West picks up FCS-leading third national honor

Philadelphia, PA – Bethune-Cookman quarterback David Blackwell, Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews, Sacramento State defensive lineman Zach Nash, Murray State kicker Kienan Cullen, Valparaiso quarterback Eric Hoffman and Towson running back Terrance West have been named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS National Players of Week 11 for games ending Nov. 12.

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

David Blackwell, Bethune-Cookman, Sophomore, 6-2, 215, QB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Blackwell won the weekly battle to be the starter and then torched Savannah State in a 59-3 MEAC victory. The sophomore scored on Bethune-Cookman's first play from scrimmage, escaping for a 80-yard touchdown run. He also scored twice more on runs of 37 and 59 yards, helping reach an impressive 203 yards on the ground on just six carries. Putting on a display with his arm as well, Blackwell completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Jeff Mathews, Cornell, Sophomore, 6-4, 210, QB, Camarillo, CA

Mathews set Cornell records for completions, passing yards and touchdowns in a 62-41 shootout victory against Columbia. Mathews completed 40-of-46 passes for 521 yards and five touchdowns, strikes of 6, 24, 47, 46 and 28 yards. The 521 yards rank second in Ivy League history, falling just short of the 526 that Brown's Michael Daugherty passed for in a 2008 game against Holy Cross. The 2010 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Mathews has passed for 2,864 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Zach Nash, Sacramento State, Senior, 6-4, 260, DL, Vacaville, CA

Nash led a dominant defensive effort, picking up five of the school-record 10 sacks in 24-9 Big Sky Conference victory against Idaho State. With his five- sack performance, Nash became the Hornets' all-time sacks leader with 29.5 in his career. Nash also added an additional tackle for a loss, forced a fumble and finished with eight total tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Kienan Cullen, Murray State, Senior, 6-3, 224, K/P, Louisville, KY

Cullen tied the program record for field goals, connecting on all five attempts in a 56-24 win against Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay. Cullen connected on field goals of 37, 33, 41, 30 and 22 yards. He also converted fives extra-point attempts to finish with 20 points. Also handling the punting duties, Cullen helped keep the Racers' final scoring drive alive, connecting with Walter Powell for a 21-yard completion on a fake punt.

CO-FRESHMEN OF THE WEEK

Eric Hoffman, Valparaiso, Freshman, 6-3, 200, QB, Manitowoc, WI

Hoffman helped the Crusaders end an FCS-worst 29-game losing streak, passing for 317 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-31 win against Campbell. Hoffman, who went 30-for-40, connected on touchdown strikes of 14, 3, 14 and 9 yards, including the game-winning score with 3:09 remaining in the Pioneer League contest.

Terrance West, Towson, Freshman, 5-11, 222, RB, Baltimore, MD

West put on his most impressive performance of the season in a 56-42 CAA Football win against New Hampshire. Carrying the ball a season-high 23 times, West finished with 261 yards and four touchdowns, setting the school record for touchdowns in a season with 25. He scored on runs of 73, 69, 2 and 2 yards. West secured his third national freshman of the week award and leads the nation in scoring.