The Missouri Valley Football Conference opened its season with a bang, and USD’s freshman quarterback Austyn Modrzewski immediately locked up Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week. His college debut was absolutely off the charts, making everyone in the league sit up and pay attention. The freshman from Colorado threw for a whopping 304 yards on 16-of-20 passing, which is efficient, but get this: he tied a school record with SIX touchdown passes! Six! In his first ever college game! The kid wasn’t done showing off, either. He also tore off 81 rushing yards, including a 68-yard touchdown scamper. USD absolutely crushed Central Connecticut State, 59-20, in Vermillion, and it’s clear who the driving force was. Modrzewski’s heroics even earned him STATS national freshman of the week honors. The MVFC has officially been put on notice by this kid. Seriously, how do you even prepare for a freshman who puts up numbers like THAT right out of the gate?
Jackrabbits Bring the Pain on Both Sides of the Ball
Meanwhile, over at SDSU, the Jackrabbits weren’t messing around either, bagging two player of the week awards themselves after a dominant 70-7 win against Stetson. Linebacker Chase Van Tol snagged the Valley Defensive Player of the Week award, and man, did he earn it. This Tea Area product had two tackles, sure, but he also pulled in TWO fumble recoveries and added a crucial pass breakup. That’s creating havoc, that’s flipping field position, that’s momentum-shifting football! When your defense is forcing turnovers and helping you win by 63 points, you know they shut things down, and Van Tol was a huge part of that.
And you always gotta shout out the big fellas up front who make it all happen! Senior tackle Quinten Christensen from Wessington Springs grabbed Offensive Lineman of the Week for SDSU. He put in some serious work, earning a ridiculous 95 percent grade and tallying eight knockdowns in 37 offensive snaps against the Hatters. That’s dominating the line of scrimmage, opening huge holes for the running game, and giving the quarterback time to make plays. You do not put up 70 points without that kind of gritty work in the trenches. The Jackrabbits are looking scary efficient thanks to these guys.
Special Teams Impact and What’s Next
Not to be outdone, special teams got some love too. Illinois State’s punter Hayden Futch was named Special Teams Player of the Week after the Redbirds got their own win over Saint Francis. Futch absolutely boomed the ball, averaging an incredible 66 yards per kick! That is absolutely flipping the field on opponents, forcing them to drive the length of the field. Field position wins games, and Futch was a pure weapon for the Redbirds.
So, what’s the early takeaway from this opening weekend? We’ve got freshmen quarterbacks already setting records, defenses forcing game-changing turnovers, offensive lines paving the way for massive scores, and special teams units making huge plays. These early performances are setting an incredibly high bar for the rest of the MVFC season. Teams better come ready to play every single snap, because these guys are here to make some serious noise and push the limits. It’s gonna be a wild ride to watch how this all plays out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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