UVA’s Perkins, Taylor among ACC Football Players of the Week

The final ACC Football Players of the Week of the 2019 season have been recognized following their standout performances in last weekend’s games.

The selections are determined by a vote of a 15-member media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:

​QUARTERBACK – Bryce Perkins, Virginia, Sr., QB, Queens Creek, Ariz.
Led the way as the Cavaliers downed Virginia Tech 39-30 to clinch the ACC Coastal Division and end a 15-year losing streak in the rivalry game • Totaled 475 yards, the second highest in an ACC game this season (behind Perkins’ 490 versus North Carolina) • Completed 20 of 33 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown • Rushed 19 times for 164 yards and two TDs • Had a career-long 67-yard touchdown run and another run of 39 yards • Responsible for eight plays of 30-or-more yards • Completed nine of his final 10 passes, including a critical pick-up of nine yards on a 3rd-and-15 with less than two minutes remaining and the score tied • Honored as ACC Quarterback of the Week three times in 2019.

RUNNING BACK – AJ Dillon, Boston College, Jr., RB, New London, Conn.
Rushed for 178 yards as Boston College posted a 26-19 win at Pitt to become bowl eligible • Marked his 14th career 150-yard rushing game, the most by any player in the ACC over the last 20 years • His 20 career games of 100 yards or more tie for seventh-most in ACC history • Topped the century mark on Saturday with a season-long 61-yard run • Career-high 1,685 rushing yards this season leads the ACC and ranks fourth on Boston College’s all-time list • Honored five times in 2019 as ACC Running Back of the Week.

RECEIVER – Dyami Brown, North Carolina, So., WR, Charlotte, N.C.
Caught six passes for a game-high 150 yards and a receiving touchdown in Saturday’s 41-10 victory at NC State • His 11 receiving touchdowns are tied for second in the ACC this season and the third most in program history for a single season • Honored twice in 2019 as ACC Receiver of the Week.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Zion Johnson, Boston College, Jr., LG, Bowie, Md.
Led a stout Boston College offensive line with a 94 percent grade, including six knockdown blocks in the Eagles’ 26-19 win at Pitt that earned bowl eligibility • Did not allow a quarterback pressure • BC finished with 264 yards rushing against one of the nation’s top rushing defenses • Honored three times in 2019 as ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Chris Rumph II, Duke, So., DE, Gainesville, Fla.
Recorded eight total tackles, including 3.5 quarterback sacks as the Blue Devils closed their season with a 27-17 win over visiting Miami • In addition to 3.5 tackles for loss, also caused a fumble and registered a quarterback hurry • Sack total marks the second-highest in Duke single-game history, behind only a 4.0 sack outing by Blaine Earon vs. Georgia Tech in 1949 • Spearheaded a Duke defense that limited Miami to 17 points (11.8 below its average), 98 rushing yards (25.1 below its average), 161 passing yards (104.9 below its average) and 259 total yards (130.8 below its average) • Helped hold Miami to just 4-of-19 on third-down conversions, including 0-for-9 in the second half.

LINEBACKER – Noah Taylor, Virginia, So., LB, Silver Spring, Md.
Played an impactful role in UVA’s 39-30 win vs. Virginia Tech as the Cavaliers clinched the ACC Coastal Division title • With the game tied at 30-30, intercepted a pass at the Cavaliers’ 35-yard line with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter • UVA’s go-ahead field goal came on the ensuing drive • Finished the game with two interceptions, also pulling down a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half • Taylor’s interceptions were the first two of the season for Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker • Broke up another pass and finished the game with six tackles and a quarterback sack.

DEFENSIVE BACK – Trill Williams, Syracuse, So., Nickel, Yonkers, N.Y.
Registered a career-best eight tackles and returned a fumble 94 yards for a touchdown on the final play of overtime to lift Syracuse to a 39-30 triumph over Wake Forest • With Syracuse ahead 33-30 in overtime, Williams pulled the ball away from Deacons receiver Kendall Hinton at the 6-yard line and raced down the sideline for the game-ending touchdown • It was his second career touchdown for Williams, who returned a blocked punt for a score against Wagner in 2018 • The fumble-return TD was the first by a Syracuse defender since 2015.

SPECIALIST – Andre Szmyt, Syracuse, So., PK, Vernon Hills, Ill.
Matched career-best four field goals (24, 20, 49, 44 yards) in Syracuse’s 39-30 overtime victory against Wake Forest • Tacked on three extra points to finish the game with a season-high 15 points • Booted a 49-yard field goal with 44 seconds left in regulation that gave Syracuse a brief 30-27 advantage, and hit a 40-yarder on the Orange’s only overtime possession that proved to be the winning points • His 47 career field goals tie for sixth in program history • Sixth kicker in Orange history with at least 100 point-after-touchdown conversions (100-of-101).

ROOKIE – Sam Howell, North Carolina, Fr., QB, Indian Trail, N.C.
Tossed three touchdown passes in Saturday night’s 41-10 win at NC State to give him 35 for the season, tying former Clemson All-American Deshaun Watson for the fourth-highest single-season total in ACC history • Threw for a season-high 401 yards on 22-of-33 passing • The 401 yards passing are the ninth-most in UNC single-game history • Has thrown multiple touchdowns in all 12 games this season, which ties Ohio State’s Justin Fields for the longest active streak in FBS • Six-time ACC Rookie of the Week in 2019.