SDSU and USD Players Earn MVFC Player of the Week Honors

ST. LOUS – South Dakota State’s Cade Johnson and Brady Hale were honored as were USD’s Austin Simmons and Darin Greenfield on Sunday as Missouri Valley Football Conference Players of the Week. Johnson was named for his performance in the Jackrabbits’ season-opening 45-14 victory over Montana State on Sept. 8. Johnson, a sophomore wide receiver earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition after tying a Jackrabbit single-game school record with four touchdown receptions,while also setting career bests of nine receptions and 138 receiving yards. He shared the offensive award with South Dakota quarterback Austin Simmons. Simmons completed 31 of 40 passes for a career-high 462 yards – third-most in program history – and accounted for five touchdowns in the Coyotes 43-28 win over Northern Colorado. Greenfield had seven tackles including two sacks and three tackles-for-loss in earning the Defensive Player of the Week. Hale received Special Teams Player of the Week honors after punting four times for an average of 48.0 yards. Three of Hale’s punts landed inside the Bobcats’ 20-yard line and two of his punts traveled 50-plus yards, including a 55-yarder.