[2024] Week 10 POTW

SageBow · July 2

Week 10 Offensive Player of the Week

QB Pat Niang, WAST, 6 of 8 for 31 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 30 carries for 225 yards, 3 TD in a 51-28 W vs #9 Georgia Tech

Pat, congratulations on winning Offensive Player of the Week! 225 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns in a huge upset of Georgia Tech. What led to such a fantastic game?

Thank you! We’ve been running drills for this game all season. Don’t get me wrong, we got pretty banged up facing UMass and New Mexico before traveling to Atlanta. We knew the hype around their QB and how much we can throw. Our goal was to keep the clock running, like our offense. 4 yards, three yards at a time? No matter. I think we were just surprised by how far they let us trot along!

This Wazzu offense has suddenly exploded, and I know you're a guy that has started here multiple years. Did something change in the offseason that has totally revitalized this Cougar offense?

Yeah, you can say so! Last season was a rebuild for us. We’ve always been a ground-and-pound offense that remains run-first. Usually we hand the ball off to our RB, but then we discovered two things:

We can also hand the ball to our fullback
It turns out we can also choose an option at who gets the ball at the snap! That one’s fun to run.

In all seriousness, utilizing the option has done wonders for us. The moment it clicked for us in spring practice, we knew we had a season ahead of us.

Georgia Tech has an explosive offense like you said, but they also have one of the nation's most dynamic defenders in corner Matt Corbin. You guys basically erased him with your gameplan as he only recorded 1 tackle. Was that something you guys focused on heading into the game?

A corner can only do so much if he’s told to cover a receiver, at least against our offense.
I mean, why make a pass if I know I can run?

Most definitely! The Cougars are a top 25 team in the nation and very much in contention for a playoff berth. How are you handling the weight of the expectations from this fan base?

We’re handling it as we have been all season - one game at a time. I have full confidence in that even though we lost crucial matchups, we’ve always found a way to rally back.
All that matters now is winning the PAC-2 and earning that playoff berth!

Pat how about leadership on this team. You and Vontae have been the 1-2 punch, how have you grown and how have you seen the younger guys grow around you?

I don’t think I was even the third string during my freshman year in Pullman! We’ve kinda known what it means to win and how significant those wins can be. We’ve played in the Pac 12 championship, and had seasons where we didn’t even make the postseason. We know how much each win means, and we make sure that our squad, no matter their age, understands that.
I’m honored to be their starting QB and as one of their captains.

Well thank you Pat for your time. Before I leave do you have any shoutouts?

Shoutout to our fullback Jeremy Allen - he has taken a huge step up this season and has been the unsung hero of our offense. Also, a huge shoutout to our third string RT Jerome Huff who’s stepped up for us the past couple of weeks while our starter and backup were both injured

Week 10 Defensive Player of the Week

DT Cody White, AZST, 10 Tackles, 5 TFLs, 5.0 Sacks in a 23-18 W vs Texas Tech

Cody, what a performance against Texas Tech this week. 5 Sacks, you must be haunting John Waid's dreams. What led to this huge performance?

The Cody says it was a great game and he is very happy with the result. It all came down to the preparation and teamwork. Coach Kmatt had a great game plan, and my teammates executed their roles perfectly allowing The Cody to execute on my opportunities.

Well, The Cody, you've been an outstanding player for a very surprising Arizona State team. The Sun Devils are one of the best teams in America, seemingly out of nowhere! What led to this improved season?

The Cody says a lot of the credit goes to the new head coach, Kmatt. As soon as he stepped up, everything changed. The atmosphere, the energy and mentality were all revitalized along with his new state of the art gameplans. It's been a team effort and this is just the beginning.

Kmatt sure has improved this team dramatically! Your team is still in the hunt for a Big 12 title. What would that mean to you and this team if you were to get it in your first year in this conference?

The Cody says that would be a dream come true for all of us. It would mean everything, seeing how far the team has come in such a short amount of time. It would be a testament to the teams hard work and dedication, something the team would remember forever. We will push hard, and give it our all these last few weeks to make it happen.

Cody, you are currently 3rd in the conference in sacks. Do you have any individual goals as you head into your last few games as a senior?

The Cody says he wants to keep up the momentum, and go for first

Not just that, you’re one of the top defensive tackle prospects heading into the next NFL draft. Is that weighing on your mind at all?

The Cody says that's certainly exciting, but currently the focus is on helping the team achieve our goals. I want to give my best every game and improve everyday. The NFL draft is something The Cody will look forward to more towards the end of the season.

Thanks Cody! Before I leave, any final shout outs?

Yea to our aweome QB Jen-Jo Milton

This article was written with the help of @TuscanSota and @kmatt

Week 0 POTWs - RB Jose Kelly, AUB / DE Luke Brown, MUR

Week 1 POTWs - QB O'Koyea Landrum, GT / DE Ethan Diaz, COLO

Week 2 POTWs - RB Ramon Mahomes, UTST / DE Kevin Casilla, NCST

Week 3 POTWs - QB Travis Knebel, BAYL / ILB Ketel Mejia, JMU

Week 4 POTWs - QB O'Koyea Landrum, GT / DE Matt Roberts, ARK

Week 5 POTWs - QB Will Outman, UGA / CB A.J. Kalu, FSU

Week 6 POTWs - QB Brandon Savage, TENN / ILB Andy Hart, FSU

Week 7 POTWs - QB C.J. Jones, KNSW / DE Joey Acklin, TULS

Week 8 POTWs - QB Will Outman, UGA / DE Dante Riley, UGA