Philips Voted Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week

SAN FRANCISCO – Kyle Philips of the UCLA football team earned his second Pac-12 performance award of the season Monday, garnering recognition as the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week after posting career-best numbers in the return game to help the Bruins overtake Colorado.

Philips handled just two punts at the Rose Bowl Stadium, but made the most of them, logging one return for 11 yards before taking the second back 82 yards for a touchdown. The career-long score with 10:10 remaining proved to be the last of the night for UCLA, which ran off the game's final 37 points en route to a 44-20 win.

The punt-return touchdown was the second of Philips' time at UCLA. His 69-yarder at Washington State in 2019 also came in the fourth quarter of a comeback victory. His latest punt return also represents the third longest by any Bruin in program history.

Philips also continued to star in the passing game Saturday, catching eight balls for 99 yards – both game highs. He leads the team in both categories for the season, making 47 receptions for 627 yards, despite missing one contest. Philips also possesses a team-best six touchdown grabs. He moved into seventh on UCLA's all-time receptions list Saturday, with 151.

Philips beat out kicker Lucas Havrisiki of Arizona, tight ends Teagan Quitoriano of Oregon State, punter Eddie Czaplicki of Arizona State and kicker Camden Lewis of Oregon for the award. The Special Teams Player of the Week honor represents the second of Philips' season and career, previously winning it Sept. 27. He was twice voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in 2019.