Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – It’s very fitting this week to have
specific players win The Sports Network FCS National Players of the Week,
combining their performances with the end of the regular season as it now
dissolves into the playoffs.
Specifically it was Jordan Wiggs and Chima Uzowihe who summed up their teams’
seasons, and even extended them, as they made plays that earned these national
spotlight awards. Wiggs, the place-kicker for Stephen F. Austin, kicked a game-
winning 41-yard field goal as time expired to hand his Lumberjacks a 27-24 win,
which pushed the team through to the postseason.
Uzowihe, a defensive lineman for Liberty, broke through on a Coastal Carolina
field goal try, also on the game’s final play, and blocked the Chanticleers’
attempt that, if made, would have given Coastal not only the outright Big South
title but left Liberty on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Thanks to the
blocked field goal, Liberty won, 15-14, and the Flames were handed the Big
South title and the conference’s automatic playoff bid.
And with Fordham having already locked up the Patriot League title and with no
playoff bid on the line, Lafayette senior Ross Scheuerman decided to make the
most of his final collegiate game. The running back took advantage of the big
stage at Yankee Stadium in the 150th meeting of Lafayette-Lehigh, rushing for a
Patriot League-record 304 yards with three touchdowns.
The performances in the final week of the season were like the concluding
paragraph of an essay or a book – they encapsulated everything within the 2014
season perfectly, and sent the FCS into the playoffs on a high note.
Scheuerman, Wiggs and Uzowihe, along with Tennessee State’s Michael German,
Montana’s Matt Hermanson and Sam Houston State’s P.J. Hall have all been named
The Sports Network FCS National Players of the Week following Week 13 action at
the FCS level.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Ross Scheuerman, Lafayette, RB, Sr., 6-1, 205, Cream Ridge, New Jersey
What a way to end the season. Not only was it the historic 150th meeting
between Lafayette and Lehigh (played at Yankee Stadium), but Scheuerman decided
to give fans in attendance another show. The senior tailback rushed for a
school- and Patriot League-record 304 yards with three touchdowns on a whopping
45 carries in the Leopards’ 27-7 season-ending victory over the Mountain Hawks.
Scheuerman padded his stats with three receptions for 53 yards, giving him 357
all-purpose yards in his final game. His 304 rushing yards broke the old school
mark of 269, set back in 1982, and the Patriot League record of 291 in a single
game, set in 2010. His 357 all-purpose yards were good for third in a single
game in league history, and his 45 carries were one off the school and Patriot
League record of 46, set back in 1992. Talk about going out with a bang.
Michael German, Tennessee State, QB, Sr., 6-3, 235, Pompano Beach, Florida
German had a stellar performance in his final game as a member of the Tigers.
Known primarily as a defensive program, Tennessee State got a ton of offense
out of the senior signal caller in the Tigers’ 48-33 win over Murray State in
an Ohio Valley Conference clash Saturday. German set a Tennessee State school
record with 463 yards, completing 28-of-48 pass attempts with six touchdowns
through the air. The quarterback contributed a rushing touchdown for his
seventh score of the day, finishing with 11 rushing yards on three carries. The
senior ranks 10th nationally in the FCS in points responsible for per game
(16.6). The 6-6 Tigers aren’t playoff bound, so it was a strong way for German
to go out on top.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Matt Hermanson, Montana, FS, Sr., 6-1, 198, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Hermanson came up huge for the Grizzlies when his team needed a season-ending
win the most. The safety registered eight tackles, three interceptions and a
pass breakup against in-state rival Montana State in a 34-7 Big Sky Conference
win which got his team into the FCS playoffs. His first interception came in
the first quarter and set up the first touchdown of the game. His second pick,
this one in the second quarter, helped his team achieve a 20-0 advantage. It’s
the first time a Big Sky player has intercepted three passes in a game since
2009.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Jordan Wiggs, Stephen F. Austin, PK, Sr., 5-10, 206, Grand Prairie, Texas
Wiggs put the finishing touches on a turnaround season for the Lumberjacks in
the 2014 regular-season finale, connecting on a 41-yard field goal as time
expired to give Stephen F. Austin a 27-24 win over Northwestern State, which
sent the Lumberjacks to the 2014 postseason. Wiggs finished the final regular-
season contest of his collegiate career by hitting both of his field goal
attempts and going a perfect 3-for-3 on extra point tries against the Demons.
Chima Uzowihe, Liberty, DL, Jr., 6-2, 250, Houston, Texas
Uzowihe played the role of hero for the Flames, as he blocked a 26-yard chip-
shot field goal attempt by Coastal Carolina on the final play of Liberty’s
one-point victory over the previously unbeaten Chanticleers. Uzowihe
contributed three tackles on defense, notching his seventh sack of the season.
The blocked field goal was the second on the year for the lineman, tying a
program single-season record.
FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State, DE, R-Fr., 6-1, 270, Seguin, Texas
Hall has made his case for the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the FCS
freshman of the year, well known this season, and the redshirt freshman for the
playoff-bound Bearkats ended things off on a high note Saturday. Sam Houston
State took down Southland Conference rival Central Arkansas, 38-31, thanks to a
huge defensive effort from Hall. He contributed four total tackles in the game,
and registered two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal in the
seven-point victory. It’s the third conference title for Sam Houston State,
which ranks 34th in the FCS in team tackles for loss (6.7 per game), in four
years.
