NEW ORLEANS - Georgia Southern sophomore quarterback
Shai Werts and junior cornerback
Kindle Vildor were both honored by the Sun Belt Conference Monday, earning Offensive Player and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively, as announced by the league. They join Louisiana kicker Kyle Pfau as the Week 9 honorees. They become fifth and sixth different Georgia Southern players to be honored by the conference this season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shai Werts, Georgia Southern (So., QB, Clinton, S.C.)
Sophomore Shai Werts continued his hot start to the 2018 season as the Eagles downed No. 25 Appalachian State 34-14. The quarterback opened the scoring with a 57-yard touchdown pass and later added a rushing touchdown. He ran for 129 yards on 14 carries, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, with a long of 47 yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern (Jr., CB, College Park, Ga.)
Junior corner Kindle Vildor played a big part in Georgia Southern's defense shutting down the high-powered Appalachian State offense. Vildor picked off two passes in the fourth quarter of the 34-14 win, returning them a combined 21 yards, to run his season total to four for the season. He also had two tackles, including half a tackle for loss, and a pass break up. He now has 10 passes defended on the season, among the best in the league, and has seven career interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kyle Pfau, Louisiana (Sr., K, Klein, Texas)
Louisiana senior kicker Kyle Pfau was perfect on two field goals in Louisiana's 47-43 win over Arkansas State, including a 52-yard strike that was not only a career-long, but also the seventh-longest in Louisiana Football history. The Klein, Texas native was also successful on a 47-yard boot. The 52-yard field goal is the longest kick across the entire Sun Belt Conference thus far in the 2018 season. The 52-yard kick also ranks in the Top 25 nationally for longest field goals made in the FBS this season, and it was also the fourth-longest kick converted in the FBS this past week.
