CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Lehigh senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky earned Corvias Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second-consecutive week, after passing for a career-high 462 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Princeton. Colgate junior defensive end Pat Afriyie had 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks to earn his first defensive player of the week award this season.
Georgetown senior punter Harry McCollum averaged 41.1 yards per punt on 14 attempts to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, while Fordham’s freshman linebacker Max Roberts was selected as the League’s top rookie with 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Fordham junior running back Chase Edmonds was selected as a Patriot League honorable mention after scoring all four of the Rams touchdowns in a win over Penn on Saturday. He is joined by teammate and senior linebacker George Dawson, Georgetown’s junior safety David Akere, Lehigh’s senior linebacker Colton Caslow and Colgate sophomore defensive back Ben Hunt.
Overall the Patriot League went 3-4 on Saturday, as Georgetown remains the lone unbeaten team. The Hoyas along with Fordham and Lehigh each earned victories over Ivy League opponents. Colgate and Lafayette both fell to teams ranked in the top-25.
Corvias Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Shafnisky, Lehigh, Sr., QB, 6-2, 220, Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall
Shafnisky earns his second-consecutive player of the week honor after completing a career-high 29 passes on 36 attempts (.805 completion percentage), while tying a career-high with four touchdown passes. His 461 passing yards, also a career-high, was 19 short of the single-game Lehigh record set by Scott Semptimphelter (at Lafayette, 1992). The Mountain Hawks have scored over 40 points in consecutive weeks to earn wins over Ivy League opponents. Lehigh currently possesses the top passing offense in the League, averaging 296.5 yards per game.
Corvias Defensive Player of the Week
Pat Afriyie, Colgate, Jr., DE, 6-2, 240, Sandy Hook, Conn./Sandy Hook
Afriyie finished with nine tackles, 3.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks for a loss of 18 yards against No. 7/9 Richmond. Afriyie also had two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries to lead the defensive effort. Afriyie’s 18 career sacks is 10.5 shy of Colgate’s career record of 28.5.
Corvias Special Teams Player of the Week
Harry McCollum, Georgetown, Sr., P, 6-3, 190, Arlington Heights, Ill./Saint Viator
McCollum earns his first Special Teams Player of the Week honor after averaging 41.1 yards per punt on 14 punts in the Hoyas 17-14 victory over Columbia on Saturday. He pinned two punts inside the 20-yard line, had two touchbacks and a long of 53 yards to help GU’s field position in an eventual three-point victory. His final punt of the game placed Columbia at their own six-yard line. McCollum is currently tied for seventh among active FCS punters with a 41.2 career yards per punt average.
Corvias Rookie of the Week
Max Roberts, Fordham, Fr., LB, 6-1, 222, Delaware, Ohio/Delaware Hayes
Roberts had a career day finishing with 11 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries in Fordham’s 31-17 victory over Penn. Prior to Saturday, Roberts had just five career tackles over his first two collegiate games. Roberts forced fumbles on consecutive possessions to start the second quarter, helping the Rams take a 24-7 lead.
Honorable Mention:
Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Jr., RB, 5-9, 205, Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East
Edmonds scored all four of the Fordham’s touchdowns, three rushing and one receiving, in a 31-17 win over Penn on Saturday. The preseason All-American rushed for 152 yards on 29 carries and also caught four passes for 49 yards for the Rams. Edmonds also surpassed Kirwin Watson to become Fordham’s career leader with 53 touchdowns.
David Akere, Georgetown, Jr., DB, 6-1, 202, Carrollton, Texas/Hebron
Akere tied for the team lead with 11 tackles, adding a half tackle for loss of three yards in Georgetown’s win over Columbia on Saturday. Akere intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards in the second quarter, helping the Hoyas hold the Lions scoreless in the first half. The junior captain also broke up two passes to help GU start 3-0 for the first time since 1999.
Colton Caslow, Lehigh, Sr., LB, 6-1, 230, Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lake Brantley
Caslow led the Mountain Hawks with seven tackles, matching a career-high with 2.0 tackles for loss of 10 yards and 1.0 sack in their win over Princeton on Saturday. Caslow also intercepted a pass, returning it 13 yards and forced a fumble.
George Dawson, Fordham, Sr., LB, 6-2, 224, Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes
Dawson finished with a team-high 12 tackles, including 1.0 TFL in the Rams victory over Penn. Dawson intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards, while also breaking up two passes.
Ben Hunt, Colgate, So., DB, 6-0, 185, Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape Regional
Hunt recovered a blocked punt and scored on an 11-yard return to give No. 23/21 Colgate a 14-10 first half lead over No. 7/9 Richmond on Saturday.