Stanford inside linebacker Shayne Skov was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. It is Stanford’s fifth weekly honor of the season, including four for the defensive unit, and the fifth-year senior’s first of the year.
Skov helped contain Oregon’s highly touted hurry-up offense with a team-leading nine tackles, two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. His efforts limited Oregon’s No. 2 ranked rushing attack (331.5 yards per game) to 62 yards and propelled Stanford to a 26-20 upset victory over the Ducks, its second straight win in the series.
Skov’s biggest play of the night came early in the second quarter when he ended an 80-yard Oregon drive with a forced fumble and recovery of De’Anthony Thomas on the two-yard line. The play kept Stanford on top 14-0, as the defense shutout the Ducks through the first three quarters.
Skov added quarterback hurries and a pass breakup to complete the all-around performance.
Skov is now ninth in program history with 316 career tackles entering Saturday’s game at USC. The North Division-leading and No. 5-ranked Cardinal squares off against the Trojans at 5 p.m. (PT) live nationally on ABC.
Women’s basketball
Stanford senior forward Chiney Ogwumike added another accomplishment to her career Monday, being named Pac-12 Player of the Week in women’s basketball for a conference-record 10th time.
Ogwumike earned her latest honor after posting her 59th-career double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday’s 83-71 victory at Boston College. She also went 11-for-12 from the field and had three steals with a pair of blocks for the third-ranked Cardinal. The 30 points also marked Ogwumike’s third 30-point game of her career.
A consensus preseason All-American and national player of the year candidate, Ogwumike earned six of her 10 player-of-the-week honors last season, setting a single-season record. This week’s honor pushes Ogwumike past the nine earned by former Stanford All-Americans Candice Wiggins (2004-08) and Jayne Appel (2007-10).
It is also the 90th all-time weekly Pac-12 honor earned by a Stanford player.
Football
Stanford offensive guard David Yankey and outside linebacker Trent Murphy are among 12 semifinalists for the 44th Rotary Lombardi Award, announced last week. The Lombard Award is given to the nation’s best offensive lineman, defensive lineman or linebacker.
Stanford is the lone school with two candidates for the prestigious award.
Entering last week, Murphy ranked among the national leaders in sacks and tackles for a loss for a defense that is among the best in the country at getting behind opposing lines.
On the opposite spectrum, Yankey is the lynchpin for a Cardinal offense that allows just 3.0 tackles for a loss per game. Yankey has paved the way for running back Tyler Gaffney, who has more touchdowns (14) than carries for a loss (5).
Finalists for the award will be named on Nov. 21. The award will be presented at the Rotary Lombard Award banquet on Dec. 11, at the Wortham Center in Houston.
Eight defensive players and four on offense comprise the list of 12. An offensive lineman hasn’t won the honor since Orlando Pace won the second of his back-to-back Lombardi Awards in 1996.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics