Four Tigers named ACC Players of the Week |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized for their standout performances in Week 10 of the season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
QUARTERBACK – Jordan Travis, Florida State, QB, West Palm Beach, Fla. Travis recorded a season-high 360 passing yards despite missing two Biletnikoff Award candidates in Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson in the road win over Pitt. He finished with two touchdowns – one rushing and one passing – to extend his streak to 16 consecutive games with multiple touchdowns, the longest active streak in the country and tied for the second-longest in the ACC over the last 20 years (2020 Heisman Trophy finalist Trevor Lawrence had 17; 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett also had 16). He has now thrown a touchdown in 21 straight games, FSU’s longest stretch since 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston (27, 2013-14) and tied his own FSU record from 2020 with a rushing and passing touchdown in four straight games. He became the first player in FSU history and the only active player nationally to have seven rushing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Travis has led an offense that racked up 500-plus yards of total offense in back-to-back road games for the first time since 2001 at FSU. RUNNING BACK – Phil Mafah, Clemson, RB, Loganville, Ga. Mafah recorded a career-high 186 rushing yards on a school-record-tying 36 carries and a career-high-tying two rushing touchdowns in Clemson’s win over No. 12 Notre Dame. His 36 carries tied the school record shared by Jim Shirley (36 against NC State in 1951), Ray Yauger (36 against Wake Forest in 1969) and Raymond Priester (36 against Maryland in 1997), while his 36 attempts represented the first 30-carry game by a Clemson player since Wayne Gallman recorded 30 carries against Auburn in 2016. Mafah’s 186 rushing yards were the most by a Clemson player since Kobe Pace’s 191-yard rushing performance against Wake Forest in 2021 and was the first 150-yard rushing game by a Clemson player since Will Shipley’s 172-yard rushing performance against Syracuse last season. He has now rushed for multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. RECEIVER – Ja’Khi Douglas, Florida State, WR, Houma, La. In the absence of both Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, Douglas stepped up as FSU's go-to receiver with a career-high six catches for a career-high 115 yards, which included catches of 37 and 30 yards, both of which ended in touchdowns. Douglas, who missed the first four games of the season due to injury, had just two catches for 36 yards for the year before Saturday at Pitt. Overall, the offense racked up 501 yards of offense versus the Panthers, marking the second straight road game with 500-plus yards of offense. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Will Putnam, Clemson, C, Tampa, Fla. Putnam was a standout performer on an offensive line that helped propel running back Phil Mafah to a career-high 186 rushing yards in a 31-23 defeat of No. 12 Notre Dame. The center led a unit that helped Clemson limit Notre Dame to one sack despite starting its third different offensive line combination in as many weeks and its fifth different offensive line combination of the season. Putnam, who graded out at 98 percent with six knockdowns, was a leader on a Clemson offense whose 31 points more than doubled the per-game average surrendered by the Irish defense, which entered the game ranked 10th in the nation at 15.3 points per game. DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Ryan Smith, Duke, DE, Acworth, Ga. Smith recorded two tackles and an interception in Duke’s three-point win over Wake Forest. Late in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 21-21 and Wake Forest’s offense at the Duke 40-yard line, Smith intercepted a pass to give the Blue Devils possession at its own 38-yard line with 4:12 remaining in regulation. Duke would then march 54 yards in 10 plays for Todd Pelino’s game-winning 26-yard field goal as time expired. LINEBACKER – Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson, LB Trotter recorded a game-high 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, and an interception, which he returned 28 yards for a touchdown in Clemson’s win over Notre Dame. The pick-six was the second of his career, as he became the first Clemson linebacker to record multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a career since Dorian O’Daniel (two from 2014-17). He became the first Clemson linebacker in Dabo Swinney’s tenure to record three career games with 2.0 or more sacks. Trotter led a Clemson defense that held the nation's 12th-ranked scoring offense to nearly 100 yards below its season average. He also became only the fifth FBS player (and only second Power Five player) since 2005 to post double-digit tackles, at least 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 or more sacks, and a pick-six in a single game. DEFENSIVE BACK – Elijah Jones, Boston College, CB, Harlem, N.Y. Led by Jones, the Boston College defense held Syracuse to 37 passing yards and forced four interceptions in a road win on Friday night to run its win streak to five games. Jones led the way with two interceptions, the first of which came in the red zone, while his second pick also came in BC territory. In a tied ballgame with Syracuse driving after a fourth-quarter BC turnover, Jones went up and took the ball away from the defender to regain possession ahead of the Eagles’ game-winning drive. Leading 17-10 late in the fourth, Jones tipped a pass that was intercepted by a BC safety to secure the win. Jones added two tackles and an additional pass breakup in the road win over the Orange. SPECIALIST – Aidan Swanson, Clemson, P, Tampa, Fla. Swanson placed a career-high five of his six punts inside the 20-yard line in Clemson’s win over Notre Dame, the most punts placed inside the 20 by a Clemson punter since Will Spiers in the National Championship Game to end the 2019 season (five vs. LSU). His lone punt that was not downed inside the 20 was a booming kick that resulted in a Notre Dame muff recovered by Clemson. Swanson was responsible for five of Clemson's season-high six punts inside the 20, a total that included a surprise pooch punt by Cade Klubnik against the Fighting Irish. In the win, he averaged 44.2 yards on six punts with a long of 57 yards. ROOKIE – Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami, RB, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Fletcher made the first start of his collegiate career count on Saturday evening, rushing for a career-high 115 yards on a career-best 23 carries in Miami's game at NC State. Fletcher posted the first 100-yard game of his career and added three catches totaling 17 yards out of the backfield.
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