This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference Players of the Week include RB Bill Jackson of UNI; LB Donovan Woolen of North Dakota State; RB Victor Dawson of Illinois State; PK Matt Maldonado of Illinois State; P Aaron Bickerton of North Dakota State; and OL Jacob Arop of South Dakota.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
RB Bill Jackson, UNI
5-9, 197, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
143 yards and 3 TDs on 18 carries .. Bill Jackson's three touchdowns were his first rushing touchdowns of the season. He also recorded the first multi-touchdown game of his career .. The last time a Panther rushed for three touchdowns was at Indiana State in 2023 when Harrison Bey-Buie rushed for three .. Bill Jackson was UNI's first 100-yard rusher of the season and UNI's first since Tye Edwards last season against Missouri State.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
LB Donovan Woolen, North Dakota State
6-4, 219, So., Frisco, Texas
Woolen made a game- and career-high 18 tackles in North Dakota State’s 15-10 win at North Dakota. It was the most tackles by a Bison player since linebacker Nick DeLuca had 20 in a one-score road win over Southern Illinois in 2015. Woolen assisted on one tackle for loss and had a key stop on second-and-goal at the NDSU 1 as the Bison defense held and UND missed a field goal two plays later. Woolen leads the Bison with 66 total tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups this year.
 
Newcomer of the Week
RB Victor Dawson, Illinois State
5-11, 220, Sr., Akron, Ohio
Dawson went over the 100-yard mark for the second-straight week to help the Redbirds run away with a 52-20 road win against Indiana State. The transfer from Cincinnati carried the ball a season-high 21 times for a season-best 116 yards and he added a touchdown in the victory over the Sycamores. Dawson averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored his third touchdown of the year on a 6-yard run early in the second quarter that gave the Redbirds a 14-7 lead at the time. With his 116 yards on the ground, Dawson took over the team lead with 616 rushing yards on the season.
 
Co-Special Teams Player of the Week
P Aaron Bickerton, North Dakota State
6-3, 201, RJr., Stoke-on-Trent, England
Bickerton had a season-high five punts and 55.6 average per punt in North Dakota State’s 15-10 win at North Dakota. He had a season-long of 64 and other punts of 62, 55, 52 and 45 yards with one touchback and one inside the 20 for the Bison, who limited UND to 36 return yards. Bickerton was also the holder for three successful field goals as NDSU went without a touchdown until getting the go-ahead score with 2:22 left in the game.
 
Co-Special Teams Player of the Week
PK Matt Maldonado, Illinois State
6-2, 200, Sr., Montgomery, Ill.
Maldonado was solid once again for the Redbirds in their 52-20 road win at Indiana State. The transfer from Murray State scored 10 total points for the Redbirds and booted a 49-yard field goal in the victory over the Sycamores. Maldonado was a perfect 7-for-7 on PAT attempts and scored the final points of the game with 1:01 left in the third quarter on a 49-yard field goal.
 
Offensive Lineman of the Week
OL Jacob Arop, South Dakota
6-6, 200, R-Fr., South Omaha, Neb.
Arop was the highest-graded Coyote on the offensive line in the 24-17 win over No. 8-ranked South Dakota State. He graded out at 75% against one of the best defensive lines in the conference, allowing for running back L.J. Phillips Jr. to rush for 168 yards, two touchdowns, and 6.2 yards per rush to move to 5-2 in league play.