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Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman, Elon wide receiver Aaron Mellette, Howard linebacker Keith Pough, Maine defensive lineman Michael Cole, Fordham place-kicker/punter Patrick Murray and Portland State quarterback Kieran McDonagh have been named The Sports Network FCS National Players of the Week 6 for games ending Oct. 6.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Casey Brockman, Murray State, Senior, 6-2, 215, QB, Murray, Ky.
Brockman was nearly perfect in a convincing 52-14 road win versus Austin Peay. The senior gunslinger completed 38-of-43 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns, on his way to becoming the Ohio Valley Conference's all-time leader in completions (793) and Murray State's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 55. He started the contest by completing 17 straight passes and has now gone 204 passes without an interception. The Racers improved to 3-3 while Brockman threw for at least 300 yards in his fifth straight game. Not surprisingly, he ranks No. 1 in the FCS with 35 completions per contest.
Aaron Mellette, Elon, Senior, 6-4, 220, WR, Sanford, N.C.
Mellette tied a career high with 237 receiving yards on 13 catches and matched a career-best with three touchdown receptions in a 35-23 loss at Appalachian State. The senior now has 18 career 100-yard receiving games, which is good for No. 2 in Southern Conference history. He also passed former Appalachian State receiver Brian Quick to move into fifth place on the SoCon's all-time receiving list with 3,516 receiving yards. After a slow start to his senior season, Mellette has caught 50 passes for 670 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Keith Pough, Howard, Senior, 6-3, 225, LB, Orangeburg, S.C.
Pough entered Saturday's contest versus Florida A&M needing just 2 1/2 tackles for loss to tie former Western Kentucky linebacker Sherrod Coates' FCS record of 65. The senior did that and more, recording 3 1/2 tackles for loss, breaking the FCS career record with 66, while putting forth one of the best performances of his career. Howard moved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the MEAC with a 17-10 victory. On top of his record-setting accomplishment, Pough tallied 17 total tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, one pass breakup and he forced and recovered a fumble.
Michael Cole, Maine, Junior, 6-2, 250, DL, North Brunswick, N.J.
Cole gave Delaware quarterback Trent Hurley nightmares, accounting for five sacks, for a loss of 41 yards, nine total tackles and one forced fumble as the Black Bears upset the Blue Hens, 26-3. With the help of Cole, Maine held UD's dangerous run attack to just 47 yards on 47 attempts and gave up just 224 total yards. The Black Bears defense racked up nine total sacks and forced four fumbles, recovering two of them. The junior leads the FCS in sacks with seven on the season and he now has 21 in his career.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Patrick Murray, Fordham, Senior, 5-7, 182, PK/P, Mahwah, N.J.
Murray was a perfect 3-of-3 on field goal attempts, connecting from 30, 44 and 43 yards in a crucial, 38-31 win over Georgetown in the Patriot League. He also punted the ball eight times for an average of 47 yards per boot, including a long of 59 yards, and he sent five of his seven kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. Fordham moved to 4-2 overall, while Murray, a consensus All-America selection, has connected on 12-of-14 field goals this season. The senior also ranks No. 3 in the FCS in punting, averaging 46 yards per punt.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Kieran McDonagh, Portland State, Freshman, 6-1, 240, QB, Vancouver, Wash.
McDonagh played a vital role in helping Portland State end a four-game losing streak, accounting for six touchdowns in a 77-10 thumping of Idaho State. The true freshman signal caller carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards and four touchdowns, he threw for 280 yards and one touchdown - on 15-of-23 passing attempts - and caught a 22-yard touchdown reception. PSU rushed for a school record of 437 yards, while its 758 yards of offense was the second- highest total in program history.
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