Mack Wins Second MAC East Defensive Player of the Week Award
11/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
BUFFALO, NY - Junior linebacker Khalil Mack was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Defensive Player of the Week Monday after setting a pair of career highs in a 29-19 win over Massachusetts. The weekly honor was the fourth of his career, and the second of the 2012 season (he previously won on Oct. 1).
This is the third straight week that a Bulls has been a weekly honoree from the MAC. Two weeks ago, Branden Oliver and Patrick Clarke were honored, and last week Cortney Lester was named defensive player of the week. It was the first time since 2008 that the team received at least three straight weekly honors. The team won seven individual awards over a four-week span of Nov. 1 to Nov. 22.
Mack had a career-high 15 tackles in Buffalo's 29-19 win over UMass. He also had a career-best 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He kept the Minutemen out of the end zone on back-to-back plays, stopping a third and fourth and goal try from the 1-yard line on UMass' opening possession. In the game, he broke the school record for tackles for loss in a career, with 53.5, and continues to be the NCAA's active career leader for tackles for loss.
The team looks to close out the regular season on a high note Friday afternoon, facing Bowling Green in Columbus at 2 pm. Buffalo has won three straight games and looks to enter 2013 with a winning streak.
