The first full weekend of NCAA football was loaded with great games and memorable performances by Louisiana standouts.
High school and NFL regular seasons won’t open until Sept. 4, so our typically three-level Player of the Week awards focus solely on college this week.
And those student-athletes — both playing for Louisiana programs and Louisiana natives playing elsewhere — rose to the occasion with plenty of highlight and headline efforts to watch and enjoy.
A long list of great candidates made decisions on defensive and special teams winners particularly difficult.
Credit to this week’s Players of the Week for their pivotal performances in their teams’ significant wins against Power Four competition, including a pair of big road victories.
This week (Sept. 2-8) will begin our weekly nine-man honors as the LHSAA and NFL both kick off their seasons.
COLLEGE
Offense — Garrett Nussmeier, LSU QB: The Tigers’s 17-10 road win at No. 4 Clemson was among the biggest national headlines of Week 1, and their veteran quarterback was among the long list of brightest spots. The Lake Charles native completed 28 of his 38 passes for 232 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions and ran for a pair of key first downs. Coach Brian Kelly additionally praised Nussmeier’s quick, correct decision-making as helping complement a new-look offensive line facing a highly regard Clemson defensive front. And, oddly enough, one of the passer’s prettiest throws of the contest was overturned from a touchdown to an incompletion in an officiating call that was widely panned as incorrect.
Defense — Javion White, Tulane DB: White’s rare two-interception game was among the highlights of Tulane’s dominant and opportunistic defeat of Northwestern, the first Big Ten opponent to visit Tulane since 1955. The Green Wave snatched four interceptions and five takeaways in all in a 23-3 cruise past the Wildcats. The former Franklin Parish star became the first Tulane defender to intercept two passes in the same game since Macon Clark (Destrehan) in 2020.
Special Teams — Rayshawn Pleasant, Auburn DB/KR: The former West Monroe star providing Auburn a pivotal boost on its way to a season-opening road win in his first game for the program. Host Baylor had cut the Tigers’ lead to 24-17 late in the third. But the speedy cornerback, who transferred this spring from Tulane, dashed the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to the house to immediately steal momentum back from the Bears en route to a 38-24 victory.