CHICAGO – Nov. 19, 2018 –– In the final full week of the FCS regular season, a number of players left a lasting image as they fueled their teams to victories.
Princeton wide receiver Jesper Horsted, Montana State linebacker Grant Collins, Maine kick returner Earnest Edwards and Morgan State quarterback D.J. Golatt Jr. posted some of the best performances in the nation.
On Monday, the four players were recognized as the STATS FCS National Players of the Week for Week 12 games ending on Nov. 17.
NATIONAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jesper Horsted, Princeton, WR, Sr., 6-4, 225, Shoreview, Minnesota
When Princeton sought to complete a perfect season, the ball was put in the hands of Horsted, who responded with four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 42-14 win over Ivy League rival Penn. He caught eight passes for 165 yards and three TDs, including a 20-yarder in the third quarter after the Quakers had pulled within 21-14, and rushed for a 19-yard score. Also an All-Ivy baseball standout, Horsted became Princeton’s all-time leader in receptions (196) and finished second in receiving yards (2,703). The Tigers (10-0) posted their first unbeaten season since 1964.
Honorable Mention: Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington; Aaron Forbes, RB, Villanova; Ryan Fulse, RB, Wagner; Devlin Hodges, QB, Samford; James Holland Jr., RB, Colgate; Jake Maier, QB, UC Davis; Colin McGovern, QB, Stetson; Jalen Morton, QB, Prairie View A&M; Caylin Newton, QB, Howard; Anthony Olivencia, WR, Marist; Donald Parham, TE, Stetson; James Robinson, RB, Illinois State; Reggie White Jr., WR, Monmouth; Tucker Yinger, RB, Dayton
NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Montana State senior linebacker Grant Collins tries to tackle Jerry Louie-McGee in Missoula/ by Brooks Nuanez
Grant Collins, Montana State, LB, R-Sr., 6-4, 240, Bozeman, Montana
Collins made a number of decisive plays in Montana State’s 29-25 victory over Big Sky archrival Montana. The biggest occurred when Montana was one yard away from a potential go-ahead touchdown and Collins jarred the ball away from a UM running back, which the Bobcats recovered with six seconds left. The play before, Collins was in a tackle to stop UM at the 1. On UM’s previous drive, Collins forced a fumble and recovered it in Grizzlies territory to set up the scoring drive that gave the Bobcats their first lead. He finished with a team-high 12 tackles, including one for loss and a half sack.
Honorable Mention: James Allen, DB, Charleston Southern; Ryan Brady, LB, Holy Cross; Cam Gill, LB, Wagner; Zach Hall, LB, Southeast Missouri; T.J. Holl, LB, Colgate; Maurice Jackson, DL, Richmond; Ahmani Martin, DB, Nicholls; Zach Miller, S, Harvard; Tydarius Peters, S, Bethune-Cookman; Alex Rogers, DB, Drake
NATIONAL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Earnest Edwards, Maine, KR/WR, Jr., 5-10, 175, Rochester, New York
The 2017 All-CAA first-team kick returner became the first player in conference history to tally two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, and it helped Maine edge Elon 27-26 for an outright conference title. He returned a kick 95 yards for a score in the second quarter and followed with a 93-yard return for a TD in the third quarter.
Honorable Mention: Je’Quan Burton, KR/WR, Southern Illinois; Jean Constant, KR/WR, Bryant; Jamie Gillan, PK/P, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Will Horton, PK, Western Carolina; Macklin Kortebein, ST/DB, Holy Cross; Mike Roussos, RS, Columbia; Matt Shiel, P, Mercer; Dan Whelan, P, UC Davis
NATIONAL FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
D.J. Golatt Jr., Morgan State, QB, R-Fr., 6-2, 220, Largo, Maryland
Golatt took over the offense in late October and engineered a two-game season-ending win streak, accounting for 324 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a 44-27 MEAC win at Norfolk State – Morgan State’s first over the Spartans since 2006. He completed 17 of 23 passes for three TDs and one interception and rushed for 156 yards and a TD on 20 carries.
Honorable Mention: Zion Custis, RB/RS, Southeast Missouri; Adrian Hope, LB, Furman; Patrick McKinney, QB, Eastern Kentucky; Dante Smith, RB, The Citadel; Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State; Brennan Young, LB, Houston Baptist
