Maxwell Momentum 9/19

Written by: David Mika on Thursday, September 24th, 2009. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

Maxwell Award Weekly Update for 9/19

Here are highlights of notable candidates on the 73rd Maxwell Award Watch List for the week ending September 20th:

Who’s Hot

• Kansas senior QB Todd Reesing completed 28 of his 41 pass attempts for 338 yards and three scores in the No. 22 Jayhawks’ 44-16 win over Duke. Reesing, who also ran for 51 yards, has a 148.5 passer rating through his first three games

• It didn’t take long for Ohio State sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor to rebound from the Buckeyes’ tough loss to USC. The one time Maxwell National High School Player of the Year passed for a career high 262 yards and ran for another 110 in No. 11 Ohio State’s 38-0 blanking of Toledo

• No. 8 California went on the road to beat Minnesota 35-21; Cal junior RB Jahvid Best ran for all five touchdowns. Best has rushed for 130+ yards and scored at least two touchdowns in all three games. Speaking of streaks, Minnesota WR Eric Decker snagged eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns; it is Decker’s fourth straight 100 yard receiving game

What you may have missed

• Sophomore QB Ryan Mallett of Arkansas threw for 408 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Razorbacks’ 52-41 shootout loss to No. 23 Georgia. Both the yards and touchdowns set single game school records. The Michigan transfer leads the nation in passing efficiency.

The Maxwell Club will also honor the nation’s best collegiate defensive player with the 15th annual Chuck Bednarik Award. Here is an update on standout performances from the Maxwell Club’s Bednarik watch list candidates:

Who’s Hot

• Tulsa was held to barely four yards per passing attempt in their 45-0 shutout loss to No 12 Oklahoma 45. The Sooner defense, led by junior DE Jeremy Beal, also forced three turnovers. Beal personally recorded three sacks and forced a fumble

• Considering the reputation of their high octane offenses, it is odd to highlight defense in No. 2 Texas’s home 34-24 win against Texas Tech. But the Longhorn D held Tech to minus six (-6) yards rushing. Senior LB Roddrick Muckelroy and senior DE Sergio Kindle both registered a sack and a pass breakup in leading Texas’ efforts

• For the first time in a dozen years, No. 24 North Carolina is 3-0. They held East Carolina to less than two yards a carry in last week’s 31-17 win over the Pirates. Juniors DT Marvin Austin and LB Quan Sturdivant combined to record a dozen tackles and two pass breakups, which highlighted the Tar Heels’ effort

What you may have missed

• Perhaps lost in the game’s off the field melodrama, Volunteer junior safety Eric Berry made 11 tackles, including two for loss, and an interception in Tennessee’s 23-13 road loss to No. 1 Florida

www.maxwe l l footbal lclub.org

Matchups of this Week:

• Notre Dame at Purdue. Irish junior QB Jimmy Claussen averages over 315 yards passing per game. He has completed 68% of his attempts and has yet to throw an interception. Classmate WR Golden Tate has been golden of late, grabbing 16 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. The tandem has the chance to put up big numbers against a Boilermaker defense that has recently struggled

• Iowa at No. 5 Penn State. The Iowa defense yields just twelve points per game. The anchor is senior LB Pat Angerer, who has 22 tackles on the year. But junior RB Evan Royster ran for 134 yards on just 19 carries, providing evidence that the Penn State run game may finally break out. Senior LB Sean Lee and DT Jared Odrick lead a Nittany Lion defense that has surrendered 20 points all season.

Keep an eye on:

• No. 14 TCU at Clemson. Horned Frog senior DE Jerry Hughes has already had one monster game this year at an ACC foe- his 11 tackles, which included 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks- helped TCU beat Virginia 30-16 two weeks ago. Now, he’ll have to stop Tiger senior RB C.J. Spiller, who ranks fourth in the country with 210 all purpose yards per game.

The 73rd Maxwell Award Watch List:

http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/watch_list_full.htm#Maxwell%20Award

The 15th Bednarik Award Watch List:

http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/watch_list_full.htm#Bednarik%20Award

The Maxwell Football Club has honored excellence at all levels of football since 1935 and the Club’s outreach programs provide educational opportunities for student-athletes and coaches. With members in over 40 states the Maxwell Football Club is one of the largest football organizations in America. Become a member by visiting our web site www.maxwellfootballclub.org or by calling 610-277-8900.

For more information about the Maxwell Football Club’s awards programs

please contact Mark Wolpert at mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org

Collegiate Awards Contacts:

Donald Leypoldt – Director of Collegiate Media Relations – dleypoldt@maxwellfootballclub.org

Richard Cirminiello – Director of Collegiate Awards- rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org

information to ke ep you moving forward

Not a Maxwell Football Club Member?

Join online at www.maxwellfootballclub.org

Maxwell Football Club Members

Dues notices will be arriving soon. Please be sure to return by October 15^thto guarantee your voting rights for this years award nominees.

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