This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include RB Josiah Johnson of South Dakota State; LB Alex Rose of Indiana State; RB Aaron Ball of Indiana State; WR/PR Dylan Lord of Illinois State; and RG Andy Hertlein of Indiana State.


Offensive Player of the Week
RB Josiah Johnson, South Dakota State
6-0, 215, So., (Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee Academy of Science)
Johnson set career highs with 30 carries and 238 rushing yards (7.9 ypc) while adding a pair of touchdowns to help lead South Dakota State to a 27-20 victory over Youngstown State in the league-opening game Sept. 19 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Johnson scored on a 4-yard run on the opening drive of the game, then added a 16-yard touchdown run on the Jackrabbits' first offensive possession of the second half. He became the first Jackrabbit to rush for 200-plus yards in a game since 2021 and tallied seven different runs of at least 12 yards, including a career-long 39-yarder on SDSU's first offensive play of the season half.

Defensive Player of the Week
LB Alex Rose, Indiana State
6-0, 220, R-Jr., (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South HS)
Rose led a defense that set an Indiana State mark for fewest rushing yards allowed in a single game (according to records on hand) by holding Valparaiso to negative-seven yards on the ground in Saturday’s 39-16 win over the Beacons. Rose led the way with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 TFLs as the 2026 captain was consistently around the ball all afternoon. Rose’s highlight play of the day came early in the third quarter as the Sycamores and Beacons retook the field following an 82-minute lightning delay. On Valpo’s first possession of the third quarter, Rose broke through for a seven-yard sack on 3rd-and-6 to force a 3-and-out and a Beacon punt. On the ensuing offensive possession, Aaron Ball broke free for a 58-yard touchdown run to stake the Sycamores to a 29-3 lead as Indiana State ran out the clock in the win. Rose added a half-sack on the next drive to highlight a defensive effort that featured Indiana State posting season-highs with 5.0 sacks and 11.0 TFLs against the Beacons.

Newcomer of the Week
RB Aaron Ball, Indiana State
5-11, 205, R-Jr., (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence HS/Illinois)
Ball took over the game following an injury to starting quarterback Elijah Owens and powered his way to a career-high 182 yards on 11 carries in Indiana State’s 39-16 win over Valparaiso. Ball recorded a 59-yard touchdown run with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter to extend Indiana State’s lead over the Beacons, 22-3. Following an 82-minute lightning delay after the start of the third quarter, Ball broke loose with a 58-yard touchdown run following a Valparaiso punt to stretch the advantage to 29-3 to cap a 26-0 run. He added two receptions for eight yards in his second consecutive multi-touchdown game. Ball’s 182-yard rushing effort marked a season and career-best by the Sycamore running back and was the most by an Indiana State running back since Nick Osho ran for 211 yards and a pair of scores last season at Southern Illinois (Oct. 4, 2025).

Special Teams Player of the Week
WR/PR Dylan Lord, Illinois State
5-9, 190, Jr., (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS)
Wide receiver/punt returner Dylan Lord made quite an impression in Saturday’s 49-13 win over Eastern Illinois in the 114th Mid-America Classic. The junior came up with one of the biggest special teams play in recent history for the Redbirds, as he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Panthers. It was the first punt return for touchdown for the Redbirds since 2013, and it highlighted a stellar overall performance on the day for Lord. He accounted for 169 all-purpose yards (92 punt return yards, 77 receiving yards) and two touchdowns on the day (1 return, 1 receiving) for the Redbirds.

Offensive Lineman of the Week
RG Andy Hertlein, Indiana State
6-4, 300, R-Fr., (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South)
Hertlein graded out as Indiana State’s top offensive lineman in the Sycamores’ 39-16 win over Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon. The redshirt freshman started at right guard in the contest and helped Indiana State record a season-high 313 rushing yards and a season-high 568 total offensive yards in the win. The 500-plus yard offensive output marked the second consecutive game the Sycamores had recorded at least 500 yards of total offense, the first time the team had accomplished the feat since 2010.