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.
Western Carolina’s Cole Gonzales, Cornell’s Luke Banbury, Elon’s Chandler Brayboy and Sacramento State’s Carson Conklin were selected Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week for Week 8 college football games ending on Oct. 19.
In addition, the Maine Black Bears were named the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week.
The FCS National Awards are presented by FedEx.
FCS National Awards (Week 8)
Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week
Cole Gonzales, Western Carolina, QB, Jr., 6-0, 195, Ocala, Florida
Gonzales had never been above 400 passing yards in a game before he set the Southern Conference record with 620 in Western Carolina’s 52-20 victory at Furman. It marked the seventh-most passing yards in the FCS’ 47-year history. He completed 35 of 55 passes and threw five touchdowns as the Catamounts (4-3, 3-0) moved into first place in the standings.
Honorable Mention: Damon Bankston, RB, Weber State; Anthony Chiccitt, QB, Robert Morris; Jayden Clerveaux, RB, Holy Cross; Jermaine Corbett, RB, Merrimack; Tyler Knoop, QB, Stony Brook; Nathan Lamb, QB, Western Illinois; Lan Larison, RB, UC Davis; Tommy Rittenhouse, QB, Illinois State; Blayne Taylor, WR, Abilene Christian
Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week
Luke Banbury, Cornell, LB, Sr., 6-2, 237, Pittsburgh
Banbury wreaked havoc on Bucknell’s offense as Cornell posted a 34-21 road triumph. He forced a fumble and recovered it at his team’s 1-yard line to stymie Bucknell’s first possession. He then ended the Bison’s second drive with a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown. He forced another fumble on Bucknell’s first possession of the second half, broke up three more passes and tied for Cornell’s team high with six tackles, including five solos.
Honorable Mention: Ty Bartrum, S, Harvard; Jalen Brooks, LB, Campbell; Jake Dalamado, LB, Nicholls; Riley Dravet, DB, Wagner; Keon Freeman, LB, Robert Morris; Devin Grant, LB, UIW; Xavier Holmes, DL, Maine; Andrew Jones, LB, Grambling State; Noah Martin, LB, Samford; Roman Pearson, CB, Bucknell; Zelmar Vedder, DB, Sacramento State
Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week
Chandler Brayboy, Elon, WR/KR, R-Sr., 6-1, 199, Pembroke, North Carolina
The versatile Brayboy returned a pair of kickoffs for 94- and 93-yard touchdowns in the Phoenix’s 30-14 victory at UAlbany in CAA Football. He also caught four passes for 55 yards, going over 2,000 career receiving yards in the process. He finished with 242 all-purpose yards, the 11th-most in an FCS game this season.
Honorable Mention: CJ Evans, RB/Returns, Tennessee State; Sam Johnson, P, Valparaiso; Jude Kelley, PK, Chattanooga; Gabe Panikowski, PK, Idaho State; James Platte, P, The Citadel; Keylijah Williams, WR/KR, Bryant; Ben Woodard, PK, Lamar; Jeff Yurk, P, Elon
Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week
Carson Conklin, Sacramento State, QB, R-Fr., 6-1, 180, Yorba Linda, California
Conklin set career highs for completions (32), attempts (47) and passing yards (357) and threw three touchdowns passes as Sacramento State outlasted Weber State 51-48 in double overtime in the Big Sky Conference. His TD passes went for 54, 2 and 9 yards, giving him at least one in all seven games and 16 overall this season.
Honorable Mention: Sanders Ellis, LB, Tennessee State; Frankie Edwards, CB, Weber State; Jack Wagner, QB, Idaho; Drew VanVleet, QB, Dayton
Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week
Maine (35-7 over No. 5 Villanova)
Coming off back-to-back 2-9 seasons, the Black Bears (4-3, 2-2 CAA) earned a signature win under third-year coach Jordan Stevens with their highest-ranking victory since beating No. 3 Weber State in the 2018 FCS playoffs. They had seven sacks, forced four turnovers and didn’t allow points until the final two minutes. Carter Peevy connected on two of his three touchdown passes in the first 4:12 before Devin Vaught scored on a 70-yard return of a blocked field goal later in the first quarter.
Honorable Mention: No. 2 North Dakota State (14-9 win over No. 1 South Dakota State); No. 18 Richmond (28-9 win over Delaware); Samford (55-35 win over No. 7 Mercer)
Top photo of Maine defensive back Shakur Smalls. (Maine Athletics)
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