ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Davidson College quarterback Casey Bullock and safety Hayden Bender, along with University of San Diego kicker/punter Emiliano Salazar and University of St. Thomas quarterback Nick Peipert are the Pioneer Football League’s Week 3 Players of the Week, announced Sunday.

Bullock and Bender secure the offensive and defensive awards, respectively, after leading Davidson to an overtime win against VMI. Bullock had 392 offensive yards and three touchdowns, while Bender helped with two takeaways, including a walk-off forced fumble. Salazar’s 38-yard field goal in the closing seconds helped San Diego win at Cal Poly. Peipert led St. Thomas to a win against Southern Utah with a 275-yard, two-touchdown day.  

Offensive

Casey Bullock, Davidson (Junior, Quarterback, Medina Ohio)
Bullock accounted for 392 offensive yards and three touchdowns, leading Davidson to a 27-24 overtime victory against VMI. He ran for a career-high 104 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries against the Keydets. Bullock also completed 20-of-32 passes for 288 yards (14.4 yards per completion) and two touchdowns. His one-yard touchdown run gave the Wildcats a 24-17 lead with 59 seconds remaining in regulation. Trailing 14-3 after the first quarter, he led back-to-back scoring drives in the second quarter. Bullock capped the first with a 32-yard touchdown toss to Alani Ajigbotosho and the second with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jacary Lightsey, giving the Wildcats a 17-14 lead. He opened overtime with three consecutive runs totaling 17 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.

Others Nominated

• Butler running back Desmin Jackson ran for a career-high 164 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 47-20 victory against Chicago State.
• Dayton wide receiver Michael Mussari caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in a 17-14 win at Eastern Kentucky.
• San Diego quarterback Dom Nankil completed 25-of-30 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in a five-carry, 39-yard outing in a 38-35 win at Cal Poly.
• St. Thomas running back Gabriel Abel ran for 120 yards and a touchdown over 19 carries in a 28-26 victory against Southern Utah.
• Stetson tight end Anthony Benzija had six receptions for 70 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown catch in a loss at UC Davis.
• Valparaiso quarterback Rowan Keefe had a career-high 21 completions on 30 attempts, finishing with 162 passing yards and a touchdown in a loss at Indiana State.

Defensive

Hayden Bender, Davidson (Senior, Safety, Kingwood, Texas)
Bender recorded two takeaways, including a forced fumble in overtime, to help Davidson defeat VMI 27-24. His first takeaway came on the opening drive of the second half when he intercepted a pass to set up the Wildcats deep in VMI territory. However, on the second play of VMI’s overtime possession, Bender separated the ball from the ball carrier and Davidson recovered to end the game. He also had seven tackles (three solo) in the win.

Others Nominated

• Butler linebacker Tommy Diamond recorded 10 tackles (four solo), a half tackle for loss, and a pass breakup in a 47-20 victory against Chicago State.
• San Diego safety Ruben Lopez had five tackles (four solo), including a key stop for no gain on 4th-and-1 deep in Toreros territory, and a pass breakup in a 38-35 victory at Cal Poly.
• St. Thomas linebacker William Seymour had 12 tackles (one solo), including a strip sack, in a 28-26 victory against Southern Utah.
• Stetson linebacker Damontez McDowell recorded 10 tackles (five solo), including a sack, in a loss at UC Davis.
• Valparaiso defensive back Nic Lendino picked off a pass and recorded four tackles in a loss at Indiana State.

Special Teams

Emiliano Salazar, San Diego (Junior, Kicker/Punter, Orange, California)
Salazar’s 38-yard field goal with two seconds remaining lifted San Diego to a 38-35 victory at Cal Poly. It was his lone field goal attempt of the night, but he connected on all five PATs and accounted for eight points in the win. Salazar also averaged 38.0 yards on three punts and handled kickoff duties for the Toreros.

Others Nominated

• Dayton punter Ben Lavelle averaged 56.3 yards on three punts, with all three going for 50-plus yards, including a 61-yarder, in a 17-14 win at Eastern Kentucky.
• Valparaiso punt returner Nick Beidl blocked a punt and had a 15-yard punt return in a loss at Indiana State.

Freshman

Nick Peipert, St. Thomas (Freshman (RS), Quarterback, Barrington, Illinois)
Peipert completed 16-of-29 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown and ran for a second score, leading a 28-26 victory against Southern Utah. He opened the game’s scoring with a 63-yard touchdown connection with Quentin Cobb-Butler, who finished the day with 108 receiving yards on four catches. Peipert closed the first half with a one-yard touchdown run as the clock expired, giving the Tommies a 21-17 lead they would not relinquish.

Others Nominated

• Presbyterian defensive back Tymaries Durant had seven tackles (four solo) and forced a fumble on a tackle for loss, which the Blue Hose recovered and later turned into a touchdown in a loss at Western Carolina.
• San Diego running back Omar Mbakwe ran for 41 yards and a touchdown and had an 11-yard reception in a 38-35 victory at Cal Poly.

About the Pioneer Football League

The Pioneer Football League is the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation’s heartland. Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, and Valparaiso University were among the league’s founding members in 1993, with Davidson College, Marist College, Morehead State University, Presbyterian College, the University of San Diego, the University of St. Thomas, and Stetson University joining to form the current 11-team league.