CAA Football Weekly Awards - Oct. 2
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (October 2, 2017) – CAA Football has announced its weekly award winners for Week 5 of the 2017 season. Earning honors were James Madison junior running back Trai Sharp, Elon junior defensive back Tyler Campbell, Stony Brook junior defensive lineman John Haggart, Villanova senior punter John Hinchen and William & Mary freshman running back Nate Evans.
CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week
Trai Sharp, Jr., RB, James Madison (Carrboro, N.C/Carrboro)
Sharp rushed for a career-high 185 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries in James Madison’s 20-10 victory at Delaware. The junior running back averaged 5.1 yards per carry against a Blue Hens’ defense that was allowing just 62 yards per game on the ground. He also caught three passes for 13 yards as JMU won its CAA record-tying 17
th straight game.
CAA Football Defensive Players of the Week
Tyler Campbell, Jr., DB, Elon (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge)
Campbell made four tackles and intercepted two passes in No. 23 Elon’s 6-0 shutout of No. 19 UAlbany. The junior was part of a sensational defensive effort by the Phoenix, who allowed just 224 total yards and recorded their first shutout since 2009. His second interception was returned 48 yards and set up a fourth-quarter field goal.
John Haggart, Jr., DL, Stony Brook (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville)
Haggart made seven unassisted tackles and matched his career-high with three sacks in Stony Brook’s 21-18 road win at William & Mary. The junior defensive lineman led a Seawolves’ defense that held the Tribe to 88 yards on the ground and didn’t allow a point over the game’s first 40 minutes as they improved to 3-0 in league play.
CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
John Hinchen, Sr., P, Villanova (Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands)
Hinchen averaged 45.0 yards on five punts in Villanova’s 24-9 win at Towson. The senior helped the Wildcats flip field position in a tight game, unleashing punts of 52 and 55 yards with his team inside its own 25-yard line. He leads the CAA with a 43.3-yard average for the season.
CAA Football Rookie of the Week
Nate Evans, Fr., RB, William & Mary (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis)
Evans accounted for 162 all-purpose yards and scored a touchdown in William & Mary’s narrow 21-18 setback to Stony Brook. The true freshman rushed for a team-high 82 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries (5.9 ypg) and made a team-best five receptions for 80 yards.