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Pac-12 Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva - Football Week Six

by Pac-12 Conference
Oct 9, 2023

The Pac-12 today announced its 2023 football season's sixth weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week Six's recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here:

OFFENSE: DJ Uiagalelei, Jr., QB, Oregon State (Inland Empire, Calif.)

  • Tied his career-high with 5 touchdown passes against California
  • Led the Beavers to their 20th 50-point effort since 1996 
  • Completed 76 percent of his pass attempts, tying for the 13th-best mark by a Beaver QB since 1996 
  • Passed for 275 yards, his 2nd highest tally of 2023
  • First Oregon State player to win this award since 2021 when RB B.J. Baylor won it twice.  First time a Beaver QB has won since Jake Luton in October 2019
  • 6th straight week a different Pac-12 quarterback has won this award

Also nominated: Caleb Williams, QB, USC; Carson Steele, RB, UCLA; Jonah Coleman, RB, Arizona; Elijhah Badger, WR, Arizona State; Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Check out the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more. 

DEFENSE & DEFENSIVE LINE:  Laiatu Latu, Sr., DL, UCLA (Sacramento, Calif.)

  • Led UCLA's defense in a 25-17 win over No. 13 Washington State 
  • Posted 1 sack for 6 yards, his team-high 5th sack of the year
  • Forced a fumble in the 1st quarter
  • Totaled 3 tackles, added 3 QB hits 
  • WSU entered the game averaging 45.8 points per game (5th in the country) and 405.8 passing yards per game; UCLA limited the Cougars to 10 offensive points, 204 passing yards, and 216 total yards
  • 2nd time being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week (2022, Week 4) but first time winning Defensive Lineman of the Week
  • Only the 2nd time a UCLA player has won the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week since the award was created prior to the 2019 season.  Mitchell Agude was honored in final week of the 2021 season
  • 2nd Pac-12 player this season to win both awards in the same week after Washington State's Ron Stone Jr. was selected for both in Week 2

Also nominated for Defense: Prince Dorbah, DL, Arizona State; Kitan Oladapo, DB, Oregon State; Isaiah Ward, DL, Arizona; Jacobe Covington, CB, USC

Also nominated for Defensive Line:  Prince Dorbah, DL, Arizona State; Jamil Muhammad, RUSH, USC; Sione Lolohea, DL, Oregon State; Russell Davis, DL, Arizona

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Alejandro Mata, So., K, Colorado (Buford, Ga.)

  • Hit 2 field goals of 40+ yards, one being a 43 yard game winner with 12 seconds left
  • 3-of-3 on extra points
  • First Colorado player named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week since WR/KR Jordyn Tyson last season.  First Buffs placekicker to win since Evan Price in 2019.

Also nominated:  Silas Bolden, WR/KR, Oregon State; Eddie Czaplicki, P/PK, USC; Ian Hershey, P, Arizona State

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Joshua Gray, RS Jr., LT, Oregon State (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)

  • Part of an offensive line that enabled Oregon State to tally 499 total yards in the 52-40 win over California in Berkeley
  • 499 yards marked the most on the road for OSU in more than two seasons 
  • The Beavers finished with 203 yards on the ground and 275 through the air, passing for 6 touchdowns 
  • Gray, a team captain, and the Beavers did not allow a sack.
  • 2nd time Gray has won this award this season (Week 3) and 3rd time in the last 4 weeks a Beaver has taken home this honor

Also nominated: Jonah Savaiinaea, RT, Arizona; Justin Dedich, C, USC; Leif Fautanu, C, Arizona State

FRESHMAN:  Noah Fifita, RS Fr., QB, Arizona (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

  • In his second career start, threw for 303 yards and 5 touchdowns marking career highs 
  • 5 touchdown passes are the most ever thrown by an Arizona QB against a ranked opponent
  • Has thrown 8 touchdowns in 2 starts
  • Completed 25-of-35 passes for a 71.4 completion percentage
  • Posted the second-highest quarterback rating of his career (185.6)
  • Connected with Jacob Cowing on 4 touchdown passes. The 4 TD receptions in a single game are a program record 
  • Rushed 9 times for 12 yards
  • Averaged 8.66 yards per passing attempt
  • Led Arizona to its first halftime lead over USC since 2009 (14-7) 
  • Led the offense to a 17-point advantage over then #9 USC  on the road. It was the largest lead since a 21-0 advantage in 2000 (W, 31-15)
  • 3rd time in the Pac-12 era an Arizona QB has thrown 300-plus yards against a ranked USC team
  • Most touchdown passes ever by an Arizona quarterback against USC
  • 1st Arizona player to win this award last season after the Wildcats were honored 3 times last season (Tetairoa McMillan twice, Jacob Manu once)

Also nominated:  Jermod McCoy, DB, Oregon State;  Tackett Curtis, ILB, USC; C.J. Fite, DL, Arizona State

Date  Offensive Defensive Special Teams Offensive
Line		 Defensive Line Freshman
Sept. 5 Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Travis Hunter, Colorado Jack Bouwmeester, Utah Brian Driscoll California David Bailey Stanford Dylan Edwards, Colorado
Sept. 11 Bo Nix, Oregon Ron Stone Jr., Washington State Zachariah Branch, USC Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Colorado Ron Stone Jr., Washington State Dante Moore, UCLA
Sept. 18 Michael Penix, Jr., Washington Shilo Sanders, Colorado Jack Bouwmeester, Utah Joshua Gray, Oregon State Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington Parker Brailsford, Washington
Sept. 25 Cameron Ward, Washington State Karene Reid, Utah Rome Odunze, Washington Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon Jonah Elliss, Utah Tackett Curtis, USC
Oct. 2 Caleb Williams, USC Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Oregon State Lachlan Wilson, California Tanner Miller, Oregon State Jonah Elliss, Utah Omarion Miller, Colorado
Oct. 9 DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State Laiatu Latu, UCLA Alejandro Mata, Colorado Joshua Gray, Oregon State Laiatu Latu, UCLA Noah Fifita, Arizona

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