Week 11 Big 12 Football Players of the Week Announced
With Week 11 of the college football season officially in the books, the Big 12 Conference announced four players that would be taking home the 11th iteration of the Big 12 Football Weekly Awards for the 2023 season.
Oklahoma‘s star quarterback Dillon Gabriel started the week off hot claiming the title of Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his record-breaking day against West Virginia. UCF DB Demari Henderson was all over the field on Saturday which led to his first DPOW award this season. Iowa State running back Abu Sama won the title of Newcomer of the Week while Texas Tech‘s Gino Garcia took home the title for Special Teams Player of the Week.
Gabriel was a man among boys on Saturday as the Sooners quarterback became the first player in Oklahoma history to account for eight touchdowns in a single game. Gabriel passed Heisman Trophy winners Bakey Mayfield and Kyler Murray for the school record and became the first FBS player this season to account for eight scores in a single game in the Week 11 win over West Virginia. Gabriel accounted for a new career-high with 473 yards of total offense completing 23 passes for 423 yards and five scores, while rushing 11 times for 50 yards and a career-high three touchdowns without a single turnover.
Iowa State running back Abu Sama averaged an incredible 13.8 yards per carry in Iowa State’s 45-13 win over BYU, carrying the ball eight times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. The true freshman helped Iowa State earn a new season-high of 234 yards rushing yards as a team en route to Sama’s first Newcomer of the Week Award of the 2023 season.
UCF defensive back Demari Henderson made several big plays in Saturday’s blowout win over No. 15 Oklahoma State and was a major reason for the revival of the Knights’ defense. Henderson put together one of the best defensive performances of any player this season in UCF’s 45-3 win recording a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery against the Cowboys. The Florida native became the first UCF defender since the 2019 season to secure three turnovers in the same game, according to the official release.
Texas Tech’s senior kicker Gino Garcia took home Special Teams Player of the Week honors after a 30-yard game-winning kick skated through the uprights to secure a 16-13 win over the 16th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Garcia’s game-winner was one of three successful kicks on the day joining kicks from 32 and 31 yards out in Saturday’s contest. The massive kick became the first walk-off win of Garcia’s career which more than earned him the title of Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
Last Week’s Winners:
Offense: RJ Harvey, UCF, RB, Sr., and Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Xavier Benson, OSU, LB, Sr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Bert Auburn, UT, K, Jr.
