Spiers Named ACC Specialist of the Week
CLEMSON, S.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that punter Will Spiers has been named ACC Specialist of the Week for his performance in Clemson's 47-21 victory against Syracuse on Saturday.
Clemson has now earned a total of 533 weekly honors since 1968. The selection this week gives Clemson eight Player of the Week honors this season. The selection is Spiers' second of his career, joining his honoring as ACC Specialist of the Week for his performance at Louisville in 2017.
Spiers, who was celebrating his 23rd birthday on Saturday, averaged 53.6 yards on five credited punts, including four of 50 yards or more against Syracuse. It was his third straight game with a punting average of 50.0 yards or more, a career-long streak.
Among Spiers' four 50-yard punts was a career-long-tying 64-yard punt in the first quarter, matching 64-yard punts against Louisville in 2017 and against Charlotte in 2019. He also converted a fourth-and-3 on a fake punt with a six-yard rush in the second quarter. It was the third career first down for which he's been responsible but his first via rush. Spiers threw for a first down on a fake punt in 2017 and threw for one at Georgia Tech on Oct. 17 this year in his role as Clemson's emergency quarterback.
--Additional notes from the ACC
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized following their standout performances in last weekend’s games.
The selections are determined by a vote of a 16-member media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
QUARTERBACK – Ian Book, Notre Dame, Gr., QB, El Dorado Hills, Calif.
Completed 16-of-30 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the No. 3 Fighting Irish’s 45-3 win over Pitt • His three TD passes ranked second among all Power 5 quarterbacks last weekend • Guided a Notre Dame offense that posted 40:59 minutes of possession time, the most by an ACC team in a single game this season, and fifth-most among all FBS teams this year • Notre Dame had 11 rushing first downs against the top-ranked rushing defense in the ACC, and Book was responsible for three of those first downs, including an 18-yard dash that set up his 73-yard TD pass to Ben Skowronek.
RUNNING BACK – Javian Hawkins, Louisville, So., RB, Titusville, Fla.
Rushed for 174 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 48-16 win over Florida State • First Louisville player with three rushing touchdowns in a game since Trey Smith against Wake Forest on Oct. 27, 2018 • Saturday marked the 11th 100-yard rushing game of Hawkins’ career, tied for the fourth most in Louisville history • His five career 150-yard rushing games are tied for the fifth most in school history.
RECEIVER – Michael Harley, Miami, Sr., WR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Finished with career-high totals in every category in No. 11 Miami’s 19-14 win over Virginia with 10 catches for 170 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown reception on the second play from scrimmage • The 10 catches tied for the second-most by a Hurricane since Miami joined the ACC and are just two shy of the school record of 12 • The 170 receiving yards are Miami’s most versus an ACC opponent since Allen Hurns had 173 versus Pitt in 2013 and the most overall since Phillip Dorsett had 201 versus Arkansas State in 2014.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame, Gr., LT, Cleveland, Ohio
Led a Notre Dame offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage in Saturday’s 45-3 win over Pitt • The Fighting Irish piled up 434 yards of total offense and held the football for nearly 41 minutes • Notre Dame’s 115 rushing yards came against a Pitt defense that had allowed an ACC-low 61.5 yards per game on the ground entering the contest • Notre Dame’s two rushing scores marked the first time the Panthers had allowed multiple rushing touchdowns in a single game since Oct. 5, 2019 versus Duke.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest, Sr., DE, Roanoke, Va.
Extended his nation-leading tackle for loss streak to 23 games with a third-down sack and forced fumble in the fourth quarter of Wake Forest’s 23-16 win over Virginia Tech • Finished the game with a career-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops • Has a sack in every game this season and a sack in 12 of the last 14 games • Currently ranks fourth on the Wake Forest all-time sacks list with 20.5.
LINEBACKER – Chazz Surratt, North Carolina, Gr., LB, Denver, N.C.
Recorded a team-leading eight tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and his second career interception in the No. 14 Tar Heels’ 48-21 win over No. 23 NC State • Named ACC Linebacker of the Week for the second time this season (also Sept. 14) and the third time in his career.
DEFENSIVE BACK/ROOKIE – Nick Andersen, Wake Forest, Fr., S, Clifton, Va.
Named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting three passes in the Demon Deacons’ 23-16 win over Virginia Tech • First Wake Forest player since 1987 to have three or more interceptions in a game • Third interception came on the final Virginia Tech drive, sealing the Wake Forest win with six seconds remaining in the game • Became the fourth player in Wake Forest history to have three interceptions in a game and the first ACC player since Louisville's Gerod Holliman in 2014 • First Wake Forest freshman with three or more interceptions in a single game • Added a game-high 11 total tackles, including nine solo tackles.
SPECIALIST – Will Spiers, Clemson, Sr., P, Cameron, S.C.
Celebrated his 23rd birthday by averaging 53.6 yards on five punts – including four of 50 yards or more – during the top-ranked Tigers’ 47-21 win over Syracuse • It marked his third straight game with a punting average of 50.0 yards or more, a career-long streak • Spiers boomed a career-long-tying 64-yard punt and also converted a fourth-and-3 with a six-yard rush.