Mountain West Conference Names Football Players of the Week
Colorado State WR Walker, BYU LB Poppinga, New Mexico K Sullivan and San Diego State KR Wesley honored
Nov. 12, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -
Johnny Walker (Colorado State), Kelly Poppinga (BYU), John Sullivan (New Mexico) and Mekell Wesley (San Diego State) are Mountain West Conference Players of the Week for games through Nov. 10. Walker earns the Offensive Player of the Week honor, while Poppinga collects the Defensive Player award, and Sullivan and Wesley share Special Teams recognition. Walker collects his first player of the week of the season and second of his career, while Sullivan earns his fourth honor of the year and of his career. Poppinga and Wesley are first time honorees.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JOHNNY WALKER, COLORADO STATE
Senior, WR, Lancaster, Calif./Antelope Valley
Johnny Walker collected 177 receiving yards on seven catches (25.3 yards per catch) and scored two touchdowns in Colorado State's last-second 26-23 loss at New Mexico. Late in the first half, Walker made two key grabs to keep the Rams in the game. His 9-yard catch to convert a third-and-9, and a 31-yard touchdown to cap the drive knotted the game at 17 apiece. In the second half, he converted three third downs to help Colorado State tie the contest, 23-23. Walker's 177 yards and two touchdowns are both career-highs, and his 64-yard grab for a touchdown in the first quarter was the longest reception of his career. The 177 yards also mark the second-most receiving yards in the Mountain West this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KELLY POPPINGA, BYU
Senior, Linebacker, Evanston, Wyo./Utah State
Kelly Poppinga recorded with a career-high 17 tackles and his first interception of the season in BYU's 27-22 victory over TCU. He was credited with seven solo and 10 assisted takedowns, a four-yard tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry and a 22-yard interception. Poppinga's performance marked the most tackles by a BYU defender in a single game since Rob Morris registered 17 tackles against San Diego State in 1998. Poppinga was most effective against the TCU rushing attack, recording 11 tackles on plays that had a net gain of five yards or less. His 22-yard interception return to the TCU 3-yard line came in the beginning of the third quarter with BYU leading 17-9. The Cougars scored on the next play after a Harvey Unga 3-yard run, extending BYU's lead to 27-9.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
JOHN SULLIVAN, NEW MEXICO
Senior, Place Kicker, Tehachapi, Calif./Tehachapi
John Sullivan tied a career-high for the second time this season with four field goals, including the game-winner from 43 yards as time expired to give New Mexico a 26-23 triumph over Colorado State. Sullivan also connected from 34, 39 and 46 yards, the latter being a career long. He has a nation's best 23 field goals in 2007, a new Lobo record, and it ties the Mountain West record set by Colorado State's Jeff Babcock in 2002.
MEKELL WESLEY, SAN DIEGO STATE
Sophomore, KR, Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton
Mekell Wesley had a career day returning five kickoffs for 178 yards (35.6 yards per return), including an 89-yard touchdown in San Diego State's 38-30 win at UNLV. The 178 yards rank second in SDSU single-game history. Wesley's 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is the first in the Mountain West this season and the first for the Aztecs since 1997. His five returns gave San Diego State an average starting field position of the 36-yard line, which is an Aztecs best since Oct. 29, 2005.
