighted by his 11-yard rush on the final drive.
WR Bryce Oliver, Youngstown State -- Oliver caught two touchdown passes in the Penguins' 34-17 win over Murray State on Saturday. The two receiving touchdowns tied the school career record of 25 which was had been held by Jim Ferranti (1976-79). Oliver caught a 14-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that extended YSU's lead from 13-10 to 20-10. In the fourth quarter he caught a two-yard touchdown pass with 5:11 remaining to tie the long-standing record.
QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State -- Miller accounted for 272 yards and three touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 48-27 road win over Northern Iowa. Miller passed for two touchdowns while completing 17 of 22 attempts for 238 yards, his fourth 200-yard passing game of the season. He started the game 8-for-8 with 115 yards through the air in the first quarter as the Bison opened a 21-3 lead. Miller rushed for 34 yards and one score, including a 20-yard run on third-and-19 to set up a Bison touchdown one play later.
LB Dune Smith, Southern Illinois -- Smith had 9 tackles, including a strip-sack that led to a 61-yard scoop and score by teammate Devin Cowan. Smith had 1.5 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hurries, as SIU’s defense held its third conference opponent without a touchdown this season.
S Tucker Large, South Dakota State -- Large’s ball-hawking skills were on full display as he broke up three passes and tallied a pair of tackles in South Dakota State’s 35-17 victory over Missouri State. His three PBUs are the most by a Jackrabbit in a game this season.
DT Nick Gaes, South Dakota -- Gaes led South Dakota with seven tackles including a sack and two tackles-for-loss in Saturday's win at Western Illinois. He led a unit that limited the Leathernecks to nine first downs and 171 yards of offense. WIU went 3-and-out on seven of its 13 possessions.
LB Malachi McNeal, North Dakota -- McNeal recorded nine tackles (eight solo) in North Dakota’s 22-21 win over Illinois State. McNeal also had one TFL.
LB Cade Stephenson, Southern Illinois -- Stephenson recovered a kickoff at the Indiana State 22 yard line that led to an SIU touchdown on the ensuing play. The ball bounced once on the turf before Stephenson made the recovery.
P Grant Burkett, Missouri State -- Missouri State's punter kept the Bears in the game against top-ranked South Dakota State, flipping the field on four occasions with boots of 54, 51, 47 and 45 yards for a season-best 49.2 average with one kick downed inside the 20. The three-time All-MVFC performer was also MSU's holder on two successful PAT tries and two field goal opportunities.
LB Josh Navratil, North Dakota -- Following an Illinois State touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Josh Navratil blocked the extra point to allow North Dakota to continue leading 16-15. The Fighting Hawks went on to win 22-21. It was Navratil’s first blocked kick of his career.
K Griffin Crosa, North Dakota State -- Crosa scored 12 points in North Dakota State’s 48-27 road win over Northern Iowa. He converted 6 of 6 PAT attempts and kicked field goals of 34 and 37 yards on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter to extend NDSU’s lead to 27-10 before halftime. Crosa ranks second in the league with 14 field goals and is tied for the league lead with 90 points.
RB L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota -- Phillips ran 15 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns -- all in the second half -- of South Dakota's win at Western Illinois Saturday. Phillips entered with two carries all season. He capped back-to-back drives in the third quarter with touchdown runs of 6 and 5 yards for his first collegiate scores.
RB Tyshon King, Youngstown State -- King rushed for 152 yards on 23 carries in the 34-17 win over Murray State on Saturday.
DL Zane Boozer, Indiana State -- Boozer saved his final game at Indiana State with one of his best as the Liberty, S.C. native finished with five tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, and was directly involved in forcing a pair of Southern Illinois turnovers. The graduate transfer picked up his first sack of the contest in the second quarter combining for a stop with Lucas Hunter. He followed up the next play with a tackle behind the line of scrimmage leading to the Salukis settling for a field goal. Boozer’s solo sack in the third quarter directly led to an SIU punt, before the defensive end took over the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter. Boozer blew up a play deep inside SIU territory forcing a fumble at the Salukis 15 that led to Maddix Blackwell’s scoop-and-score touchdown. Two drives later, Boozer got a hand on a Nic Baker pass deflecting it up into the air for Geoffrey Brown’s interception. His five tackles, 3.0 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks were all season-highs.