University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper
Accolades Bestowed on Three Football Players Monday for Success at Troy
9/16/2019 2:08:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss wide receivers Jaylond Adams and Quez Watkins, along with quarterback Jack Abraham, were all cited for their play in last Saturday's 47-42 non-conference victory at Troy.
Adams, a redshirt sophomore from Adamsville, Ala., earned the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year award, while also garnering a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Role. The Hornung Award is given annually at the end of the season, who is the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.
Watkins, a redshirt junior from Athens, Ala., collected the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award, while Abraham, a redshirt junior from Oxford, Miss., earned a spot for his play on the Manning Award Stars of the Week as well as the Davey O'Brien Great 8 List for the week. Fans can now go to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Facebook page to vote on the Manning Stars of the week (vote here) for what they think was the best performance from this past weekend. Voting closes on Thursday at 11 a.m. (Central).
Adams, who has won the special teams award now twice on the season, returned his second kickoff for a touchdown this season, which encompassed a 100-yard return in the fourth quarter of the win at Troy. It was the sixth 100-plus yard return in school history and the first since Michael Thomas returned a kickoff 100 yards against UAB in 2014.
With his two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the first three games, Adams has now tied both of the school's single-game and career record for kickoff return touchdowns. He totaled 136 kickoff return yards and added a five-yard punt return. In addition to his kickoff return, Adams collected 11 catches for 180 yards, establishing career highs for both categories. He finished the game with 322 all-purpose yards – the second most ever in a game by a Golden Eagle (Sam Dejarnette had the most against Florida State with 335 in 1982).
In his first game of the season for the Golden Eagles, Watkins caught seven passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Troy for the offensive honor. He scored on receptions of 64 and 19 yards and also had two catches for 40 yards each in the contest.
The receiving yards were the most by any receiver in the FBS this week, and are the fifth-most in a game for a Golden Eagle and mark the sixth 200-plus receiving yard outing in school history. It was the sixth 100-yard receiving game of Watkins' career.
He and Adams became the first Golden Eagle duo to register 100-plus yards receiving in the same game since Watkins and Jordan Mitchell did it at North Texas last October.
As for Abraham, he threw for a career-high 463 yards passing on 28-of-36 passing and set a school record by completing his first 17 passing attempts to start the game. His passing total is second-highest by a Golden Eagle in a game as it was only the sixth 400-yard passing game in school history. Abraham also threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another.
Adams becomes the first Southern Miss player to win the C-USA special teams weekly award twice in the same season, since Danny Hrapmann did it in 2011. It is also the first time a Golden Eagle won a league weekly award twice in the same season since Ito Smith did it in 2017.
For Watkins, it was his second C-USA weekly honor, winning the special teams award following his performance during the opening weekend of the 2018 season.
The Golden Eagles return to action this weekend, when they travel to face No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, for an 11 a.m., contest. The game can be seen on ESPN 2.
Adams, a redshirt sophomore from Adamsville, Ala., earned the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year award, while also garnering a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Role. The Hornung Award is given annually at the end of the season, who is the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.
Watkins, a redshirt junior from Athens, Ala., collected the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award, while Abraham, a redshirt junior from Oxford, Miss., earned a spot for his play on the Manning Award Stars of the Week as well as the Davey O'Brien Great 8 List for the week. Fans can now go to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Facebook page to vote on the Manning Stars of the week (vote here) for what they think was the best performance from this past weekend. Voting closes on Thursday at 11 a.m. (Central).
Adams, who has won the special teams award now twice on the season, returned his second kickoff for a touchdown this season, which encompassed a 100-yard return in the fourth quarter of the win at Troy. It was the sixth 100-plus yard return in school history and the first since Michael Thomas returned a kickoff 100 yards against UAB in 2014.
With his two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the first three games, Adams has now tied both of the school's single-game and career record for kickoff return touchdowns. He totaled 136 kickoff return yards and added a five-yard punt return. In addition to his kickoff return, Adams collected 11 catches for 180 yards, establishing career highs for both categories. He finished the game with 322 all-purpose yards – the second most ever in a game by a Golden Eagle (Sam Dejarnette had the most against Florida State with 335 in 1982).
In his first game of the season for the Golden Eagles, Watkins caught seven passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Troy for the offensive honor. He scored on receptions of 64 and 19 yards and also had two catches for 40 yards each in the contest.
The receiving yards were the most by any receiver in the FBS this week, and are the fifth-most in a game for a Golden Eagle and mark the sixth 200-plus receiving yard outing in school history. It was the sixth 100-yard receiving game of Watkins' career.
He and Adams became the first Golden Eagle duo to register 100-plus yards receiving in the same game since Watkins and Jordan Mitchell did it at North Texas last October.
As for Abraham, he threw for a career-high 463 yards passing on 28-of-36 passing and set a school record by completing his first 17 passing attempts to start the game. His passing total is second-highest by a Golden Eagle in a game as it was only the sixth 400-yard passing game in school history. Abraham also threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another.
Adams becomes the first Southern Miss player to win the C-USA special teams weekly award twice in the same season, since Danny Hrapmann did it in 2011. It is also the first time a Golden Eagle won a league weekly award twice in the same season since Ito Smith did it in 2017.
For Watkins, it was his second C-USA weekly honor, winning the special teams award following his performance during the opening weekend of the 2018 season.
The Golden Eagles return to action this weekend, when they travel to face No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, for an 11 a.m., contest. The game can be seen on ESPN 2.
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