The Sports Inquirer

Release from the Big South Conference:

Liberty running back Desmond Rice (Lynchburg, Va.) has been named the Choice Hotels Big South Football Offensive Player of the Week, while Monmouth linebacker John Sieczkowski (Manalapan, N.J.) has been selected as the Defensive Player of the Week for games played the fifth week of the regular season.  Liberty placekicker John Lunsford (Fort Myers, Fla.) is the Special Teams Player of the Week and Monmouth wide receiver Reggie White Jr. (Randallstown, Md.) is The Crons Brand Freshman of the Week.

Rice rushed 22 times for 87 yards and three touchdowns to lead Liberty past Georgia State, 41-33.  He was the catalyst behind the Flames’ 263 rushing yards and 43:33 in time of possession.  Rice scored his first touchdown on 4^th-and-goal from the one to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.  He added another one-yard score in the second quarter that put the Flames ahead, 21-14.  Rice’s final touchdown was another 4^th-and-goal conversion as he scored from a yard out to put Liberty ahead for good, 28-21.

Sieczkowski finished with two tackles for loss and a pick-six to help Monmouth defeat Bryant, 31-24.  His interception came deep in Bryant territory as he picked off a deflected pass and returned it five yards for a score that put the Hawks ahead, 24-16, with 11:32 left in the game.  Sieczkowski’s two TFLs created second-and-long situations.

Lunsford tallied 11 points on 5-of-5 PATs and 2-of-2 field goals at Georgia State, while six of his eight kickoffs went for touchbacks.  His 28-yard field goal extended Liberty’s lead to 38-27 in the fourth quarter.  After Georgia State pulled within five points with less than three minutes to play, Lunsford nailed a 56-yarder with 2:27 remaining for the eventual final margin.

White caught five passes for a team-high 85 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 1:16 remaining.  With the game tied at 24-24, White caught a screen pass, dodged through defenders and sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawks a 31-24 advantage.  His 16-yard TD grab earlier in the game made the score 14-0 late in the first quarter.