ST. LOUIS – After each put together great performances in Illinois State's 35-19 win over Colorado State, defensive back Devin Taylor and punter JT Bohlken were named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively, by the league office Sunday.
The honors are the third and fourth for a Redbird player this season, as quarterback Brady Davis was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week in back-to-back contests after wins over Saint Xavier and Eastern Illinois. Taylor and Bohlken were selected along with North Dakota State quarterback Easton Stick (offense) and UNI wide receiver Deion McShane (newcomer) as this week's winners.Â
Taylor and the Redbird secondary handled one of the most explosive passing offenses in the FBS, as ISU came away with the big win over the Rams. The Lansing, Michigan, native finished the day with eight tackles, six of which were solo stops, two pass break ups and the second interception of his career. Taylor intercepted a pass deep in ISU territory, as CSU quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels was attempting to find his receiver in the end zone. The interception was one of two for the Redbird secondary on the day, which held the Rams to just 257 yards in the air.
Bohlken and the rest of the Redbird special teams unit kept the Rams at bay all day. The Jefferson City, Missouri, native averaged 51.4 yards per punt on seven attempts, with a long of 60 yards. On three different occasions, he pinned the Rams inside their own 20 yard line and had three touchbacks to flip the field in favor of the Redbirds in the victory.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday at Missouri State to begin MVFC play. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., with the game broadcast online on ESPN+ and over the radio on WJBC AM 1230 and via the TuneIn app.
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