RICHARDSON, BONDURANT, D'AMATO NAMED PAC-12 FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Wide receiver Paul Richardson of COLORADO, safety Tra’Mayne Bondurant of ARIZONA, and Vincenzo D’Amato of CALIFORNIA have been named Pac-12 Players of the Week in football. 

Richardson, a junior from Los Angeles, Calif., caught 10 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the Buff’s 41-27 season-opening win over Colorado State on Sunday. Two of his receptions went for 75 yards or more, including an 82-yard touchdown reception from Connor Wood to open the game. It was Richardson’s first game back after missing all of the 2012 season rehabbing a knee injury that ended his 2011 campaign early. The over-200 yard performance was the only one in the nation over the weekend and just the fourth in Colorado history. Richardson now owns two of those four efforts, with the first one coming against California in 2011 where he set the school mark of 284 receiving yards.

Bondurant, a junior from Vallejo, Calif., led the Wildcat defense in a 35-0 shutout against Northern Arizona on Friday night. The Arizona safety collected a game-high seven tackles, including one for loss, and picked off a pair of passes. The first one came just after half time when Bondurant stepped in front of a tipped pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, his second career interception return for a score. Later in the third quarter he jumped in front of another pass, securing his first career multi-interception game.  

D’Amato, a senior place-kicker from Lake Forest, Calif., accounted for a career-high 18 points in the Bears’ 44-30 loss to Northwestern on Saturday night. D’Amato thew a 10-yard touchdown pass to holder Jackson Bouza on a faked field goal attempt at the conclusion of California’s first drive. The senior converted three field goals in his first three attempts to tie a career-high and made all three of his extra-point attempts. 

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were quarterbacks Travis Wilson of UTAH, Brett Hundley of UCLA and Sean Mannion of OREGON STATE, running backs Daniel Jenkins of Arizona, Tre Madden of USC and Bishop Sankey of WASHINGTON, and wide receiver Chris Harper of California. Also nominated for defensive player of the week honors were linebackers Addison Gillam of Colorado, Eric Kendricks of UCLA, and John Timu of Washington, safety Josh Shaw of USC and defensive end Nate Orchard of Utah. Also nominated for special teams player of the week honors were kickers Will Oliver of Colorado, Andre Heidari of USC and Andy Phillips of Utah, and linebacker Kenny Orjloke of UCLA.