Big South Announces Football Players of the Week - April 5
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Monmouth redshirt-sophomore Juwon Farri (Gaithersburg, Md.) has been named the Big South Football Offensive Player of the Week, while Kennesaw State linebacker Bryson Armstrong (Marietta, Ga.) is the Defensive Player of the Week for games played during the league’s sixth week of the spring season. Gardner-Webb kick returner Devron Harper (Conyers, Ga.) is the Special Teams Player of the Week, and KSU quarterback Xavier Shepherd (Nashville, Tenn.) is the Freshman of the Week.
Farri rushed 24 times for 124 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in leading Monmouth to a 48-19 Big South win at Gardner-Webb. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and did not have a negative rush against the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Farri scored on short runs of two yards and a pair of one yard rushes out of the wildcat formation before breaking into the open field for a 20-yard scoring jaunt in the fourth quarter.
Armstrong recorded six tackles (four solo) -- two of which were behind the line of scrimmage, in addition to a quarterback hurry and interception in KSU’s 35-0 win over Robert Morris. His INT was a 75-yard pick-six midway through the first quarter that put the Owls ahead, 14-0. One of Armstrong’s tackles-for-loss forced a fourth down, and he also had a stop for no gain on a first-and-goal play late in the third period. His effort helped Kennesaw State hold the Colonials to 162 total yards and 2.9 yards per play.
Harper returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown against Monmouth on Saturday -- the longest punt return in Big South and Gardner-Webb history. He also recorded a 43-yard kickoff return, and his return exploits helped force two kickoffs out of bounds, several more sky kicks and a seven-yard punt to prevent returns.
Shepherd led Kennesaw State to its fourth-straight win in his first career start on Saturday against Robert Morris. He rushed for a team-high 93 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown, and was a perfect 3-of-3 passing for 45 yards and another score. The redshirt-freshman had his first career rushing and passing touchdowns -- first with a 1-yard rush at 10:35 in the first quarter to put KSU ahead, 7-0, then connecting on a 33-yard pass play late in the second stanza to extend the Owls’ lead to 28-0.