Bowling Green State University Athletics
Burbrink Named MAC East Special Teams Player Of The Week
September 08, 2014 | Football
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Bowling Green State University's Ryan Burbrink has been named the Mid-American Conference East Division Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts on Saturday against Virginia Military Institute. The MAC office announced the weekly awards on Monday afternoon.
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Burbrink, a native of Shady Side, Md., returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in Saturday's 48-7 win over VMI. Burbrink's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown came late in the first quarter and gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Burbrink's punt return for a touchdown marked the second consecutive season in which he has returned a punt for a TD in the Falcons' home opener. His 77 punt return yards are the most in a single game during his career.
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The award is the second weekly award for Burbrink. Last season, he won the award on Sept. 2 following a season-opening win against Tulsa. Burbrink was named second team All-MAC at punt returner in 2013.
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MAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (WEEK TWO)
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week:Â Buffalo QB Joe Licata
Buffalo junior quarterback Joe Licata (Williamsville, N.Y.) went 35-of-50 for 401 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-39 loss at Army on Saturday. The five touchdowns were the most by a Buffalo quarterback in the Bulls' FBS era and the 401 yards was the third-highest total. Licata nearly single-handedly brought the Bulls back from a large deficit in the second half as he went 27-of-35 for 320 yards and five scores in the second half alone.Â
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Defensive Player of the Week:Â Ohio LB Quentin Poling
Ohio redshirt freshman linebacker Quentin Poling (Spencerville, Ohio) helped anchor a defensive unit that limited Kentucky to just 215 yards of total offense and six points over the final three quarters of play in a 20-3 loss at Kentucky. Poling also notched a career-high 10 tackles, two sacks and two and one-half tackles for loss.Â
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Special Teams Player of the Week:Â Bowling Green PR Ryan Burbrink
Junior punt returner Ryan Burbrink (Shady Side, Md.) returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in Saturday's 48-7 win over VMI. Burbrink's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown came late in the first quarter and gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Burbrink's punt return for a touchdown marked the second consecutive season in which he has returned a punt for a TD in the Falcons' home opener.
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West Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Â Central Michigan RB Thomas Rawls
Senior running back Thomas Rawls (Flint, Mich.) led the Chippewas to a 38-17 victory at Purdue. Rawls finished with 155 yards on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns, and added 50 yards on three receptions. One of his catches was a second-quarter screen pass the he turned into a 40-yard gain to the Purdue 5-yard line, leading to a touchdown that put Central Michigan up, 21-7. Rawls churned out 134 yards of his rushing total in the second half, when he carried 24 times.
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Defensive Player of the Week:Â Northern Illinois LB Rasheen Lemon
Junior linebacker Rasheen Lemon (Chicago, Ill.) was all over the field Saturday in NIU's 23-15 win at Northwestern. The Huskie defense held Northwestern scoreless for the entire first half and limited the Wildcats to just a single touchdown through the first 57 minutes of the game. Lemon led NIU with a career-high nine tackles and two quarterback sacks. Lemon was part of a NIU defensive effort that held Northwestern to zero net yards rushing in the second half.Â
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Special Teams Player of the Week:Â Toledo K Jeremiah Detmer
Senior kicker Jeremiah Detmer (Hilliard, Ohio) made 1-2 field goals and four of his five kickoffs went for touchbacks in a 49-24 loss to Missouri on Saturday. Detmer made a field goal was from 40 yards and his missed attempt for 44 yards that was blocked.
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Burbrink, a native of Shady Side, Md., returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in Saturday's 48-7 win over VMI. Burbrink's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown came late in the first quarter and gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Burbrink's punt return for a touchdown marked the second consecutive season in which he has returned a punt for a TD in the Falcons' home opener. His 77 punt return yards are the most in a single game during his career.
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The award is the second weekly award for Burbrink. Last season, he won the award on Sept. 2 following a season-opening win against Tulsa. Burbrink was named second team All-MAC at punt returner in 2013.
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MAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (WEEK TWO)
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week:Â Buffalo QB Joe Licata
Buffalo junior quarterback Joe Licata (Williamsville, N.Y.) went 35-of-50 for 401 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-39 loss at Army on Saturday. The five touchdowns were the most by a Buffalo quarterback in the Bulls' FBS era and the 401 yards was the third-highest total. Licata nearly single-handedly brought the Bulls back from a large deficit in the second half as he went 27-of-35 for 320 yards and five scores in the second half alone.Â
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Defensive Player of the Week:Â Ohio LB Quentin Poling
Ohio redshirt freshman linebacker Quentin Poling (Spencerville, Ohio) helped anchor a defensive unit that limited Kentucky to just 215 yards of total offense and six points over the final three quarters of play in a 20-3 loss at Kentucky. Poling also notched a career-high 10 tackles, two sacks and two and one-half tackles for loss.Â
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Special Teams Player of the Week:Â Bowling Green PR Ryan Burbrink
Junior punt returner Ryan Burbrink (Shady Side, Md.) returned the second punt of his career for a touchdown in Saturday's 48-7 win over VMI. Burbrink's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown came late in the first quarter and gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Burbrink's punt return for a touchdown marked the second consecutive season in which he has returned a punt for a TD in the Falcons' home opener.
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West Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Â Central Michigan RB Thomas Rawls
Senior running back Thomas Rawls (Flint, Mich.) led the Chippewas to a 38-17 victory at Purdue. Rawls finished with 155 yards on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns, and added 50 yards on three receptions. One of his catches was a second-quarter screen pass the he turned into a 40-yard gain to the Purdue 5-yard line, leading to a touchdown that put Central Michigan up, 21-7. Rawls churned out 134 yards of his rushing total in the second half, when he carried 24 times.
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Defensive Player of the Week:Â Northern Illinois LB Rasheen Lemon
Junior linebacker Rasheen Lemon (Chicago, Ill.) was all over the field Saturday in NIU's 23-15 win at Northwestern. The Huskie defense held Northwestern scoreless for the entire first half and limited the Wildcats to just a single touchdown through the first 57 minutes of the game. Lemon led NIU with a career-high nine tackles and two quarterback sacks. Lemon was part of a NIU defensive effort that held Northwestern to zero net yards rushing in the second half.Â
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Special Teams Player of the Week:Â Toledo K Jeremiah Detmer
Senior kicker Jeremiah Detmer (Hilliard, Ohio) made 1-2 field goals and four of his five kickoffs went for touchbacks in a 49-24 loss to Missouri on Saturday. Detmer made a field goal was from 40 yards and his missed attempt for 44 yards that was blocked.
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