Downs Again Named Pac-12 Player of the Week
For the second time in just three weeks, Cal senior linebacker Devante Downs was named Pac-12 Player of the Week after his dominating performance in Cal's 27-16 win over Ole Miss Saturday night.
Here are this weeks awardees courtesy of Pac12.com:
OFFENSIVE: Luke Falk, SR, QB, Washington State
• In WSU's 52-23 win over Oregon State, Falk completed 37-of-49 passes (75.5 percent) for 396 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Falk's six touchdown passes pushed his career total to 98, passing Jared Goff (Cal) for 4th-most in Pac-12 history.
• Falk recorded his eighth career 5-TD game and tied a WSU record with six touchdown passes.
• Falk threw for 396 yards, upping his career total to 11,793, 5th-most in Pac-12 history and tallied 380 yards of total offense, upping his career total to 11,521, 7th-most in Pac-12 history.
DEFENSIVE: Devante Downs, SR, LB, California
• Downs totaled a career-high and game-high-tying 14 tackles, 2.0 sacks (-13 yards) and 3.0 tackles for loss (-21 yards). He added his fifth career interception and second of the season in leading Cal to a 27-16 win over Ole Miss.
• Downs is also the Pac-12's leading tackler, and tied for 14th nationally, over the first three games of the 2017 campaign with 10.7 tackles per game.
• Downs has been key in leading a Cal defense that has allowed an average of 22.0 points per game in the opening three contests after giving up 42.6 points per game in 2016.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Dante Pettis, SR, PR, Washington
• Pettis tied two NCAA records and one school record in the sixth-ranked Huskies' 48-16 win over Fresno State.
• Pettis returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown, tying the NCAA record for career punt return TDs, with his eighth.
• He's also the third player in NCAA history to return a punt for a score in three consecutive games, as he also did it against Rutgers and Montana. He's already tied the UW record for single-season punt return TDs with three this year (with at least nine games to play).
• He also had five receptions for 92 yards and three touchdowns, scoring from four, seven and 73 yards to tie his career high for TD receptions in a game. And for good measure, he also completed a 39-yard pass to tight end Hunter Bryant on Washington’s first offensive play of the game.
ALSO NOMINATED:
OFFENSIVE: Brandon Dawkins, ARIZ; Manny Wilkins, ASU; Jake Curhan, CAL; Steven Montez, COLO; Royce Freeman, ORE; Bryce Love, STAN; Darren Andrews, UCLA; Deontay Burnett, USC; Tyler Huntley, UTAH.
DEFENSIVE: Colin Schooler, ARIZ; Troye Dye, ORE; Harrison Phillips, STAN; Christian Rector, USC; Sunia Tauteoli, UTAH; Frankie Luvu, WSU.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Shun Brown, ARIZ; Dylan Klumph, CAL; Chase McGrath, USC; Matt Gay, UTAH.
Prior week awardees:
Sep. 5 Josh Rosen, UCLADevante Downs, CALJake Olsen, USC
Sept. 11 Sam Darnold, USCPeyton Pelluer, WSUDante Pettis, WASH
Sept. 17 Luke Falk, WSUDevante Downs, CALDante Pettis, WASH