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LOGAN -- Utah State football quarterback Chuckie Keeton has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his school-record tying performance in USU’s 63-19 win over Wyoming Saturday.
In addition to the WAC award, Keeton was named the Utah State America First Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Oct. 9, an award that is voted on by a statewide media panel.
Keeton, a freshman from Houston (Cypress Creek High School), completed 16 of 21 passes for 228 yards and a school-record tying five touchdowns in Utah State’s 63-19 win against Wyoming. He also added 44 rushing yards on four carries. All five touchdown passes came in the first half as Utah State scored on its first eight possessions of the game.
With the five TDs, Keeton becomes the fourth Aggie quarterback to hit the school record and the sixth time, as Keeton is the first since Anthony Calvillo threw for five scores against BYU in 1993. Calvillo (1993 and 1992) and Tony Adams (1972) had accomplished the feat twice each while Brent Snyder reached it once (1987).
Keeton’s five TDs Saturday more than doubled his season-total of four entering Saturday’s game. Behind Keeton, the Aggie offense scored on its first eight possessions of the game on the way to 42 first-half points, the most in an opening half since at least 1991, as part of the 63 total points. The 63 points scored are its most since winning at Idaho, 63-17, on Oct. 25, 1997, while its 44-point margin of victory is its largest since defeating New Mexico State at home, 47-2, on Nov. 29, 2008.
The Aggie signal-caller leads the WAC and ranks 22nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with a 157.05 passing efficiency and is seventh in the WAC and tied for 77th in FBS in total offense with 198.8 yards per game. Keeton is 69-of-106 passing for a 65.1 percentage with 815 total yards and nine TDs. On the ground, he has 40 carries for 194 yards with three TDs.
This is USU’s first WAC honor of the season and the first since linebacker Bobby Wagner earned the Defensive Player of the Week award last season on Nov. 8, 2010. Keeton is the first Aggie to earn the offensive honor since running back Robert Turbin on Nov. 30, 2009. It is Keeton’s second weekly USU student-athlete of the week honor, also earning it on Sept. 5.
Nevada defensive tackle Brett Roy and Louisiana Tech punter Ryan Allen were named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively.
Roy set a career-high with 11 tackles, including four for a loss (one sack) of 13 yards, in Nevada’s 37-0 win over UNLV. Roy helped the Nevada defense hold UNLV to just 110 yards of total offense and one completion in the game. It was the first shutout in the 37-game history of the series. Roy leads the nation in tackles for loss with 2.5 per game.
Allen punted 10 times for a 48.0-yard average in Louisiana Tech’s 24-11 win at Idaho. Allen had six punts inside the 20, including four inside the 10-yard line. He had two punts of at least 60 yards, including a long of 61. Allen is tied for the national lead with 20 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Next up for Utah State will be its WAC opener at Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. MDT.
USU returns home to the friendly confines of Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium to host Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m.
To purchase tickets, or for more Aggie Athletics ticket information, fans can contact the USU Ticket Office at 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305, in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, or online 24 hours a day at www.utahstateaggies.com by clicking on the “tickets” button.
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on the USU football blog at usufootball.wordpress.com. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
Nominees for USU America First Credit Union Athlete of the Week from other sports included:
SOCCER — Sophomore midfielder Kendra Pemberton (North Salt Lake, Utah) led Utah State to a pair of Western Athletic Conference home wins last weekend against New Mexico State (2-0) and Louisiana Tech (3-1). In the win against NMSU, the midfielder scored the first goal of the match. And against Louisiana Tech, she scored five points off of two goals and one assist, having a hand in all three goals. For the week, Pemberton had three goals and two assists for seven points, including two game-winning goals.
VOLLEYBALL — Junior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen (North Ogden, Utah) had a team-best 10 kills in Utah State’s three-set loss at Idaho. Sorensen added one block and hit .375 (10-4-16) in the match.
2011-12 Utah State Athlete of the Week winners
Aug. 29 — Shantel Flanary, soccer
Sept. 5 — Chuckie Keeton, football
Sept. 12 — Robert Turbin, football
Sept. 19 — Brian McKenna, cross country
Sept. 26 — Marcus Fritz, men’s tennis
Oct. 3 — Robert Turbin, football
Oct. 10 — Chuckie Keeton, football
Doug Hoffman is the assistant athletic director for Utah State University.
