Opta Analyst’s FCS football coverage includes weekly national player and team honors throughout the regular season and will lead toward the annual season-ending FCS National Awards Banquet, scheduled for Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
UC Davis’ Lan Larison, Central Connecticut State’s Christopher Jean, Southeastern Louisiana’s Riley Callaghan and Montana State’s Adam Jones have been selected as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week for Week 13 college football games ending on Nov. 23.
In addition, the Illinois State Redbirds are the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week.
The FCS National Awards are presented by FedEx.
FCS National Awards (Week 13)
Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week
Lan Larison, UC Davis, RB, Sr., 6-0, 215, Caldwell, Idaho
Larison continued his spectacular season with 273 all-purpose yards and three rushing touchdowns as the No. 5 Aggies (10-2) edged rival Sacramento State 42-39 in the Causeway Classic to finish second in the Big Sky standings. He carried the ball 23 times for 148 yards (TDs of 1, 12, 59 yards), caught four passes for 69 yards, and had 56 kickoff return yards. He’s compiled a program-record 2,132 all-purpose yards as the only FCS player in the 2K club this season.
Honorable Mention: Zach Calzada, QB, UIW; Davion Cherwin, RB, Drake; Efton Chism III, WR, Eastern Washington; Tye Edwards, RB, Northern Iowa; Thad Franklin Jr., RB, Florida A&M; Malik Grant, RB, Rhode Island; Matthew Henry, WR, Western Illinois; Targhee Lambson, RB, Southern Utah; Michael Lindauer, QB, Southern Illinois; Jackson Proctor, QB, Dartmouth; Derek Robertson, QB, Monmouth; Ralph Rucker IV, QB, Bucknell
Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week
Christopher Jean, Central Connecticut State, CB, R-Fr., 5-9, 170, Rochester, New York
Jean matched the FCS season high with three interceptions as CCSU (7-5) defeated No. 19 Duquesne to earn a share of the Northeast Conference championship and a third all-time appearance in the FCS playoffs. His first two picks led to CCSU field goals, and his third to open the fourth quarter was at the Duquesne 32 and set up the Blue Devils’ game-winning touchdown. He had seven tackles, including six solos.
Honorable Mention: Brendan Bell, LB, Villanova; Evan DiMaggio, LB, Furman; Charles George Jr., S, Texas Southern; Mi’Quise Grace, DL, South Dakota; Abu Kamara, DB, Yale; Sean-Krystoff King, DB, East Texas A&M; Alex McLaughlin, LB, Northern Arizona; Quantraill Morris-Walker, LB, Richmond; Carter Szydlowski, DL, Presbyterian; Jay Thompson, DE, Merrimack
Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week
Riley Callaghan, Southeastern Louisiana, PK, Jr., 6-3, 190, Ashburn, Virginia
Callaghan drilled a 40-yard field goal as time expired, capping a perfect night of kicking and lifting SLU to a 19-16 win at Southland Conference rival Nicholls in the River Bell Classic. He was 4 of 4 on field goals – also connecting from 27, 32 and 26 yards out while tying his career high for made attempts – and delivered on his only extra-point attempt. His 17 field goals this year raised his three-season total to 42.
Honorable Mention: Andy Day, P, Utah Tech; Sam Johnson, P, Valparaiso; Andrew Marshall, Returns/DB, Idaho; Alex Mitchell, LB, Chattanooga; Winston Moore, KR, Colgate; Sergio Morancy, WR/Returns, Northern Iowa; Kyle Thompson, PK, Weber State; Ian Williams, PK, Furman
Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week
Adam Jones, Montana State, RB, R-Fr., 6-1, 200, Missoula, Montana
Jones ended the regular season in the same way he opened it – winning national freshman honors – after he set career highs with 25 carries and 197 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Big Sky champion Bobcats topped Montana 34-11 in the Brawl of the Wild. The native of Missoula – where rival UM’s campus is located – had an 88-yard run, which gives him two of the eight longest in the FCS this season. He added a 5-yard reception.
Honorable Mention: Carson Conklin, QB, Sacramento State; Adjatay Dabbs, WR, Mercer; Taren Dickens, QB, Western Carolina; Hayden Johnson, QB, Lehigh; Joshua Jones, QB, North Carolina Central; AJ Pigford, LB, Princeton; Cutter Stewart, QB, HCU; Jonathan Williams, LB, Western Illinois
Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week
No. 14 Illinois State (35-13 win over North Dakota)
Having overcome key injuries this season, coach Brock Spack’s Redbirds (9-3) pulled away from a four-point halftime lead to secure a fifth straight victory – their longest winning streak since 2015. Wenkers Wright finished with two touchdown runs and surpassed 1,000 yards for the season with 118 on 21 carries. Linebacker Tye Niekamp (10 tackles, sack, three pass breakups) and defensive back Keondre Jackson (nine tackles, two forced fumbles) fueled the defense.
Honorable Mention: Central Connecticut State (21-14 win over No. 19 Duquesne); Lehigh (38-14 win over Lafayette); No. 2 Montana State (34-11 win over No. 9 Montana); No. 4 South Dakota (29-28 win over No. 1 North Dakota State); Tennessee Tech (23-6 win over Eastern Illinois)
Top photo of Illinois State Redbirds. (ISU Athletics)
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