CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized for their standout performances in Week 12 of the season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
Co-QUARTERBACK – Jack Plummer, Louisville
Plummer was 24-of-37 passing for 308 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception along with 11 yards rushing on five carries in the 38-31 win over Miami. Plummer recorded his third 300-yard passing game of the season and passed for three or more touchdowns for the third time this season. He completed passes to 12 different players and won the game with a 58-yard reception to Kevin Coleman.
Co-QUARTERBACK – Brennan Armstrong, NC State, QB, Shelby, Ohio
Armstrong led the Wolfpack to its third straight win and second straight on the road with a 35-28 victory at Virginia Tech. The quarterback tallied 292 of total offense versus the Hokies - 89 rushing and 203 passing – and rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw two more scores.
RUNNING BACK – Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, RB, Clayton, N.C.
Hampton picks up his fourth conference weekly honor, as the Tar Heel running back tallied 178 yards on 19 carries and rushed for two touchdowns versus Clemson. Hampton leads the nation in rushing yards this season and has a nation-leading six 100-yard rushing games on the year.
RECEIVER – Xavier Restrepo, Miami, WR, Coconut Creek, Fla.
The Hurricanes' top offensive performer Saturday, Restrepo had a career-high 193 receiving yards in a loss to top-10 Louisville. Restrepo hauled in eight passes on 10 targets and finished with a career mark on a day when Miami's offense totaled 31 points. Restrepo's longest catch of the day was 48 yards against the Cardinals, and he also had a touchdown catch.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Will Putnam, Clemson, C, Tampa, Fla.
Earning his second conference weekly honor, Putnam anchored an offensive line that allowed zero sacks for the third time this season and helped Clemson extend its active streak of victories when not allowing a sack to 40 consecutive games, dating to 2011. He also helped Clemson rush for 247 yards, its fifth 200-yard rushing game of the season, and helped Clemson reach 200 yards both rushing and passing for the fourth time this season. Putnam and the offensive line powered Will Shipley to a season-high 179 yards from scrimmage and helped three different Tigers score a rushing touchdown in the win over North Carolina.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Dayon Hayes, Pitt, DE, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hayes was an absolute menace off the edge, collecting 2.0 quarterback sacks, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and two deflected passes in Pitt’s win over Boston College. On one of his pass breakups, he batted the ball directly back at the quarterback, who caught the ball and then was dropped for a two-yard loss by Hayes. Hayes had six total tackles on the night and helped limit the ACC's top rushing team to just 154 yards.
LINEBACKER – Kyle Efford, Georgia Tech, LB, Dacula, Ga.
Efford posted a game-high 11 tackles and recorded a game-sealing interception in Georgia Tech’s bowl-eligibility-clinching 31-22 win over Syracuse. Efford's 11 tackles were a career-high. His first career interception came with 2:18 to go in the game to seal the victory. However, perhaps his biggest play of the game came in the third quarter when he and teammate Horace Lockett teamed up to stuff Syracuse on fourth-and-one from the GT 32-yard line, which gave Tech the ball back with its 24-10 lead intact. The big play proved to be instrumental later in the game when the Orange pulled within two points at 24-22. Efford led a defensive effort that saw Tech limit Syracuse to just 259 yards, nearly 100 yards below the Orange's 357.6-yard average this season.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Nate Wiggins, Clemson, CB, Atlanta, Ga.
Wiggins recorded eight tackles, a touchdown-saving forced fumble, a pass breakup, and a game-sealing interception in Clemson’s win over North Carolina. He recorded his forced fumble in unbelievable fashion, chasing down the ACC's leading rusher from behind to force a fumble at the goal line. It was the second time this season Wiggins had chased down a ballcarrier from behind to force a fumble short of the goal line. Wiggins recorded his second interception of the season, which was also his second all-time against North Carolina, joining his pick in last year’s ACC Championship Game.
SPECIALIST – Will Bettridge, Virginia, K, Miami, Ohio
Bettridge converted all three field-goal attempts in Virginia’s 30-27 victory against Duke. He made good on field goal tries from 46, 21, and 30 yards out. His final kick came with 3:43 to play and proved to be the winning margin in the game.
ROOKIE – Anthony Colandrea, Virginia, QB, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Already named the Freshman of the Week by College Football Network (CFN), Colandrea completed 21-of-30 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns in Virginia’s 30-27 win versus Duke. Colandrea also rushed nine times for 66 yards, an average of 7.3 yards per carry. The true freshman quarterback had 344 yards of total offense as the Cavaliers accounted for 448 yards of total offense against the Blue Devils.
