Zach Wilson garners national honors after impressive performance

PROVO, Utah (Oct. 4, 2020) — BYU junior quarterback Zach Wilson has been named the Walter Camp FBS Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance on Saturday. He was also named the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Week. 

Wilson was also named one of the Manning Award Stars of the Week for the third consecutive week and a Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 list honoree for the second week in a row. Fans can vote again for the Star of the Week through Thursday morning at 10 a.m. MT. 

Wilson accounted for five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) to lead BYU over previously unbeaten Louisiana Tech, 45-14, on Saturday.  Wilson set a school record for completion percentage (with a minimum of 20 or 25 attempts) completing  24 of 26 passes (92.3 percent) for 325 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 43 yards and a career-high three scores. He already owns BYU's best completion percentage for a 15-attempt minimum with his perfect 18 for 18 game in 2018 vs. Western Michigan.

The five-touchdown outing was the first of Wilson's college career. He also went for 300-plus passing yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career after 392 last week. It was the first time a BYU quarterback had back-to-back 300-yard games since Tanner Mangum did it in 2015 against UConn and East Carolina. Wilson also became the first BYU quarterback to have a pass efficiency rating of 200+ in three consecutive games (222.7, 231.6, 206.0).

On the season, Wilson leads the nation in completion percentage (84.5), rates No. 2 in yards per attempt (13.37) and pass efficiency (221.85), and is No. 3 overall in points responsible for (pass + rush, 66). 

On Sunday, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced both the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, presented by Generation UCAN, for games ending October 3. Clemson senior linebacker Baylon Spector earned the defensive honors for the week after recording a career-best 13 tackles (4 solo) as top-ranked Clemson defeated ACC-rival Virginia, 41-23.

Wilson is the fourth BYU honoree of the Walter Camp weekly award since 2004, and the first since former Cougar QB Max Hall was recognized on Sept. 9, 2009 for his performance against Oklahoma. Hall also was honored after BYU's win over UCLA in 2008, and All-American signal caller John Beck garnered the award in 2006 following BYU's victory over Utah. 

This is the 17th year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. Recipients are selected by a panel of national media members and administered by the Foundation.

Wilson received the College Football Performance Awards honor one week after also being one of three players to receive honorable mention for last week's CFPA National Performer of the Week recognition.