PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors for the final week of the college football regular season.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Paxton Lynch • Sr. • QB • Memphis • Deltona, Fla.
Lynch played only in the first half of Memphis’ 63-0 win against SMU, but still set school and American Athletic Conference records with seven touchdown passes against the Mustangs. Lynch had two more TD passes than he had incomplete passes on a day in which he connected on 9 of 14 attempts for 222 yards. Lynch’s performance tied the NCAA FBS mark for touchdown passes in a half, while he extended his own school single-season records to 3,670 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Matakevich • Sr. • LB • Temple • Stratford, Conn.
Matakevich led a Temple defense that limited UConn to nine rushing yards and 138 yards of total offense as the Owls clinched a spot in the American Athletic Conference Football Championship with a 27-3 win against the Huskies. Matakevich had a hand in 11 tackles on the Huskies’ 47 offensive plays as he finished with six solo stops and five assists to go with 1.5 tackles for loss. It was the second straight game in which Temple did not allow a touchdown, while it was the fourth game this season in which the Owls did not allow the opposing offense to find the end zone.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Andrew Gantz • So. • K • Cincinnati • Dayton, Ohio
Gantz hit a pair of long second-half field goals, including a 42-yard kick at the final gun, to lift Cincinnati to a 19-16 win at East Carolina. Gantz hit from 50 yards in the third quarter to give the Bearcats a 16-10 lead, while his gamewinner capped a 12-play drive that gave the Bearcats their seventh win of the season. It was the second straight year in which Gantz made a go-ahead field goal in the closing seconds against the Pirates, following his 47-yard kick last year, which gave Cincinnati a 48-46 lead with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Greg Ward Jr. • Jr. • QB • Houston • Tyler, Texas
Completed 26 of 35 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards and a TD in a 52-31 win against No. 15/16 Navy.
Elandon Roberts • Sr. • LB • Houston • Port Arthur, Texas
Had seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses, in a 52-31 win against No. 15/16 Navy.
Jahad Thomas • Jr. • RB • Temple • Elizabeth, N.J.
Rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 27-3 win against UConn.
Keyarris Garrett • Sr. • WR • Tulsa • Daingerfield, Texas
Had 10 receptions for 216 yards and a touchdown in a 45-34 win at Tulane.
Craig Suits • So. • LB • Tulsa • Sunnyvale, Texas
Had four tackles, a tackle for loss and a game-tying, 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 45-34 win at Tulane.