Stats Perform FCS National Awards (Week 5)

Opta Analyst’s FCS football coverage includes weekly national player and team honors throughout the regular season and will lead toward the annual season-ending FCS National Awards Banquet, scheduled for Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. 

Stony Brook’s Roland Dempster, Tennessee Tech’s Theron Gaines, Drake’s Shane Dunning and Dayton’s Drew VanVleet were selected Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week for Week 5 college football games ending on Sept. 28.

In addition, the ETSU Buccaneers were named the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week.

The five honorees plus honorable mention selections for the FCS National Awards:

Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week

Roland Dempster, Stony Brook, RB, R-Sr., 6-0, 225, Staten Island, New York

The workhorse running back carried the ball 25 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns in a 22-3 victory over Morgan State, adding two receptions for 59 yards to gain a career-high 217 yards from scrimmage. He’s had 150+ rushing yards three times and rushed for nine TDs during Stony Brook’s four-game winning streak (they finished 0-10 last season).

Honorable Mention: Chase Artopoeus, QB, Chattanooga; Jeff Caldwell, WR, Lindenwood; Jacob Clark, QB, Missouri State; Jermaine Corbett, RB, Merrimack; Logan Fife, QB, Montana; Miles Hastings, QB, UC Davis; Sam Hicks, RB, Abilene Christian; Antonio Martinez Jr., RB, Southeastern Louisiana; Alex McLaughlin, DB, Northern Arizona; Sone Ntoh, RB, Monmouth; Treyvhon Saunders, WR, Colgate; Isaiah Smith, RB, North Dakota; Jameson Wang, QB, Cornell

Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week

Theron Gaines, Tennessee Tech, DE, Jr., 6-1, 237, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Gaines racked up career highs with seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (38 yards in losses) and three sacks, and forced a fumble as TTU won at defending Big South-OVC co-champ Gardner-Webb 52-21. The fumble was scooped up by teammate Daniel Rickert and returned 50 yards for a touchdown. For the first time since 2011, the Golden Eagles are off to a 2-0 start in conference play.

Honorable Mention: Noah Benza, DL, Morehead State; Preston Murray, S, Georgetown; Malcolm Reed, DB, North Carolina Central; Edwin Summerour Jr., DB, Alcorn State; Gavin Willis, LB, Bucknell

Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week

Shane Dunning, Drake, PK/P, Grad, 6-0, 212, Muskego, Wisconsin

Coming up clutch, Dunning kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Bulldogs past San Diego 30-28 – their 12th straight win in the Pioneer Football League. He was 3 of 3 on field goals and 3 of 3 on extra points while scoring 12 points. He also boomed an 81-yard punt, kicking a half-dozen for a 44.8-yard average.

Honorable Mention: Gilbert Brown, P, Charleston Southern; Joshua Brown, P, Wagner; C.J. Elrichs, PK, North Dakota; Brandon Gilliam, PK, Alabama State; Hunter Green, PK/P, Northern Colorado; Makhi Green, RB/Returns, Monmouth; Finn Lappin, P, McNeese; Owen Zalc, PK, Dartmouth

Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week

Drew VanVleet, Dayton, QB, R-Fr., 6-5, 205, Richmond, Indiana

VanVleet continues to blossom behind center, going 23-for-35 and collecting career highs with 323 passing yards and five touchdowns passes in a 47-14 victory at Marist in the PFL. The five TD passes went to four different receivers and tied for the second-most in a game in Flyers history. VanVleet had a 184.7 passer rating, throwing one interception.

Honorable Mention: David Avit, RB, Villanova; Sanders Ellis, LB, Tennessee State; CJ Fraser, CB, Richmond; Collin Hurst, QB, Presbyterian; Ayden Jones, LB, Prairie View A&M; Aidan Littles, RB, Tennessee Tech

Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week

ETSU (34-17 win at The Citadel)

First-year coach Tre Lamb’s Buccaneers overcame the adversity of a bus trip in and around areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene, including being stranded for over 12 hours in the mountains of west North Carolina. They went on to capture their Southern Conference opener and improve to 3-2 behind the rushing of Bryson Irby (126 yards, touchdown) and Khamran Laborn (117 yards, two TDs), and defensive back Jimmy Bowdry’s pick-six.

Honorable Mention: McNeese (28-26 win at then-No. 10 Weber State); Northern Arizona (34-16 win over then-No. 10 Sacramento State); UT Martin (24-13 win at Kennesaw State)

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