Courtesy of the PSAC
PSAC East Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Franklyn Quiteh, Bloomsburg
RB, Fr., Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West
Quiteh earns his second straight and his third East Offensive Player of the Week award in five weeks after rushing for at least 200 yards for the second straight week and for the third time this year. Quiteh equalled the top single-game performance in Division II this year by rushing for a career-high 246 yards on 39 carries (6.3 ypc). He had more yards in total offense (246) than East Stroudsburg as a team (209). Although he didn’t score any touchdowns, he helped set up a few Bloomsburg scores, including a TD that followed a 42-yard run and a field goal after he carried four times for 31 yards on another drive. Quiteh, who led the country in rushing entering this week, is now averaging 183.6 yards per game and has 918 total rushing yards in five games.
PSAC East Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Marcus Jones, Cheyney
RB, Fr., Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy
Jones rushed for 160 yards on 23 carries (6.2 ypc) without being stopped for a loss to help Cheyney to a 20-17 win over Millersville, breaking an overall 32-game losing streak, which had been the longest current losing steak in the NCAA at any level. The win also broke a 24-game losing streak in PSAC East play. Jones ran for 100 of his yards in the second half, which helped Cheyney hold onto the ball for over 22 out of 30 minutes in the second half. He had 23 yards on a first quarter drive that lasted 6:18 and led to a Cheyney field goal. He also ran for 46 yards on Cheyney’s first drive of the fourth quarter that lasted 6:34 and led to another field goal. Finally, he converted on a fourth-and-1 play from the Millersville 9-yardline on the Wolves’ game-winning drive with under a minute to play, setting up Chris Anderson’s game-winning TD run two plays later with just 30 seconds left. Jones is Cheyney’s first East Offensive Player of the Week since current St. Louis Rams WR Dominique Curry in 2007.
PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week
Jay McKnight, Kutztown
DB. Sr., Reading, Pa./Conrad Weiser
McKnight recorded 11 tackles (7 solo), including one tackle for a loss, and most importantly notched two interceptions, both in the fourth quarter, as Kutztown overcame two 17-point deficits to top Shippensburg 33-24. McKnight, who also broke up a pass in addition to his two picks, guided the defense that helped the Golden Bears’ rally by only allowing seven second-half points, which included shutting out the Red Raiders in the fourth quarter.
PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week
Harvie Tuck, IUP
TB, So., Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary
Tuck returned from a two-game absence to carry the ball 32 times for 168 yards (5.2 ypc) and a touchdown to help lead IUP to an 18-0 win over Edinboro. His performance was part of a 303-yard ground attack by IUP that came against the second-leading rushing defense in the PSAC that had entered the game allowing just 92.8 rushing yards per game. Tuck scored on a six-yard TD run in the first quarter to open the scoring, had a 27-yard run as part of a second quarter drive to set up a field goal and then carried the ball on 10 straight plays for 63 yards on IUP’s opening drive of the third quarter to set up another field goal that gave the Crimson Hawks a 12-0 lead.
PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week
Chris Cook, Gannon
S, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw
Cook co-led all tacklers with 10 stops, including six solo tackles and also made a key interception to stop a potential Mercyhurst scoring drive, helping Gannon to a 14-10 win over the Lakers, their first win over their cross-city rivals since 2005 and their first win over Mercyhurst as members of the PSAC. Cook picked off a Mercyhurst pass at the goal line early in the second quarter with the Lakers leading 7-0 and threatening to go up by two scores. Gannon then responded with an 83-yard drive that tied the game. With his pick, Cook moved into Gannon’s all-time top five in interceptions with eight in his career.