GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three Florida Gators have been selected for SEC Weekly Honors, the conference announced Monday. These honors mark the second-straight week that Florida has earned three SEC Weekly Honors, the first time in Florida’s history that they’ve had three honorees in back-to-back weeks, or twice at any point in a season.
Defensive back Bryce Thornton (Co-Defensive Player of the Week), Caleb Banks (Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week) and Jeremy Crawshaw (Special Teams Player of the Week) earned their honors for their outstanding performances in Florida’s 24-17 win over the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels.
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Bryce Thornton, DB, Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Thornton tallied a career-high 14 tackles, which led a Florida defense which held the Rebels’ high-powered offense to just 17 points, tied for their lowest total of the season.
Thornton recorded two interceptions in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s contest, each ending Ole Miss’ final two drives of the game. Thornton caught as many passes from Jaxson Dart (2) as any individual Ole Miss receiver in the fourth quarter.
Caleb Banks, DL, Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week
Banks recorded just four tackles in Saturday’s win, however, all four were tackles for loss of Ole Miss’ quarterback. Banks recorded two and one-half sacks in the game, and also stopped Dart on a rush attempt before the line of scrimmage. Banks paced a defensive front that totaled nine tackles for loss.
Banks further harassed the passer by adding a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in the second quarter.
Jeremy Crawshaw, P, Special Teams Player of the Week
Crawshaw launched seven punts on Saturday’s game, including a 62-yard rocket that took a bounce into the Ole Miss endzone. Crawshaw was a weapon in Saturday’s field position battle, as Ole Miss was unable to score a touchdown on any of the six drives that began via a Crawshaw punt, and were held to just one field goal.
The highlight of Crawshaw’s performance was his first punt of the second half – a high-flying, knuckling kick that drifted such that returner Micah Davis couldn’t field it cleanly, and Florida’s DJ Douglas recovered it at the Ole Miss 37-yard line. the repossession would result in a go-ahead 53-yard field goal from Trey Smack to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.
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