USU football sweeps all three weekly MW player awards

Just a couple weeks ago, Aggie football fans might have been content with a single player of the week accolade for one of its gridiron players. But this week Utah State didn’t see just one, nor merely two awards, but all three Mountain West Player of the Week awards spanning offense, defense and special teams. Quarterback Andrew Peasley, outside linebacker Nick Heninger and kicker Connor Coles were the respective winners of the weekly conference awards for their efforts in downing New Mexico 41-27 for the Aggies’ first win of the season.

For each of the three players, it’s the first time they’ve won one of these weekly awards.

Peasley headlined USU’s blowout of the Lobos, passing for a career-high 239 yards on 14 of 21 passing in his first start. The redshirt sophomore accounted for four total touchdowns, three through the air and one rushing score — a 62-yard scramble that sealed the game. Overall on the ground, Peasley had 118 yards, becoming just the fifth Aggie QB to cross the century mark on the ground and the first since Kent Myers’ 191 yards in 2015. The other three are Chuckie Keeton (2012), Diondre Borel (2009) and Tony Adams (1972). Peasley is the only one of the five to toss three TD passes along with the 100 yards rushing.

Heninger, the only senior among the Aggies’ award-winners, tied his career high with eight tackles which included career-high-tying totals in tackles for loss (3.0) and sacks (2.0). He also forced two fumbles (a single-game career best), one of which was returned 16 yards for a touchdown by teammate Kina Maile to cap off a 28-point third quarter by USU. For the season, Heninger leads the team in tackles for loss with 7.0 and tied for first in sacks with 3.0 alongside linebacker A.J. Vongphachanh. Heninger is third on the team in total tackles at 28.

Coles, the junior kicker, hit a career-long 44-yard field goal as part of 11 total points scored (also a career-high). Overall he went 2 for 2 on field goal attempts, adding a 27-yarder to his 44-yard kick. Coles also went 5 for 5 on PATs in the game. Thursday was the first time Coles has ever attempted multiple field goal attempts in a game for Utah State and the first time he made multiple PATs in a single contest.