Nov. 14, 2011
Center Valley, Pa. - Two student-athletes that contributed greatly to No. 6 Lehigh's title-clinching win over Georgetown on Saturday were honored as Patriot League Football Players of the Week on Monday, along with Bucknell junior running back Tyler Smith following a record-setting performance.
Junior defensive back Bryan Andrews and sophomore punter/kicker Tim Divers were both selected after helping Lehigh to a 34-12 victory over the Hoyas. Andrews had a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown to put Lehigh up 27-12 in the third quarter and finished with two picks in the game to earn the Defensive Player of the Week award, while Divers made a pair of first-half field goals and punted five times in the contest and took home his third Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honor of the season.
Smith carried 28 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns in Bucknell's 21-0 shutout of Fordham, giving him a Bucknell record 416 yards on the ground in consecutive games. He was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. Holy Cross freshman defensive back/kick returner Ben Coffaro claimed the League's Rookie of the Week award after recording a game-clinching interception in the end zone in the final seconds of the Crusaders' 29-24 victory over Lafayette.
Patriot League Weekly Awards (Nov. 12)
Offensive Player of the Week
Tyler Smith, RB, Bucknell Jr., 5-9, 195 (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn)
Smith recorded his second consecutive 200-yard rushing game by carrying 28 times for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Bucknell's 21-0 shutout of Fordham on Saturday. He set a Bucknell record with 416 rushing yards in consecutive games, and became the fourth Bison player with at least two 200-yard rushing games in a career. Smith tallied 234 all-purpose yards in the game, marking the second-highest total in his career. His 786 rushing yards for the season are the most for a Bucknell player since 2003. Smith becomes Bucknell's first Offensive Player of the Week winner since C.J. Hopson in 2009.
Defensive Player of the Week
Bryan Andrews, DB, Lehigh Jr., 6-0, 175 (Evans, Ga./Greenbrier)
With Lehigh's lead cut to 20-12 over Georgetown in the third quarter, Andrews came up with an interception off a tipped ball and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown to give the Mountain Hawks a cushion in an eventual 34-12 win that clinched a second consecutive Patriot League title. Andrews also had an interception in the first half that set up a field goal to put Lehigh ahead 20-6 at intermission. He added three tackles to the two interceptions and the touchdown was the first in his career. Andrews claims his first Defensive Player of the Week award.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Tim Divers, P/K, Lehigh So., 5-10, 180 (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills)
Divers had a strong performance in Lehigh's 34-12 Patriot League title-clinching win over Georgetown on Saturday. He connected on field goals of 24 and 32 yards in the first half as the Mountain Hawks took a 20-6 lead at the break. He also punted five times for a 32.8 average, with two inside the 20 including a 63-yard punt that was downed at the one yard line. Divers claims his third Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week award of the season.
Rookie of the Week
Ben Coffaro, CB/KR, Holy Cross Fr., 5-9, 180 (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder)
Coffaro had a game-clinching interception in the end zone with 12 seconds left as Holy Cross held on for a 29-24 win over Lafayette on Saturday. He also had two tackles and a pass breakup and returned three kickoffs for 80 yards (26.7 avg) in the game. The interception was the first of his career. Coffaro claims his first Rookie of the Week award.
Honorable Mention
Chris Lum, QB, Lehigh Sr., 6-2, 205 (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion)
Lum completed 32-of-48 passes for 393 yards without an interception and also ran for a score in Lehigh's Patriot League title-clinching 34-12 win over Georgetown on Saturday.
Bryce Robertson, DB, Bucknell Sr., 5-9, 180 (Reserve, La./East St. John)
Robertson had two more interceptions in Bucknell's 21-0 win over Fordham on Saturday. He set a Bucknell record and increased his Patriot League record to 12 for the season with his third consecutive and fourth overall multi-interception game in 2011.
Eddie Houghton, RB, Holy Cross Jr., 5-11, 223 (Toronto, Ontario/St. Michael's)
Houghton carried 17 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:06 to play, as the Crusaders defeated Lafayette 29-24.