Monday, October 22, 2007

 

RUSSELL, GREGORY NAMED SAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

 

Corey Russell John Gregory
Corey Russell
SAC Offensive
Player of the Week
John Gregory
SAC Special Teams Player of the Week

                ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College's Corey Russell and John Gregory have been named the South Atlantic Conference Football Players of the Week.  Russell was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week, while Gregory earned Special Teams recognition.  This marks Russell's second player of the week recognition this year, while Gregory is earning this third SAC honor this season.

 

                Russell, a 6-4, 190-pound junior quarterback from Speedwell, Tenn., earns this honor for a third time in his career.  Russell accounted for all four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) in Tusculum's 31-28 upset win over seventh-ranked Catawba.  The Cumberland Gap High School went 25-for-39 for 282 passing yards and three touchdowns.  He also rushed for 69 yards on 23 carrries, including a three-yard TD run in the second quarter.

 

                Russell established new single-season and career school records for touchdown tosses.  His 19 TD passes this year are a new TC record, while his 40 career touchdown completions are also a new school mark.  He leads the Pioneers in passing yards (2,108), rushing yards (252) and total offense (2,360).

 

Gregory, a 6-2, 210-pound sophomore from Ooltewah, Tenn., earns SAC Player of the Week honors for the sixth time in his young career.  Gregory averaged 41 yards on his six punts.  The Ooltewah High School graduate booted four punts inside the 20-yard line, including one side the Catawba one-yard line.  That punt set up a Tusculum touchdown early in the second half to put the Pioneers up 24-0.  The Preseason All-American is averaging 41.1 yards per punt this season, which is tops in the conference.

 

Tusculum (5-3, 3-0 SAC) has won its last five game and are in first place in the conference.  The Pioneers travel to Newberry this Saturday night for a 7 p.m. contest at Setzler Field.

 

The South Atlantic Conference Football Players of the Week are selected by a vote of the league's sports information directors.

 

- SAC -