Colorado Athletics
Football
IRVING, Texas – Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (offensive), Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson (co-defensive), West Virginia safety Anthony Wilson Jr. (co-defensive) and the Arizona State duo of quarterback Sam Leavitt (newcomer) and linebacker Martell Hughes (special teams) have won the Big 12 Conference’s weekly football awards.
Sanders continued his strong season in CU’s 41-27 win at Texas Tech, completing 30 of his 43 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns with a rushing score. The Buffs’ signal caller accounted for four touchdowns without an interception while tying the program record of 20 consecutive games with a passing touchdown. Sanders ranks in the top three nationally in completions (250), completion percentage (72.9%) and passing touchdowns (24) while ranking in the top 10 in passing yards (2,882) this season.
With a pick six that helped clinch the Jayhawks’ 45-36 win over then-No. 17 Iowa State, Dotson cemented his place in the Kansas record books and the national leaderboards. The interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the fourth of his career, adding to his own KU record. Dotson’s four career interceptions for touchdowns are also the most among active FBS defensive backs. The senior also tallied two tackles and a pass break up against the Cyclones.
Wilson Jr. becomes the third West Virginia defensive player to win a Big 12 weekly award this season following his performance in his team’s 31-24 win over Cincinnati. With 11 tackles and an interception returned 79 yards for a score, the safety helped change the momentum of the game. His 11 tackles were a season high and matched his WVU career mark as well while the pick six was the first of his career.
Winning his second Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor, Leavitt guided ASU to a 35-31 victory over UCF while star running back Cam Skattebo missed the game due to an injury. The redshirt freshman led the Sun Devils on a comeback drive in the fourth quarter before finishing the game with 16-of-25 passing for 161 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Leavitt became the first Arizona State quarterback to post consecutive games of three or more passing touchdowns without an interception since Jayden Daniels in 2019.
Hughes was a pivotal special teams standout for the Sun Devils as he recorded ASU’s first blocked punt since 2017 in the second quarter that his teammate, Montana Warren, recovered for a touchdown. Hughes also made a critical tackle on special teams at the one-yard line after a muffed kickoff return that set up a pick six for his defense. The freshman went on to make the final tackle of the game to seal the 35-31 victory over the Knights.
