LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The undefeated and nationally ranked UNLV football team saw two of its players earn three total awards from the Mountain West this week.
After their team’s thrilling 23-20 win at Kansas on Friday to improve to 3-0, senior linebacker Jackson Woodard earned his second MW Defensive Player of the Week honor in three weeks while local product placekicker Caden Chittenden was named both MW Special Teams Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week.
Woodard, the 2024 Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year, led all tacklers with 11 vs. the Jayhawks, including a key tackle-for-loss that forced a KU field goal deep in Rebel territory. The Little Rock, Arkansas, native also grabbed his second career interception and nearly found the end zone on the return before UNLV settled for a key field goal. The preseason first team all-league pick was this summer announced as a member of the official watch lists for the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year) and Chuck Bednarik Award (nation’s top overall defensive player).
The All-America candidate is the first Rebel linebacker to win more than one MW weekly award in the same season since Beau Bell earned three in 2007.
For his part, Chittenden scored 11 of UNLV’s 23 points on the night, nailing three field goals and two extra points. The Las Vegas native and graduate of Faith Lutheran High School also kicked off five times and earned a Jayhawk touchback on three of them. The rookie booter is tied for the league lead for field goal percentage (80%) and tied for the national lead for field goals per game after improving to 8-of-10 after just three games on the collegiate level.
Chittenden is UNLV’s first kicker to earn a Freshman of the Week nod since the award started in 2021. He is the second Rebel to earn the honor this season, joining running back Greg Burrell just last week.
The Rebels, ranked in the Coaches Poll for the first time in history at No. 25, are off this week before opening Mountain West play on Saturday, September 28 when they host rival Fresno State. Kickoff at Allegiant Stadium is set for 12:30 p.m. Prorated season, single-game and mini-plan tickets are all on sale now by calling (702) 739-FANS or visiting unlvtickets.com.
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