Team of the Week

Presented by

Games of Sept. 29, 2012

Offense
QB Chase Belton, Sr., Wabash
Belton set a Wabash record by producing a total of seven touchdowns in the Little Giants' 54-28 victory over Carnegie Mellon. Belton threw for four TDs and ran for three more. He led the Little Giants with 20 rushes for 193 yards, while completing 13 of 23 passes for 183 yards.

OL Sam Cluck (LT), Derek Therrien (LG), Troy Bedard (C), Tuli Leota (RG), Parker Kenyon (RT), Cornell
The Rams ran for 261 yards, more than twice its previous season high, in a 48-8 win at Beloit. Cornell allowed just one sack in the win.

RB James Clay, Sr., Mount St. Joseph
Clay set the program's single-game rushing record with 342 yards, scoring four touchdowns on 32 carries. He finished with 304 all-purpose yards and went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season.

RB Jeremiah McKibbins, So., Chapman
McKibbins scored a Chapman rushing record five touchdowns, four of which came in the second half, to go along with 251 yards rushing on 31 carries in the team's 49-35 win at Whittier on Saturday. McKibbins scored on touchdown runs of 1 yard, 2 yards, twice from 4 yards out and one from 16 yards.

WR Austin Morgan, Fr., Dubuque
Morgan caught a Iowa Conference-record 21 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown in Dubuque's 31-24 loss to Central. 

WR Eric Rogers, Sr., Cal Lutheran
Rogers caught three touchdown passes and scored on a 38-yard run on a reverse in a 38-10 win against Pomona-Pitzer. He caught nine passes for 135 yards and three TDs. In the second stanza he caught a 19-yard pass for his first of the night and on the next CLU possession followed up with a 9-yard TD reception to tie the mark. In the third quarter he caught a 32-yard TD for the record 26th career TD catch.

TE Casey Hippert, So., Worcester State
Hippert hauled in six passes for a career-best 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 47-34 triumph over Maine Maritime. He also helped the offensive line pave the way for 407 yards of total offense. 

Defense
DE Ryan Ericksen, Sr., UW-Stout
Ericksen recorded three solo sacks for 16 yards and a forced fumble in the first half of a 21-13 loss at UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 29. He also had a tackle for loss when he dumped a receiver for a 6-yard loss on third down in the third quarter, forcing a punt. Ericksen finished the day with five tackles, all solo.

DT Ben Poirer, So., Heidelberg
Poirer racked up eight solo tackles, seven of them for loss and four sacks in Heidelberg's 56-24 win against Marietta.

DE Jon Lowery, Jr., Washington and Jefferson
Lowery had four sacks, all of which came during the second half in which the Presidents overcame a 20-7 halftime deficit to defeat Bethany. Three of the sacks came on third downs. He had eight tackles, all solo, and forced a fumble.

LB Rudy DeStefano, Sr., Allegheny
DeStefano enjoyed a career day as he helped trigger a dominating defensive stand for Allegheny in the fourth quarter of its 15-3 victory over Oberlin. DeStefano totaled a career-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops while anchoring a defense that surrendered zero yards in the final 15 minutes of regulation.

LB Taylor Goodman, Sr., UW-Oshkosh
Goodman totaled 13 tackles, including a sack, during UW-Oshkosh's 19-7 victory over UW-River Falls. On UW-Oshkosh's second defensive series, Goodman got a quarterback sack on second down. The next play was a screen pass, and Goodman tackled the receiver for a 2-yard loss. Goodman finished the game with 11 solo tackles and two forced fumbles. His forced fumble on the Falcons' first possession led to a UW-Oshkosh field goal.

LB Frankie Bray, Jr., Eureka
Bray filled the stat sheet for a Eureka defense that allowed negative rushing yardage in a 31-18 UMAC victory at Westminster (Mo.). Bray had two interceptions, one of which was returned 40 yards for the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The third-year linebacker also set or matched career-highs with nine total tackles, five solo tackles, 1.0 sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.

LB Pat Dansdill, Sr., Wheaton (Ill.)
Dansdill had a career-best 10 tackles, all solo, in a win at Augustana. He also forced two fumbles, recovering one, and had two tackles for loss.

CB Andre Carter, Jr., Salisbury
Carter made a team-high eight tackles (five solo) and broke up a game-best five passes in the No. 7 Sea Gulls' 20-7 win at Buffalo State. Carter helped limit the Bengals to 142 yards and an interception on 13-for-30 passing.

S Zach Autenrieb, Sr., Thomas More
Autenrieb's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was his second in the game and 29 career interceptions, tying him for the Division III career interception record. He also had eight tackles, all solo.

S Ty Johnson, Fr., Texas Lutheran
Johnson had 11 tackles, six solo and forced two fumbles in a 34-28 win against East Texas Baptist. The Bulldogs recovered both fumbles and converted the second into a touchdown.

CB Colin Masterson, Jr., Widener
Masterson returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown with 2:11 left that helped forge a 37-37 tie after Widener trailed 37-21. Masterson ended the contest with six tackles that included five solos.

Special teams
K Jordan Gay, Sr., Centre
Gay kicked three field goals, including a school record 53-yarder in Centre's first SAA game against Millsaps. The senior specialist broke his own school record of 52 yards with a kick into the wind in the second quarter to cut the Millsaps lead to 7-3. Gay also drilled attempts of 49 yards and 28 yards in the third quarter. In addition, Gay punted twice with a long of 47.

P Christian Hallingstad, Sr., UW-La Crosse
Hallingstad averaged 48.1 yards on eight punts in UW-L's 19-16 win at UW-Stevens Point. He had three punts inside the 20-yard line and three punts of 50 yards or longer. 

ST Joey Buckley, Jr., Salisbury
Buckley posted the game-winning touchdown in the No. 7 Sea Gulls' 20-7 win at Buffalo State to open Empire 8 play. Buckley blocked Buffalo State punter Joe Going's second-quarter kick on the Bengals 3-yard line and ran it into the end zone for a 13-0 lead.

RET Sam Thompson, Sr., Carnegie Mellon
Thompson set a school record with a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Tartans' 54-28 setback at No. 17 Wabash. Thompson's punt return for a touchdown was a first for a Tartan in 13 years.