It is turning out to be a busy week for the ACC as it pertains to recognition for the on-field achievements. Four weekly awards have chimed in, picking ACC players for their honors. Let’s see which ACC players are garnering the national love this week.
The Lou Groza Award
The award goes to the best placekicker in the nation at the end of the season. But during the season, the committee also announces weekly winners. This week, among the three winners, is Clemson place kicker Nolan Hauser. The freshman went five for seven on field goals in the win over Florida State on Saturday. He is the first Clemson player to hit on five field goals in 13 years. He also added two PATs for a total of 17 of Clemson’s 29 points.
The Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week
The Football Writers Association of America chose Fadil Diggs of Syracuse. In the overtime win at UNLV, Diggs had six tackles and two sacks. Diggs is now 11th in the nation and second in the ACC in tackles for loss. He is 22nd nationally and fifth in the ACC in sacks per game.
The 20-person FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, will select the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists, and the eventual winner at the end of the regular season. That winner gets announced on December 9th in Charlotte, NC.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week
The award at the end of the year, as well as the weekly awards, go to someone who played football and graduated from a Texas High School and/or playing at a four-year D1 Texas college. This week’s winner meets both qualifications. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is this week’s winner. He was 21 of 27 passing for 281 yards in the Mustangs 34-27 win at Louisville. Jennings also picked up 113 yards rushing on 10 carries. Oh yeah, and he is from South Oak Cliff High School in Oak Cliff, TX.
The Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week
Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein adds to his growing list of recognitions. He has already been named the ACC Rookie of the Week five times in the five games he has played.
For the Walter Camp recognition this week, the freshman quarterback was 25 of 42 passing for 381 yards and three touchdowns in the win over North Carolina. He was also the leading rusher for Pitt with 76 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. That is 457 total yards if you are looking for your calculator to do the math.
Pitt is 5-0 for the first time since 1991. The last time a Pitt quarterback won their first five starts was in 1979 with Dan Marino.
