- September 18th, 2006, 12:12 pm
#30631
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jerome Simpson and Liberty linebacker Manny Rojas have been named the Big South football Choice Hotels Offensive Player of the Week and New Balance Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for games played the third weekend of the 2006 season, it was announced today by the Conference office. In addition, Liberty punter/kicker Ben Beasley was selected as Special Teams Player of the Week, while Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jamar Anderson garnered Freshman of the Week honors.
Simpson, a junior from Reidsville, N.C., posted one of the best games in Big South history at No. 17 Georgia Southern. Simpson recorded eight catches for a school-record 207 yards and two touchdowns (30 and 58 yards). His 207 yards are only the second 200-yard receiving game in League history (three shy of the record), while his two touchdowns move his career total to 21, tying him with William Andrews, Jr. for the Big South career touchdown receptions lead. During a second-quarter drive, Simpson caught a pair of passes, the first for 50 yards and the second for 30 to complete the two-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 0:36. Seven of his eight catches were at least 10 yards (14, 10, 23, 50, 30, 14, 58) while six went for first downs.
Rojas, a redshirt-senior from Oakdale, Pa., tied for the team-high tackling honors with nine stops in Liberty’s defensive battle at Towson. It was his best defensive performance of the season as he entered the game with just seven tackles in his first two outings. He finished the game with a career-high two pass break-ups and helped the Flames extend their streak of three sacks per game with a nine-yard takedown in the first quarter that eventually forced a Towson punt. Rojas also stopped two third-down conversion attempts and was part of a defense that allowed just 10 points and a modest 317 yards on the night. Liberty currently ranks third in the nation in scoring defense (5.67 points per game), 13th in sacks per game and 17th in total defense (226.33 yards per game).
Beasley, a senior from Laurel, Miss., had a career night punting for the Flames at Towson as he booted on a career-high nine punts for a career-high 349 yards. He averaged a personal-best 38.8 yards per punt and kept the Flames in a defensive contest with solid punting all night. Beasley booted two 50-yards punts, including a career-long 56-yarder in the second quarter, and his final five kicks averaged 45.8 yards. He also gave Liberty its lone points of the game with a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, while Towson started at its own 15-yard line on his two kickoffs. Beasley’s nine punts tied for third-most in a game in Big South history, while his yardage was seventh-best all-time.
Anderson, a freshman from Wellford, S.C., was Coastal’s second-leading receiver Saturday at Georgia Southern. He had four catches for 52, a season best for the freshman. In just his second game of collegiate action, Anderson had two catches that gave the Chanticleers first downs, and he hauled in three passes and 47 yards during one drive, including a personal-best 33-yard reception. His four catches were the third-most by a CCU receiver this year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jerome Simpson and Liberty linebacker Manny Rojas have been named the Big South football Choice Hotels Offensive Player of the Week and New Balance Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for games played the third weekend of the 2006 season, it was announced today by the Conference office. In addition, Liberty punter/kicker Ben Beasley was selected as Special Teams Player of the Week, while Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jamar Anderson garnered Freshman of the Week honors.
Simpson, a junior from Reidsville, N.C., posted one of the best games in Big South history at No. 17 Georgia Southern. Simpson recorded eight catches for a school-record 207 yards and two touchdowns (30 and 58 yards). His 207 yards are only the second 200-yard receiving game in League history (three shy of the record), while his two touchdowns move his career total to 21, tying him with William Andrews, Jr. for the Big South career touchdown receptions lead. During a second-quarter drive, Simpson caught a pair of passes, the first for 50 yards and the second for 30 to complete the two-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 0:36. Seven of his eight catches were at least 10 yards (14, 10, 23, 50, 30, 14, 58) while six went for first downs.
Rojas, a redshirt-senior from Oakdale, Pa., tied for the team-high tackling honors with nine stops in Liberty’s defensive battle at Towson. It was his best defensive performance of the season as he entered the game with just seven tackles in his first two outings. He finished the game with a career-high two pass break-ups and helped the Flames extend their streak of three sacks per game with a nine-yard takedown in the first quarter that eventually forced a Towson punt. Rojas also stopped two third-down conversion attempts and was part of a defense that allowed just 10 points and a modest 317 yards on the night. Liberty currently ranks third in the nation in scoring defense (5.67 points per game), 13th in sacks per game and 17th in total defense (226.33 yards per game).
Beasley, a senior from Laurel, Miss., had a career night punting for the Flames at Towson as he booted on a career-high nine punts for a career-high 349 yards. He averaged a personal-best 38.8 yards per punt and kept the Flames in a defensive contest with solid punting all night. Beasley booted two 50-yards punts, including a career-long 56-yarder in the second quarter, and his final five kicks averaged 45.8 yards. He also gave Liberty its lone points of the game with a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, while Towson started at its own 15-yard line on his two kickoffs. Beasley’s nine punts tied for third-most in a game in Big South history, while his yardage was seventh-best all-time.
Anderson, a freshman from Wellford, S.C., was Coastal’s second-leading receiver Saturday at Georgia Southern. He had four catches for 52, a season best for the freshman. In just his second game of collegiate action, Anderson had two catches that gave the Chanticleers first downs, and he hauled in three passes and 47 yards during one drive, including a personal-best 33-yard reception. His four catches were the third-most by a CCU receiver this year
- By Purple Haize
- By ECC29