Pac-12 Football Performance Awards presented by Nextiva - Week Seven

[Rick Kimbrel]

SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 today announced its 2021 football season's seventh weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week Seven's recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here:



OFFENSE: Cameron Rising, So., QB, Utah (Ventura, CA)

• Wins the award in back-to-back weeks. First time a Utah player and seventh time in the Pac-12 era that a player has won this award in consecutive weeks (2020- Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State; 2017- Khalil Tate, Arizona and Bryce Love, Stanford; 2014- Marcus Mariota, Oregon; 2013- Marcus Mariota, Oregon; 2012- Johnathan Franklin, UCLA).
• Led an incredible second half comeback from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat No. 18 Arizona State, 35-21, on Saturday night.
• Making his third consecutive start, finishing 21-of-33 passing for 247 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions. Additionally rushed himself six times for a career-high 59 yards (9.8 ypc) and another touchdown.
• First Utah quarterback to rush and pass for a touchdown in consecutive games since Tyler Huntley in 2019 (at Washington, vs. UCLA).
• In the second half alone, Rising was 13-of-15 passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
• Was never sacked on 69 offensive plays.
• Led the Pac-12 in this week's ESPN QBR (91.4) and was No. 10 in the country. For the season, Rising ranks No. 2 nationally in ESPN's QBR (88.8).
• The Utes found the end zone on their first drives in both the first and second halves. The last time the squad accomplished that feat was in a comeback win at No. 21 Colorado during 2020. Utah produced touchdowns on all four of its second-half possessions.
• 455 yards of total offense were the most by an Arizona State opponent this season.
• Utah eliminated a two-score deficit to defeat an AP-ranked opponent for the first time since 2008.

Also nominated: Travis Dye, RB, Oregon; Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA; Jayden de Laura, QB, Washington State; Brendon Lewis, QB, Colorado; Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State
Check out the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more.


DEFENSE: Devin Lloyd, Jr., LB, Utah (Chula Vista, CA)

• Second time he has won this award this season, also winning it following Week One.
• Had a game-high eight tackles, including four TFL (24 yards) and a career-high three sacks (19 yards) in an incredible comeback win over No. 18 Arizona State. Also contributed a pass breakup.
• His four TFL tied a career-best, the most by a Ute this season and tied for the most by a Pac-12 player this year. Lloyd has totaled 10.5 TFL in Utah's last four games His first sack, coming in the second quarter, was a third-down stop. He added a five-yard TFL on ASU's final drive, then cemented the victory with back-to-back sacks of four yards and 14 yards on the final two plays of the night.
• Led a defense that shut out ASU in the second half, and held the Sun Devils to 97 yards of total offense in the final 30 minutes.
• Second in the Pac-12 and is No. 6 in FBS with 10.2 tackles per game. Lloyd had no fewer than eight stops each game this season.

Also nominated: Carson Wells, OLB, Colorado; Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon; Quentin Lake, DB, UCLA; Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State; Ron Stone, Jr., Edge, Washington State


SPECIAL TEAMS: Trevor Woods, Fr., Safety, Colorado (Katy, TX)

• In Colorado's 34-0 win over Arizona, and with the Buffs ahead 6-0 a little over midway in the third quarter, he first blocked a punt, chased it down and then returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. It was CU's first blocked punt since 2018, and the first blocked punt returned for a TD since 2004.
• First Colorado player to win this award since 2019 when Kicker Evan Price and Punter Alex Kinney each won it once.

Also nominated: Camden Lewis, K, Oregon; Joshua Karty, K, Stanford; Eddie Czaplicki, P, Arizona State

OFFENSIVE LINE: Nick Ford, Jr., C, Utah (San Pedro, CA)

• Anchored an offensive line that did not allow a sack of QB Cameron Rising on 69 offensive plays, in a comeback win over No. 18 Arizona State.
• Part of a unit that helped produce 455 yards of total offense, the most by an ASU opponent this season.
• Second time Ford has won this award, taking it home in the final week of the 2020 season.

Also nominated: Abe Lucas, OT, Washington State; Ryan Walk, C, Oregon


DEFENSIVE LINE: Brennan Jackson, RS Jr., Edge, Washington State (Temecula, CA)

• Wins this award for the second time in the last three weeks. He is the only Washington State player to win this award since its inception in 2019.
• Was a disruptive force, putting together his best performance of the season. Despite going up against 2 of the best tackles in the conference, Johnson was productive, not giving the quarterback much time to throw.
• Recorded six total tackles, three solo, one sack and one fumble recovery in the victory over Stanford.
• Jackson was at his best in the fourth quarter as he registered three tackles. With Stanford leading with under four minutes remaining, Jackson sacked Tanner McKee on 3rd and 6, forcing the Cardinal to punt, with WSU scoring the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing possession. With under a minute remaining on third-and-13, McKee was sacked and fumbled, with Jackson pouncing on the recovery to secure the WSU victory.

Also nominated: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon; Junior Tafuna, DT, Utah; Tyler Johnson, DL, Arizona State; Trevon Mason, DL, Arizona


FRESHMAN: Noah Sewell, Fr., ILB, Oregon (Malaeimi, American Samoa)

• Led Oregon's defense in a 24-17 win over Cal with 12 tackles while adding a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a QB hurry. QB hurry came on Cal's final offensive play of the game, a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, helping force an incompletion to seal Oregon's win.
• Recorded a sack for the second straight game, and the fifth of his career. Reached double-digit tackles for the third straight home game, combining for 36 stops in those contests.
• Second Oregon player to win this award this season. LB Justin Flowe was awarded after Oregon's Week One win.

Also nominated for freshman: Brenden Rice, WR, Colorado; Faybian Marks, CB, Utah; Devin Kirkwood, DB, UCLA; LV Bunkley-Shelton, WR, Arizona State; Femi Oladejo, ILB, California

Date	Offensive	Defensive	Special Teams	Offensive Line	Defensive Line	Freshman
Sept. 7	Zach Charbonnet, UCLA	Devin Lloyd, UTAH	D.J. Taylor, ASU	Alec Anderson, UCLA	D.J. Davidson, ASU	Justin Flowe, ORE
Sept. 13	CJ Verdell, ORE	Kyu Blu Kelly, STAN	Travell Harris, WSU	Alex Forsyth, ORE	Bradyn Swinson, ORE	Tanner McKee, STAN
Sept. 20	Jaxson Dart, USC	Verone McKinley III, ORE	Britain Covey, UTAH	T.J. Bass, ORE	Drake Jackson, USC	Jaxson Dart, USC
Sept. 27	B.J. Baylor, OSU	Bennett Williams, ORE	Kyle Philips, UCLA	Nathan Eldridge, OSU	Van Fillinger, UTAH	Karene Reid, UTAH
Oct. 4	Jayden Daniels, ASU	Avery Roberts, OSU	Parker Lewis, USC	LaDarius Henderson, ASU	Brennan Jackson, WSU	Tanner McKee, STAN
Oct. 11	Cameron Rising, UTAH	George Hicks III, WSU	Nicholas Barr-Mira, UCLA	Liam Ryan, WSU	Tyler Johnson, ASU	Kamo'i Latu, UTAH
Oct. 18	Cameron Rising, UTAH	Devin Lloyd, UTAH	Trevor Woods, COLO	Nick Ford, UTAH	Brennan Jackson, WSU	Noah Sewell, ORE