LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- Toa Fa’avae was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week for the second straight week, and Austin Brawley was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week after recording UNM’s first blocked punt in 17 years, giving UNM three straight weeks with a Mountain West Award.
Grant Glasgow earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors against Oklahoma before Fa’avae was named Freshman of the Week for his performance against New Mexico State.
Along with Fa’avae and Brawley, UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold earned Offensive Player of the Week honors, and North Dakota State’s Donovan Woolen earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Fa’avae had his best game of the season on Saturday, throwing for a career-high 249 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 15 of 19 passes and added 12 yards rushing as UNM posted its highest offensive output of the season (492 yards). UNM’s 61 points were the most in a conference game since scoring 70 in 2008 against San Diego State.
Brawley accounted for 16 points on Saturday, and he is the first non-kicker/return man ever to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors for UNM. Brawley blocked a punt in the third quarter that bounced out of the end zone for a safety. It was UNM’s first blocked punt in nearly 17 years, since October 31, 2009, and it ended the nation’s longest streak of games without a blocked punt at 200.
Before the blocked punt, Brawley picked off a pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown, giving UNM a 28-0 lead. The safety made it 30-0, and on the drive following the safety and free kick, UNM scored again to make it 37-0.
Brawley joins Lobo Holmon Wiggins as the only Lobos to earn both a Special Teams Honor and an Offensive or Defensive Player of the Week honor, as Brawley was a two-time Defensive Player of the Week last year. Wiggins earned Special Teams Player of the Week and Offensive Player of the Week in separate weeks in 2000.
The Lobos are off this week before heading out over the ocean to take on the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at a time to be announced on Saturday, October 17. That game will be on one of the Fox networks and available on Fox One.