KORE - Fox Sports Eugene

The Pac-12 today announced its 2023 football season’s 12th weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week 12’s recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here:

OFFENSE: Bo Nix, Sr., QB, Oregon (Pinson, Ala.)

• Pac-12 record 7th time being named Offensive Player of the Week, an award that started in 1983.  He passes 6-time winners Matt Barkley (USC), Luke Falk (Washington State) and Napoleon Kaufman (Washington).  Also the 4th time Nix has won it this year which ties for the most in a single season.  Barkley won it 4 times in 2011 while Khalil Tate won it 4 straight weeks in 2017
• Tied UO single-game record with a career-high 6 touchdown passes while leading Oregon to a 49-13 win at Arizona State
• Matched career-high with 6 total touchdowns, his second 6 TD performance in the last 3 games
• Only FBS player this season with multiple 6 TD games 
• Completed 24-of-29 passes for 404 yards and 6 TD, with all 6 coming in the 1st half
• 82.8 completion percentage is the 9th best in UO single-game history, giving him now 6 of the top 10 marks
• 8th Duck ever to throw for 6 TD in a game
• 4 or more TD passes in 3 straight games 
• First Duck ever with 4 career 400-yard passing games
• 35 passing TD are 2nd most in UO single-season history
• Leads the nation with a historic 78.1 completion percentage, on pace to break the NCAA single-season record

Also nominated: T.J. Harden, RB, UCLA; Jaydn Ott, RB, California; Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State; Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona; Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah; Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State

Check out the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more. 

DEFENSE:  Jabbar Muhammad, Jr., CB, Washington (DeSoto, Texas)

• In Washington’s 22-20 win at No. 10-ranked Oregon State, Muhammad was the Huskies’ star defensive player, finishing the game with 2 interceptions, alongside 4 additional pass break-ups and a fumble recovery, meaning that he accounted for 3 takeaways
• First Washington player with 2 INT in a game since Asa Turner last season against Kent State.  5th Pac-12 player this season to have multiple interceptions in a game
• 3 INT this season, tied for 2nd most in Pac-12
• 13 passes defended this season, 2nd most in Pac-12.  9th in FBS with 1.2 passes defended per game
• 10 PBU this season, 2nd most in Pac-12
• First Husky to win this award this season and 1st to win it since Week 9 of 2021 when LB Carson Bruener was honored

Also nominated: Brennan Jackson, EDGE, Washington State; Laiatu Latu, DE, UCLA; Nohl Williams, CB, California; Connor O’Toole, DE, Utah; Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona; LaVonta Bentley, ILB, Colorado; Cole Martin, DB, Oregon

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Joshua Karty, Sr., K, Stanford (Burlington, N.C.)

• 3-for-3 FG for 9 total points, with makes from 44, 50, 53 yards (season-long) against California
• 1st Pac-12 player and 5th FBS player this season to make multiple 50+ yard field goals in a game 
• Scored 9 of the Cardinal’s 15 points
• 20-for-23 in 2023 FG, 87.0% is 2nd best in the Pac-12 and 15th in FBS
• 1.82 FG per game is best in the Pac-12 and 10th in the FBS
• 20-for-20 PAT this season, 71-for-72 the last 3 seasons
• First player to win this award 3 times this season after winning it 4 times last season

Also nominated:  Leighton Smithson, WR/KR, Washington State; Anthony Ward, LB, Arizona; Camden Lewis, K, Oregon; Mark Vassett, P, Colorado; Jack Bouwmeester, P, Utah

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Barrett Miller, Sr., LT, California (Aurora, Colo.)

• Miller helped Cal to its 4th win in the last 5 Big Games and its 3rd in a row on the road on The Farm in a 27-15 victory over Stanford in the 126th Big Game
• Became just the 2nd known player to start 5 times in the Big Game (Cal’s Elijah Hicks, 2017-21).  Miller (Stanford to Cal) and Brennan Scarlett (Cal to Stanford) are the only known scholarship football players to transfer between the schools. Miller started for the Cardinal four times from 2019-22 before this season’s start for the Golden Bears
• Was a key blocker for All-American running back candidate Jaydn Ott, who rushed a career-high 36 times for 166 yards and 1 touchdown. He also pass-protected for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who had career highs of 294 yards passing and 3 touchdown throws while completing 24-of-36 passing and posting a 157.2 quarterback rating
• Played in all 84 offensive snaps for the Bears and a total of 88 (also all four PAT/FG) and had 6 knockdowns/pancake blocks and graded out at 88%
• 1st time winning this award but 3rd time this season a Cal player has won.  Brian Driscoll won both last week and in Week 1

Also nominated: Ajani Cornelius, RT, Oregon; Jordan Morgan, LT, Arizona; Fa’alili Fa’amoe, RT, Washington State

DEFENSIVE LINE:  Laiatu Latu, Sr., DL, UCLA (Sacramento, Calif.)

• Led or co-led the Bruins in tackles (7), sacks (2), and TFLs (2) in a 38-20 win at crosstown rival USC on Saturday
• Marked his 3rd multi-sack game of the year, and 7th game with multiple TFL
• T-3rd in FBS with 13.0 sacks and 3rd with 1.18 sacks per game.  Leads Pac-12 in sacks and 2nd in conference in sacks per game 
• 2nd in FBS with 20.5 TFL and first in TFL per game (1.9)
• As a team, UCLA limited USC to just 3 rushing yards, the fewest the Bruins have allowed in 17 years (Arizona had -13 rushing yards on Oct. 7, 2006)
• Becomes 2nd player to win this award twice this season, joining Utah’s Jonah Elliss 

Also nominated:  Ron Stone Jr., EDGE, Washington State;  Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington; Connor O’Toole, DE, Utah; Taylor Upshaw, DL, Arizona

FRESHMAN:  Fernando Mendoza, RS Fr., QB, California (Miami, Fla.)

• Quarterbacked Cal to its 4th win in the last 5 Big Games including the 3rd in a row on the road at The Farm with a 27-15 victory over Stanford
• Completed 24-of-36 passes for 294 yards with 3 touchdowns (the latter two career highs) including a 54-yard touchdown throw to Trond Grizzell, which is the Golden Bears’ longest pass play of the season
• 157.2 quarterback rating marked the 3rd time in his 6 starts this season that he has recorded a rating that high or above
• Win was Cal’s 2nd straight overall and moved the Bears’ to within a single victory of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019
• 2nd straight week a Cal player has won this award after Cade Uluave won both Freshman of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week last time

Also nominated:  Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona; Cole Martin, DB, Oregon; Kamari Ramsey, S, UCLA

Date	Offensive	Defensive	Special Teams	Offensive                               Line	Defensive Line	Freshman
Sept. 5	Shedeur Sanders, Colorado	Travis Hunter, Colorado	Jack Bouwmeester, Utah	Brian Driscoll California	David Bailey Stanford	Dylan Edwards, Colorado
Sept. 11	Bo Nix, Oregon	Ron Stone Jr., Washington State	Zachariah Branch, USC	Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Colorado	Ron Stone Jr., Washington State	Dante Moore, UCLA
Sept. 18	Michael Penix, Jr., Washington	Shilo Sanders, Colorado	Jack Bouwmeester, Utah	Joshua Gray, Oregon State	Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington	Parker Brailsford, Washington
Sept. 25	Cameron Ward, Washington State	Karene Reid, Utah	Rome Odunze, Washington	Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon	Jonah Elliss, Utah	Tackett Curtis, USC
Oct. 2	Caleb Williams, USC	Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Oregon State	Lachlan Wilson, California	Tanner Miller, Oregon State	Jonah Elliss, Utah	Omarion Miller, Colorado
Oct. 9	DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State	Laiatu Latu, UCLA	Alejandro Mata, Colorado	Joshua Gray, Oregon State	Laiatu Latu, UCLA	Noah Fifita, Arizona
Oct. 16	Elic Ayomanor, Stanford	Ryan Cooper, Jr., Oregon State	Joshua Karty, Stanford	Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State	Sione Lolohea, Oregon State	Noah Fifita, Arizona
Oct. 23	Bryson Barnes, Utah	Mishael Powell, Washington	Cole Becker, Utah	Sataoa Laumea, Utah	Van Fillinger, Utah	Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Oct. 30	Bo Nix, Oregon	Tysheem Johnson, Oregon	Dario Longhetto, Arizona State	Leif Fautanu, Arizona State	B.J. Green, Arizona State	Noah Fifita, Arizona
Nov. 6	Dillon Johnson, Washington	Andrew Chatfield, Jr., Oregon State	Joshua Karty, Stanford	Parker Brailsford, Washington	Andrew Chatfield, Jr., Oregon State	Noah Fifita, Arizona
Nov. 13	Bo Nix, Oregon	Cade Uluave, California	Tyler Loop, Arizona	Brian Driscoll, California	Dashaun Mallory, Arizona State	Cade Uluave, California
Nov. 20	Bo Nix, Oregon	Jabbar Muhammad, Washington	Joshua Karty, Stanford	Barrett Miller, California	Laiatu Latu, UCLA	Fernando Mendoza, California

– Pac-12.com –