ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Dayton quarterback Drew VanVleet, Morehead State defensive lineman Noah Benza, and Drake kicker/punter Shane Dunning laid claim to the Pioneer Football League’s Week 5 honors, announced Monday morning.

VanVleet threw for 323 yards and five touchdowns, leading Dayton to a road win at Marist to claim the league’s offensive honor. Defensive award winner Benza had 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as Morehead State’s defense held Valparaiso to 126 yards and five points. Dunning claims this week’s special teams honor with his 48-yard field goal at the final gun and 12 points in Drake’s win against San Diego.

Offensive

Drew VanVleet, Dayton (Freshman (RS), Quarterback, Richmond, Indiana)
VanVleet had five touchdown passes to lead Dayton past Marist 47-14 on Saturday. He finished the game completing 23-of-35 passes for 323 yards, and his five touchdown passes were the most by a Flyers quarterback since 2019. VanVleet's 69-yard touchdown pass – his third of the first half – to Luke Brenner gave Dayton the lead for good late in the second quarter. He tacked on touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to seal the win.  VanVleet completed passes to eight receivers and connected on touchdowns with four receivers. Wide receiver Jake Coleman had a 114-yard and two touchdowns on five receptions thanks to VanVleet.

Others Nominated

• Butler running back Joey Suchy passed 1,000 career rushing yards with an 80-yard, two-touchdown effort on eight carries in a 63-0 victory against Virginia-Lynchburg.
• Davidson running back Mari Adams used 16 carries to amass 128 yards and a touchdown in a 48-37 win over Presbyterian.
• Drake wide receiver Mitchell January caught nine passes on 16 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown in Drake’s 30-28 victory against San Diego.
• Presbyterian quarterback Collin Hurst put together the program’s first 350-yard passing performance since 2021, completing 25-of-37 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Davidson.

Defensive

Noah Benza, Morehead State (Senior, Defensive Lineman, Hebron, Kentucky)
Benza had 4.5 tackles for loss to lead a Morehead State defensive unit that held Valparaiso to 126 offensive yards (35 rushing) in the Eagles 17-5 victory. Benza recorded eight tackles with 4.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. On Valparaiso’s final possession, Benza had two sacks, including one on 4th-and-20 to seal the win. Valparaiso lost 28 yards on his tackles behind the line of scrimmage.  

Others Nominated

• Butler linebacker Tyson Garrett had four tackles, with two for loss and 1.5 sacks in a 63-0 win against Virginia-Lynchburg.
• Davidson cornerback TJ Magee had a 98-yard pick-six and nine tackles (seven solo) in a 48-37 win against Presbyterian.
• Dayton linebacker Gideon Lampron had eight tackles (four solo), with 3.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks in a 47-14 victory at Marist.
• Drake linebacker Sean Allison had six tackles and notched his first career interception in a 30-28 win against San Diego.
• Presbyterian linebacker Alex Harriott posted a game-high 13 tackles and had one tackle for loss in a loss at Davidson.

Special Teams

Shane Dunning, Drake (Graduate, Kicker/Punter, Muskego, Wisconsin)
Dunning’s 48-yard field goal as time expired lifted Drake to a 30-28 victory against San Diego. He was responsible for 12 points on the afternoon, making all three of his field goals – from 38, 42, and 48 yards – and all three PATs. Dunning also averaged 44.8 yards on his six punts, with two downed inside the 20-yard line, including an 81-yard punt – the longest in the PFL this season – downed at the two-yard line.

Others Nominated

• Dayton punt returner Paul Kelly averaged 22.5 yards on his two punt returns, including a 30-yard return that set up a field goal late in the first half of a 47-14 win at Marist.
• Valparaiso defensive lineman Alex Goworowski blocked a punt that rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety in the Beacons’ loss at Morehead State.