Wilson, Dunn Honored By ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized following their standout performances in last weekend’s games.
The selections are determined by a vote of a 16-member media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
QUARTERBACK – Dennis Grosel, Boston College, Jr., QB, Wiloughby, Ohio
Tied a 38-year-old BC single-game record originally set by Doug Flutie with 520 passing yards in Saturday’s 43-32 road loss at Virginia • Set a career high with 32 pass completions and matched his career high with three touchdown passes • Surpassed his previous career high of 229 passing yards in a single game with 251 yards in the first half alone • Grosel’s 520 yards passing were the most ever allowed by Virginia in a game and the most by an Eagles quarterback since Chris Crane’s 428 at NC State in 2008.
CO-RUNNING BACK – Kyren Williams, Notre Dame, R-Fr., RB, St. Louis, Mo.
Eclipsed the 1,000-yards rushing mark for the season with 110 in the No. 2 Fighting Irish’s 45-21 win over Syracuse • First Notre Dame player since Josh Adams in 2017 to reach 1,000 yards rushing for a season • Leads all FBS freshmen in rushing touchdowns (12), total touchdowns (13) and total rushing yards (1,011) • Ranks eighth among all FBS players nationally in rushing TDs, ninth in total TDs and fifth in rushing yards.
CO-RUNNING BACK – Sean Tucker, Syracuse, Fr., RB, Owings Mills, Md.
Became the first player to rush for more than 100 yards against Notre Dame this season with 113 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries • Led the way for Syracuse’s offense, which registered a season-high 229 yards on the ground and 414 yards of total offense • Also caught two passes for 46 yards, the second-most yardage by Orange receiver in Saturday’s game.
RECEIVER – Javon McKinley, Notre Dame, Gr., WR, Corona, Calif.
Caught seven passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns in No. 2 Notre Dame’s 45-21 win over Syracuse • The three touchdown receptions marked a career-high and were his first three touchdowns of this season • McKinley scored two of his three TDs in the first half, marking the first time he has scored multiple touchdowns in a single half • Joined Ben Skowronek (versus Pitt) as the second Irish player to post a three-touchdown receiving game this season• McKinley and Skowronek are the only two players in Notre Dame history to record three touchdown catches versus a Power 5 opponent.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Ryan Swoboda, Virginia, Jr., RT, Windermere, Fla.
Graded out at a near-perfect 96 percent in pass protection (allowing no sacks) in Saturday’s 43-32 win over Boston College • Added a run-blocking score of 86 percent to grade out at 91 percent overall • His four “flat back” blocks helped the Cavalier offense generate a season-high 262 rushing yards and a season-high 549 yards of total offense.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Quincy Roche, Miami, Sr., DE, Randallstown, Md.
Showed no rust after three weeks off, as he led the Hurricanes’ defense in Saturday night’s 48-0 win over Duke • Three of his six total tackles were for loss • Finished with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to earn the right to wear the turnover chain for the third time this season • Roche is the FBS’ active leader in career sacks and tackles for loss.
LINEBACKER – Payton Wilson, NC State, So., LB, Hillsborough, N.C.
Despite suffering dislocations of both shoulders in the first half of Saturday’s 23-13 win over Georgia Tech, led NC State with 11 tackles while playing a season low 53 snaps • Registered 2.5 tackles for loss • Made two third-down tackles and helped on another third-down stop with a quarterback hurry.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Clarence Lewis, Notre Dame, Fr., CB, Edison, N.J.
True freshman led the Irish with 12 tackles in Saturday’s win over Syracuse, the most by a Notre Dame player in a single game since Julian Love’s 12 versus USC in 2018 • Ten of Lewis’ tackles were solo stops • Also broke up a pass and forced a fumble • Pass breakup came on third down to force a Syracuse punt • Helped Notre Dame limit Syracuse to 15 first downs.
CO-SPECIALIST – Christopher Dunn, NC State, Jr., PK, Lexington, N.C.
With three field goals in NC State’s 23-13 win over Georgia Tech, now holds the school career record for field goals (56) • Scored 11 total points while connecting on field goals from 40, 20 and 39 yards • Ranks 10th in ACC history with 1.55 FGs per game (56 in 36 games) • His .862 career field goal percentage is the fourth-best mark ever for an ACC player.
CO-SPECIALIST – Porter Wilson, Duke, R-Fr., P, Fairlawn, Ohio
Punted seven times for 312 yards (44.6-yard average) in Saturday night’s loss to Miami • Six punts were downed inside the Miami 20 yard line, and the seventh was a 52-yarder that resulted in a touchback • Four of his punts covered more than 50 yards.
ROOKIE – Myles Murphy, Clemson, Fr., DE, Marietta, Ga.
Tied a season high with seven tackles in Saturday night’s 45-10 win at Virginia Tech, including a forced fumble that led to a Clemson touchdown two plays later • Became the first Clemson true freshman in the Dabo Swinney era to record three forced fumbles in a season and the first Clemson freshman (true or redshirt) with three forced fumbles in a season since redshirt freshman Ed McDaniel in 1988.