PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors for the fourth week of the college football season.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shane Carden • Sr. • QB • East Carolina • Houston, Texas
Carden led East Carolina to its second straight win against a top-25 opponent as he completed 30 of 48 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns and added a pair of rushing TDs in the Pirates’ 70-41 win against North Carolina. He engineered a Pirate offense that set school and American Athletic Conference records with 789 total yards. It was Carden’s fifth career game with 400 passing yards.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tank Jakes • Sr. • LB • Memphis • Phenix City, Ala.
Jakes made a number of impact plays on defense to help Memphis to a 36-17 win against Middle Tennessee. He helped the Tigers hold the Blue Raiders, who had registered at least 400 yards of offense in eight straight regular-season games, to just 325 total yards. He had seven tackles, including three third-down stops, three tackles for losses, two sacks, a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown, an interception and a safety. Jakes leads the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 3.0 per game.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mattias Ciabatti • Jr. • P • USF • Tampa, Fla.
In a game played in a driving rainstorm, Ciabatti was instrumental in the field position battle that helped USF defeat UConn 17-14 in the Bulls’ American Athletic Conference opener. He averaged 41.3 yards on six punts, with a long of 61 yards, and dropped five punts inside the UConn 15-yard line. UConn’s average starting field position for the game was its own 18-yard line, while the starting field position on his six punts were the 9, 5, 12, 9, 3 and 25-yard lines. Ciabatti leads The American and is ranked 15th nationally with 45.4 yards per punt.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
William Stanback • So. • RB • UCF • Hempstead, N.Y.
Rushed for a career-high 104 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns in a 41-7 win against Bethune-Cookman.
Jeff Luc • Sr. • LB • Cincinnati • Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Had a career-high 18 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a 31-24 win against Miami (Ohio).
Zeek Bigger • Jr. • LB • East Carolina • Gastonia, N.C.
Had 17 tackles and a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 70-41 win against East Carolina.
Ryan Jackson • Jr. • RB • Houston • Angleton, Texas
Rushed for a career-high 147 yards on 13 carries and had a 26-yard touchdown reception in a 47-14 win against UNLV.
Sharif Finch • So. • DE • Temple • Henrico, Va.
Had three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 59-0 win against Delaware State. Led a defense that held the Hornets to 93 yards of offense.
