Football Writers Association of America News

Notre Dame guard Sullivan Absher anchored the right side of the Fighting Irish offensive line Saturday, propelling a balanced attack that produced 204 rushing yards and 222 passing yards in a 35-13 win over Navy in Foxboro, Mass. For maintaining the dominance up front combined with high blocking grades, Absher was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 31 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Justin Powe tied the Troy school record with three interceptions last Thursday, including one he returned 37 yards for a touchdown, within an impressive defensive showing in the Trojans’ 24-21 overtime win at James Madison. The free safety’s takeaways plus two pass break ups and seven total tackles helped change the game in Troy’s upset and earned Powe the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 31 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 9, the weekend of Oct. 31.

The USC Trojans stunned No. 2 Ohio State, 30-18, Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, scoring on their second play from scrimmage and holding the Buckeyes without a touchdown for nearly 58 minutes. For earning their first home victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent since 2015 and delivering the biggest victory of Lincoln Riley's tenure as head coach, the Trojans earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 31, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Moving  to Elimination Time?

South Carolina center Nolan Hay cleared the way for the Gamecocks to roll up 344 total yards against one of the FBS’ top defenses Saturday. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was electric again working behind Hay’s protection, and for his work up front in South Carolina’s 27-24 win over No. 11 Tennessee, Hay was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 24, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

New Mexico safety Austin Brawley provided the Lobos with the decisive score in Saturday’s key 21-16 win over North Dakota State with a pick-six in the fourth quarter, keeping the Lobos’ unbeaten in the Mountain West. For snagging his second interception of the season plus guiding the defense to perhaps its best showing of the season, Brawley earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 24 by the Football Writers Association of America.

The UCF Knights stunned No. 2 BYU, 39-31, in double overtime Saturday at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, earning their first victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent in program history. For handing the previously unbeaten Cougars their first loss of the season, the Knights earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 24, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 8, the weekend of Oct. 24.

Week 8 Promises to be a little calmer than Week 7, we think... 

Penn State’s Alex Manske is this week’s nominee for the 2026 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Manske, a redshirt freshman quarterback, underwent open heart surgery this past spring but returned to the playing field for the Nittany Lions, with a nine-inch scar across his chest.

Kentucky safety Jordan Castell picked off a pair of passes Saturday, returning the second for a touchdown in the final 90 seconds that sealed the Wildcats’ 21-13 win at Oklahoma. Those takeaways, plus nine tackles and a pass breakup, earned Castell the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 17 by the Football Writers Association of America.

Houston center Anthony Boswell anchored a line last Saturday that created opportunities for the Cougars to rack up one of their most successful offensive outputs since joining the Big 12. For guiding the blocking in what became a 505-total yard output in No. 20 Houston’s 35-32 win over No. 18 Oklahoma State, Boswell was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 17, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Auburn Tigers rallied from a 14-point deficit before Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to defeat No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens. For defeating the nation’s top-ranked team on the road, the Tigers earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 17, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 7, the weekend of Oct. 17.

Intriguing games abound this week.

Louisville offensive lineman Lance Robinson started at right tackle on Friday night, but played most of the evening at left tackle and helped clear the way for the Cardinals to roll up 397 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a 44-20 homefield romp over Florida State. For his efforts up front, Robinson was selected as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Oct. 10, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

DALLAS (FWAA) – Sophomore defensive end/linebacker Andre Porter provided UNLV’s first points Saturday in what became a defensive battle at Allegiant Stadium, and the Rebels needed all of them in a key 13-7 win over previously-undefeated North Dakota State. For his pick-six and a sack that halted a late Bison scoring drive and seal what is now UNLV's three-game win streak, Porter was selected as the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 10 by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Oklahoma Sooners scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams before Tate Sandell kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired to defeat No. 1 Texas, 27-24, Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. For rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit and defeating the nation’s top-ranked team, the Sooners earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 10, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage. Here are the top performances from Week 6, the weekend of Oct. 10.