Sept. 25, 2005
ST. LOUIS -
For the first time since Nov. 23, 2002, a Gateway school swept offensive, defensive, and special teams honors as Illinois State's Pierre Rembert, Brent Hawkins, and Ryan Hoffman were all honored by the league office. Sweeping the league honors was only fitting since the Redbirds put forth a total team effort in Saturday's 42-0 win over Murray State.
Rembert was the catalyst for the Redbirds' largest rushing output of the season and was awarded league offensive player of the week honors. ISU pounded out 319 yards on the ground, including a career-best 139 from Rembert on 14 attempts. The Michigan transfer posted his second straight 100-yard game filling in for the injured Brian Thompson. He also racked up a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter on runs of 11 and 56 yards. Rembert lit up the Murray State defense with 9.9 per carry and was only dropped for a loss once.
With Illinois State posting its first shutout since 2000 and having it come against Murray State, which hadn't been shut out since in the last 159 games, it was definitely an entire team effort, but Hawkins' defensive performance was worthy of recognition as the GFC's Defensive Player of the Week. Almost single-handily Hawkins frustrated the entire Murray State offensive unit. Hawkins finished the game with three forced fumbles, including one in the end zone that was recovered by Niall Campbell for the Redbirds' fourth touchdown. He also recovered one of the loose balls he forced. ISU converted two of those forced fumbles into touchdowns. Hawkins finished with eight tackles, including five solos and four tackles for loss, and game-best two sacks.
Being only the second I-AA punter ever named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List must have given Hoffman a little extra motivation heading into the Murray State game. For the second straight week Hoffman double-teamed with the Redbird defense to keep ISU's opponent at bay and for the second straight week he walked away with the conference's special teams player of the week honors. Hoffman belted four punts for 51.0 yards per kick, including a 65-yard bomb that was downed at the six-yard line which led to Hawkins' sack and strip of the Murray State quarterback that was recovered by Campbell in the end zone.
After sweeping league honors this week, the Redbirds have now claimed six player of the week honors on the season.
