This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include QB Jerry Kaminski of North Dakota; LB Shug Walker of Southern Illinois; WR Alex Bullock of South Dakota State; P Max Pelham of South Dakota State; and OC Shane Willenbring of South Dakota State.

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota, So., Sun Prairie, Wis.
Kaminski was an impressive 20-for-23 passing for 246 yards and four scores in UND’s 35-7 win at UNI. He also completed a pass to himself in the third quarter, which was possible when the ball was deflected by a defender and then caught by Kaminski and returned for a two-yard completion. He finished the game with completions to 10 different receivers (including himself) and had passing touchdowns to four different players. Kaminski also recorded five rushes for 35 yards.  The win marked NoDak’s first win in the UNI-Dome since a 35-31 thriller on Sept. 9, 2006. It also ended an eight-game winless skid on the road for the Fighting Hawks, which dated back to Nov. 4, 2023 (W, 45-31 at Murray State) and was the largest margin of victory for UND in an away game since the 42-7 victory at Indiana State on Nov. 5, 2022.

Defensive Player of the Week
LB Shug Walker, Southern Illinois, Sr., Bethalto, Ill.
Walker had a career-day in SIU's win over Indiana State on Saturday. He had a career-high 12 tackles, which was also tied for the most on the team. The senior from Bethalto, Ill., also had a season-high 2.0 TFL, one shy of a career-best mark. Along with the 12 tackles and 2.0 TFL, Walker added two pass breakups to his line in the win.

Newcomer of the Week
WR Alex Bullock, South Dakota State, Gr., Omaha, Neb.
Bullock set career highs with 10 catches for 162 yards as South Dakota State rallied for a 35-30 victory at Youngstown State. Two of his catches early in the third quarter covered 51 and 38 yards and set up the Jackrabbits’ first two touchdowns of a 21-point stanza. Bullock’s 162 receiving yards were the most by a Jackrabbit receiver since Jadon Janke tallied 187 yards in a 2023 game at Missouri State.

Special Teams Player of the Week
P Max Pelham, South Dakota State, Sr., Ankeny, Iowa
Pelham successfully flipped the field on multiple occasions, punting four times for an average of 49.8 yards in South Dakota State’s 35-30 comeback victory at Youngstown State. His first three attempts all traveled 50-plus yards (51, season-long 59 and 53), two of which pinned the Penguins inside their own 20-yard line.  SDSU currently leads the FCS in net punting with an average of 44.1 yards per attempt for the season.

Offensive Lineman of the Week
OC Shane Willenbring, South Dakota State, R-Fr., La Crosse, Wis.
Willenbring recorded a blocking assignment grade of 100 percent and did not allow a pressure or sack in South Dakota State's 35-30 victory at Youngstown State on Oct. 4. He posted 2.5 knockdowns in helping pave the way for the Jackrabbits to achieve balance offensively with 211 yards rushing and 189 through the air.