ST. LOUIS - Illinois State sophomore linebacker Austin Davis and junior wide receiver Marvon Sanders were key contributors in the Redbirds' 24-14 win over No. 20 South Dakota State on the road Saturday night. For their efforts, Davis and Sanders were named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, respectively, by the league office Sunday.
The weekly honor is the first for both players in their time at Illinois State and the third for the Redbirds this season. Sophomore quarterback Matt Brown earned MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in week one, after leading the Redbirds to a 55-54 win over Central Missouri.
Davis posted a double-digit tackle effort for the third-straight time this season and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in the win against the Jackrabbits. The Normal, Ill., native recorded five solo stops and also hauled in his first career interception. Davis made a great diving grab off a pass broken up by fellow linebacker Josh Howe, which put an end to a strong drive for SDSU early in the second quarter. Through three games, Davis ranks second on the team with 31 tackles and leads all Redbird defenders with 4.0 tackles-for-loss.
Sanders continues to be Brown's go-to receiver in the Redbirds' offense. Sanders, a junior transfer from Eastern Michigan, set a new career high with 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Sanders hauled in his first touchdown pass as a Redbird in the third quarter, an 18-yard swing route that saw him break two tackles before diving across the goal line for the touchdown to give ISU a 24-0 lead at the time. Sanders leads all Redbird receivers and all receivers in the conference with 20 catches for 217 yards on the season and is averaging 72.3 yards per game receiving.
Quarterback Matt Barr of Western Illinois was named the league's offensive player of the week and Carlos Anderson of UNI was named the league's special teams player of the week, after taking a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Stephen F. Austin.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday at home against Missouri State. That game will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest and Fox College Sports (Pacific) as part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference television package. Kickoff against the Bears is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Ill.
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