Pac-12 Football Performance Awards presented by Nextiva – Week 13

November 27, 2023 News, Pac 12 Football

OFFENSE: Tetairoa McMillan, So., WR, Arizona (Waimanalo, Hawai’i)

  • Set career-highs with both 11 receptions and 266 receiving yards while adding a touchdown in Arizona’s 59-23 win over in-state rival Arizona State
  • 2nd most receiving yards in a single game in program history (Jeremy McDaniel 283 yards on 14 catches in OT loss to Cal in 1996)
  • Most receiving yards by any player in the Territorial Cup Game history (previous high was ASU’s Gerell Robinson with 199 in 2011)
  • 162 receiving yards in 1st half, most by an Arizona player since 2015 New Mexico Bowl (Cayleb Jones – 182)
  • Most receptions in a game by an Arizona player since Jacob Cowing had 12 against Colorado last season
  • 80 receptions this season, 16th in FBS
  • 6.7 receptions per game this season, 17th in FBS
  • 1,242 receiving yards this season, 8th in FBS
  • 103.5 receiving yards per game, 8th in FBS
  • 10 receiving TD this season, T-14th in FBS
  • 1st time winning this award this season and first Arizona player to win since QB Jayden de Laura in Week 1 of the 2022 season.  1st Arizona WR to win this award since Cayleb Jones in Week 4 of the 2014 season.  McMillan was named Freshman of the Week twice last season

Also nominated: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon; Jeremiah Hunter, WR, California; Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado; Luke Bottari, QB, Utah

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

DEFENSE:  Cade Uluave, Fr., ILB, California (South Jordan, Utah)

  • Wrapped up his true freshman season at Cal with a game-high 12 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss (-5 yards), 1.0 sack (-2 yards), and 1 interception to help Cal to a 33-7 win at UCLA
  • 1 of his tackles for loss came on 4th-and-1 at the Cal 20-yard line early in the 2nd quarter with the Bears leading 6-0 
  • Diving interception at Cal’s 34-yard line ended UCLA’s first drive of the second half
  • Played in all 12 regular-season games but compiled all of his stats other than participation over the final 6 contests (58 tackles; 6.5 TFL, -42 yards; 2.5 sacks, -26 yards; 2 interceptions, 4 interception return yards; 3 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles)
  • Cal clinched bowl-eligibility for the Golden Bears for the first time since 2019
  • 2nd time winning this award in the last 3 weeks.  Only freshman to win this award this season

Also nominated: Carson Bruener, LB, Washington; Gunner Maldonado, S, Arizona; Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon; LaVonta Bentley, ILB, Colorado; Levani Damuni, LB, Utah

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Jaydn Ott, So., RB/KR, California (Chino, Calif.)

  • Registered a 100-yard touchdown on the 1st kickoff return of his career at a critical juncture in the game after UCLA had just scored a touchdown to take a 7-6 lead in what eventually became a 33-7 Cal win
  • Also able to grind out 80 yards on the ground including 69 after halftime. 
  • Scored at least 1 touchdown in a career-high-tying 6 games and 12 of his last 13.
  • Cal clinched bowl-eligibility for the Golden Bears for the first time since 2019
  • First time winning this award and 2nd Cal player to earn this honor this season (Punter Lachlan Wilson in Week 5).  Ott was named Freshman of the Week 3 times last season and Offensive Player of the Week once

Also nominated:  Grady Gross, PK, Washington; Cole Becker, K, Utah; Tyler Loop, PK, Arizona; Joshua Karty, K, Stanford

Offensive Lineman.jpg

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jr., C, Oregon (Draper, Utah)

  • Recorded 2 knockdowns and earned an 81.1 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in Oregon’s 31-7 win over #16 Oregon State
  • Earned a 70.7 overall grade from PFF 
  • Did not allow a pressure in 42 pass-blocking opportunities
  • Helped the Ducks rack up 480 total yards while not allowing a team sack, UO leads the nation with just 5 sacks allowed
  • Leads all FBS centers with a 90.9 pass-blocking grade from PFF while ranking 2nd in overall grade (81.7) and run-blocking grade (81.5)
  • 2nd time winning this award this season (Week 4), becoming the 3rd Pac-12 OL this season to be honored twice (Cal’s Brian Driscoll and Oregon State’s Joshua Gray)

Also nominated: Jordan Morgan, LT, Arizona; T.J. Session, RT, California

DEFENSIVE LINE:  David Reese, RS Sr., OLB, California (Fort Pierce, Fla.)

  • Career highs of 3.0 sacks (-23 yards) and 3.0 tackles for loss (-23 yards), as well as 1 forced fumble and 4 total tackles to help Cal to a 33-7 win at UCLA 
  • After having started only 2 of the first 9 contests,  was inserted into the starting lineup Nov. 11 against Washington State and over the last 3 games (all starts) has combined for 5.5 tackles for loss (-51 yards), 5.5 sacks (-51 yards), 3 forced fumbles, 2 pass breakups and 13 tackles
  • 1st Cal player to win this award since it was created prior to the 2019 season

Also nominated:  Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon; Connor O’Toole, DE, Utah; Bill Norton, DL, Arizona

FRESHMAN:  Noah Fifita, RS Fr., QB, Arizona (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

  • Set Arizona single-game passing record with 527 yards in Arizona’s 59-23 win over in-state rival Arizona State.  Previous record was 520 yards by Anu Solomon against California in 2014
  • Single-game passing record for Territorial Cup, previous record was 511 by ASU’s Ryan Kealy in 1998
  • 5 pass TD ties career-high set this season at USC
  • 15 pass TD over the last 5 games
  • 30 of 41 passing.  73.6 comp % this season is 4th in FBS
  • 5th time this season winning this award, all in the last 8 weeks.

Also nominated:  Cade Uluave, QB, California; Matayo Uiagalelei, DE, Oregon; Mikey Matthews, WR, Utah; Dylan Edwards, RB, Colorado

Date OffensiveDefensiveSpecial TeamsOffensive                               
Line		Defensive LineFreshman
Sept. 5Shedeur Sanders, ColoradoTravis Hunter, ColoradoJack Bouwmeester, UtahBrian Driscoll CaliforniaDavid Bailey StanfordDylan Edwards, Colorado
Sept. 11Bo Nix, OregonRon Stone Jr., Washington StateZachariah Branch, USCGerad Christian-Lichtenhan, ColoradoRon Stone Jr., Washington StateDante Moore, UCLA
Sept. 18Michael Penix, Jr., WashingtonShilo Sanders, ColoradoJack Bouwmeester, UtahJoshua Gray, Oregon StateZion Tupuola-Fetui, WashingtonParker Brailsford, Washington
Sept. 25Cameron Ward, Washington StateKarene Reid, UtahRome Odunze, WashingtonJackson Powers-Johnson, OregonJonah Elliss, UtahTackett Curtis, USC
Oct. 2Caleb Williams, USCEaston Mascarenas-Arnold, Oregon StateLachlan Wilson, CaliforniaTanner Miller, Oregon StateJonah Elliss, UtahOmarion Miller, Colorado
Oct. 9DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon StateLaiatu Latu, UCLAAlejandro Mata, ColoradoJoshua Gray, Oregon StateLaiatu Latu, UCLANoah Fifita, Arizona
Oct. 16Elic Ayomanor, StanfordRyan Cooper, Jr., Oregon StateJoshua Karty, StanfordTaliese Fuaga, Oregon StateSione Lolohea, Oregon StateNoah Fifita, Arizona
Oct. 23Bryson Barnes, UtahMishael Powell, WashingtonCole Becker, UtahSataoa Laumea, UtahVan Fillinger, UtahMatayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Oct. 30Bo Nix, OregonTysheem Johnson, OregonDario Longhetto, Arizona StateLeif Fautanu, Arizona StateB.J. Green, Arizona StateNoah Fifita, Arizona
Nov. 6Dillon Johnson, WashingtonAndrew Chatfield, Jr., Oregon StateJoshua Karty, StanfordParker Brailsford, WashingtonAndrew Chatfield, Jr., Oregon StateNoah Fifita, Arizona
Nov. 13Bo Nix, OregonCade Uluave, CaliforniaTyler Loop, ArizonaBrian Driscoll, CaliforniaDashaun Mallory, Arizona StateCade Uluave, California
Nov. 20Bo Nix, OregonJabbar Muhammad, WashingtonJoshua Karty, StanfordBarrett Miller, CaliforniaLaiatu Latu, UCLAFernando Mendoza, California
Nov. 27Tetairoa McMillan, ArizonaCade Uluave, CaliforniaJaydn Ott, CaliforniaJackson Powers-Johnson, OregonDavid Reese, CaliforniaNoah Fifita, Arizona

– Pac-12.com –