This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include RB Jayden Becks of Missouri State; DE Joey Shew of Indiana State; RB CharMar Brown of North Dakota State; PK James London of Murray State; and LT Grey Zabel of North Dakota State.



Offensive Player of the Week
RB Jayden Becks, Missouri State
5-11, 185, So., Waxahachie, Texas (Waxahachie HS)
Becks helped pace Missouri State's offense to its sixth straight 30-point output and seventh straight victory with a 100-yard rushing effort for the second straight week. The sophomore sensation carried 11 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's win over Southern Illinois. He finished the game with 9.2 yards per carry, but was over 10 yards a carry before his last rush of the afternoon -- a one-yard TD score that put the game on ice. Becks also posted a 29-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter that made it a 17-0 game at the time. He shared game-high honors with 109 all-purpose yards and is the only Valley rusher to post back-to-back 100-yard games over the past two weeks. Becks was instrumental in helping the Bears to a 5-0 start in Valley play for the first time since 1989 and to its first seven-game win streak since 1990.



Defensive Player of the Week
DE Joey Shew, Indiana State
6-3, 245, R-Jr., Clinton, Ind. (South Vermillion HS)
Shew was all over the backfield on Saturday afternoon to highlight an impressive defensive effort for Indiana State in the 35-31 win over No. 15 North Dakota. The Sycamore defensive end posted six tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and he also scored Indiana State's first points of the game courtesy of a 20-yard pick-six in a standout effort. Shew’s pick-six was the first defensive touchdown of his career and gave Indiana State the 6-0 lead 34 seconds into the contest. He added a strip-sack near midfield late in the first quarter that resulted in an 11-yard loss and ended a UND drive. He kept it going late in the contest as his four-yard TFL on UND’s opening drive of the fourth quarter moved North Dakota out of field goal range and resulted in a punt. His final tackle came on 3rd-and-9 from the Indiana State 34 as UND mounted their final drive with under 30 seconds to play. Shew stepped up and corralled UND quarterback Simon Romfo for his second sack of the game setting up 4th-and-Long leading to UND’s desperation pass into the end zone that was knocked down as the Sycamores secured their first win against a ranked opponent since 2018 and first win against a Top 15 team since 2016.



Newcomer of the Week
RB CharMar Brown, North Dakota State
5-11, 214, RFr., Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep HS)
Brown had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. He carried 18 times for 124 yards including a 5-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry. Brown leads the conference with 156 carries and is second with 798 yards, the most rushing yards among FCS freshmen.



Special Teams Player of the Week
PK James London, Murray State
6-0, 170, So., Miami, Fla. (Central HS)
London set a new career long against the defending national champs at South Dakota State, booting a 55-yard effort through the uprights. The kick made London the first Racer to have five field goals of 50-yards or more in the 100-year history of Murray State Football. The sophomore now has the two longest field goal in the MVFC this season. In addition to his career long, London also made a 35-yard effort to score all of the Racers points on the week.



Offensive Lineman of the Week
LT Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
6-6, 305, Sr., Pierre, S.D. (T.F. Riggs HS)
Zabel graded out at 94 percent with zero missed assignments in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. Zabel led the Bison offensive line in physicality points and did not allow any tackles for loss, sacks or quarterback hits. NDSU averaged 5.1 yards per carry, rushed for 189 yards in the game, and converted 7 of 10 third down opportunities. Running back CharMar Brown had his third 100-yard game of the season with 18 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Cam Miller had his fifth 200-yard passing game of the season going 17 of 20 for 216 yards and two TDs.


OTHERS NOMINATED 

QB Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois State -- Rittenhouse willed the Redbirds to a victory at home against Youngstown State. The Geneva, Illinois, native accounted for three touchdowns for the Redbirds against the Penguins throwing two touchdowns while rushing for another. Rittenhouse was 15-for-19 for 153 yards and two scores through the air and rushed for 30 yards and touchdown on the ground. He connected with running back Wenkers Wright out of the backfield for a 3-yard score in the second quarter and then called his own number on an 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the Redbird lead to two scores. He capped off his day with a 4-yard TD pass to tight end Javon Charles for ISU’s final score of the day.

RB Plez Lawrence, Indiana State -- Lawrence turned Saturday’s game on its head with a pair of third quarter touchdowns as Indiana State took down No. 15 North Dakota, 35-31, on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Lawrence gave the Sycamores the lead on their first drive of the third quarter going up the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown run to put Indiana State ahead 27-21. After UND marched down the field and scored a touchdown, Lawrence hauled in a pass in the right flat and out-ran the defense to the goal-line for what would end up being the game-winning 39-yard touchdown reception in the Sycamores’ upset win over the Fighting Hawks. Lawrence finished the day with 14 carries for 100 yards and a score, while adding one reception for 39 yards and his third receiving touchdown of the season. He posted his second 100-yard rushing effort of the 2024 season in the win. 

QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State -- Miller completed 17 of 20 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. He set a new NDSU record with 311 consecutive passing attempts without interception, breaking the mark of 307 set by Trey Lance from 2018 to 2020. It was Miller’s 16th career 200-yard passing game and fifth in 10 games this year. Miller leads the FCS in completion percentage (.776) and passing efficiency (186.3).

LB Enock Sibomana, North Dakota State -- Sibomana made a team-high six tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. Playing a starting role for the second straight week, he was in on two goal-line stops to end UNI’s final possession at the 1-yard line before the Bison ran out the final 5:52 of the game. Sibomana is NDSU’s third leading tackler in conference play with 23 tackles.

LB Amir Abdullah, Illinois State -- After missing seven games due to an injury suffered in the season opener at Iowa, All-American senior outside linebacker Amir Abdullah returned to the field for the Redbirds and made an immediate impact in the win against Youngstown State. The Chicago, Illinois, native recorded six tackles and tallied 1.5 sacks with a pass breakup against the Penguins. Abdullah was also instrumental in keeping YSU quarterback Beau Brungard under wraps, as the MVFC rushing leader was held to just 22 yards on the ground on the day with Abdullah often spying him or flushing him from the pocket.

DE Darion Smith, Missouri State -- Smith logged a career-high 10 tackles in Missouri State's home victory of Southern Illinois as the senior logged 2.0 sacks (14 yards), 3.0 tackles for loss (15 yards), a forced fumble and 5 solo stops in an impressive defensive outing. Smith's sack total and TFL total both matched season-highs on the Bears defensive unit, while helping the Bears hold their third opponent in four weeks to three touchdowns or less. Both of Smith's sacks on the afternoon came in the second half, including a key third-down stop midway through the third quarter that forced an SIU punt in what was then a 10-point game. 

QB Elijah Owens, Indiana State -- Owens continued to be the model of efficiency on the field on Saturday afternoon as the Sycamore quarterback went 12-of-18 for 163 yards and two touchdowns on the air, while adding 38 rushing yards on the ground in Indiana State’s 35-31 win over North Dakota. Owens directed a late scoring drive in the second quarter as the Sycamores capitalized on a North Dakota muffed punt return to tie the game up at 21-21 just before the half as he found Rashad Rochelle for a 16-yard touchdown pass. He added a 39-yard connection to Plez Lawrence for what would be the eventual game-winning touchdown in the third quarter. Owens was also effective on the ground picking his spots with a key 21-yard gain in the second quarter on the drive that led to Shen Butler-Lawson’s 3-yard touchdown plunge. He added a 13-yard carry two plays prior to Lawrence’s touchdown connection.

WR Lofton O'Groske, South Dakota State -- O'Groske has worked his way into the rotation at wide receiver in recent weeks and responded by catching a team-high five receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown in his most extensive action of the season Nov. 2 against Murray State. His 11-yard touchdown reception from Chase Mason in the closing seconds of the third quarter capped the scoring in the Jackrabbits' 52-6 home victory 

RS Jackson Williams, North Dakota State -- Williams averaged 28.75 yards on four returns in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. He had one 29-yard punt return and three kickoff returns for 86 yards. Williams ranks ninth in FCS with a conference-best 27.1 yards per kick return and also leads the MVFC with 14.2 yards per punt return.

PK Paul Geelen, Southern Illinois -- Geelen scored a touchdown on a 9-yard fake field goal. He also converted 2-for-2 PATs and a 25-yard field goal. He averaged 42.0 yards on 7 punts and both of his kickoffs went for touchbacks. To top it off, he completed a 3-yard pass on a fake punt, although the play was not successful.