CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Liberty running back Rashad Jennings (Forest, Va.) and Flames linebacker Nick Hursky (Carnegie, Pa.) have been named the Big South football Choice Hotels Offensive Player of the Week and New Balance Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for games played in week five of the 2008 season, it was announced today by the Conference office.  In addition, Gardner-Webb kicker Ryan Gates (Newnan, Ga.) was named Special Teams Player of the Week, while Liberty kicker Matt Bevins (Newport News, Va.) was tabbed Freshman of the Week.

Jennings rushed for a career-high 220 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns to help lead the Liberty Flames past No. 23 Youngstown State, 31-28.  Jennings' first touchdown was a 2-yard run that capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive that tied the game 14-14 with 2:03 remaining in the first half.  Jennings set-up his touchdown with a 55-yard run on the third play of the drive.  He added two scores late in the third quarter, scoring another 2-yard run to end an eight-play, 95-yard drive with 2:21 on the clock, and a 6-yard scamper less than two minutes later that gave Liberty a 28-14 lead.  Jennings averaged 7.6 yards per carry, the fifth-highest of his career, and his 220 rushing yards are the sixth-most in a game in Big South history.  He also recorded his fifth career game with three rushing touchdowns, extending his Big South record.   

Hursky led the Flames with 13 tackles (nine solo, four assisted) and 3.0 tackles for loss of 14 yards in helping Liberty knock off No. 23 Youngstown State.  His 11-yard sack pushed a driving Penguin squad back from the 32-yard line to near mid-field during the second quarter that led to an eventual punt, allowing Liberty to tie the game on the ensuing drive.  His 3.0 tackles-for-loss set a career-high, and he finished with his second-highest tackle output and 11th career double-figure tackle game.

Gates tied a Big South single-game record with four field goals in Saturday’s game against Sam Houston State, and is just the third player in League history to hit 4-of-4 field goals in a game.  He boomed field goals from 47, 42, 22 and 26 yards, and added 3-of-3 extra point kicks to account for 15 of Gardner-Webb’s 33 points Saturday.  Gates’ 15 points scored is tied for second-most in a game by a kicker in League history.

Bevins knocked down the game-winning 24-yard field goal as time expired to lift Liberty to a three-point victory over No. 23 Youngstown State.  The field goal was just the second of his career.  He also was a perfect 4-of-4 on extra points and he finished with a career-high seven points on the night. 

2008 Big South Football Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 1 - Conte Cuttino, Stony Brook
Sept. 8 - Tim Maypray, VMI
Sept. 15 - Zach MacDowall, Coastal Carolina
Sept. 22 - Zach MacDowall, Coastal Carolina
Sept. 29 - Rashad Jennings, Liberty

Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 1 - Chris Richards, Stony Brook
Sept. 8 - Dominique Davenport, Coastal Carolina
Sept. 15 - Chad Brown, Liberty
Sept. 22 - D.J. Rice, Coastal Carolina
Sept. 29 - Nick Hursky, Liberty

Special Teams Player of the Week
Sept. 1 - Jonathan Crawford, Liberty
Sept. 8 - Gerald Stevenson, Charleston Southern
Sept. 15 - Mike Larsson, Liberty
Sept. 22 - Bryson Summers, Presbyterian
Sept. 29 - Ryan Gates, Gardner-Webb

Freshman of the Week
Sept. 1 - Edwin Gowins, Stony Brook
Sept. 8 - Edwin Gowins, Stony Brook
Sept. 15 - Chris Kuzdale, Charleston Southern
Sept. 22 - Greg Stevens, VMI
Sept. 29 - Matt Bevins, Liberty