AP Player of the Week: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza throws for 5 TDs again with pinpoint accuracy
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8:33 AM on Monday, September 22
By The Associated Press
The Associated Press national player of the week in football for Week 3 of the season:
The California transfer threw five touchdown passes for the second straight week and completed his final 17 throws in a 63-10 beat-down of Illinois.
Mendoza connected on better than 90% of his passes for a second game in a row, going 21 of 23 for 267 yards. He was 19 of 20 against Indiana State in his previous game. His 76.8% accuracy rate through four games is second nationally, and his 14 TD passes lead the country. He has thrown no interceptions.
Mendoza led the Hoosiers to touchdowns on six straight possessions against the Illini before he turned things over to his younger brother, backup Alberto Mendoza, in the fourth quarter.
Evan Johnson, BYU. The cornerback intercepted two straight Katin Houser passes in the first half and returned one for a touchdown in the Cougars' 34-13 win at East Carolina.
BYU was leading 6-3 when the Pirates drove to the Cougars' 6 and Johnson stepped in front of a pass at the goal line to end the threat. East Carolina started its next possession at its 1 after a muffed punt, and Johnson picked off Houser's pass at the 4 on the next play and ran into the end zone to make it 13-3 at half.
TCU WR Eric McAlister caught eight passes from Josh Hoover for 254 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 win over SMU. McAlister's 70-yard TD in the fourth quarter was the go-ahead score and he finished his day with a 44-yard TD. His receiving total was highest in the nation this season. ... Mississippi QB Trinidad Chambliss piled up 419 yards of total offense, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns and rushing 14 times for 112 yards in a 45-10 win over Tulane. ... Texas Tech QB Will Hammond replaced injured starter Behren Morton early in the third quarter and was 13 of 16 for 169 yards and two touchdowns and ran eight times for 61 yards in a 34-10 win at Utah.
__ Florida State's 775 total yards in a 66-10 win over Kent State were the most in a Football Bowl Subdivision game since North Carolina generated 778 yards in a 62-26 win over Miami on Dec. 12, 2020.
__ Oklahoma QB John Mateer has at least one passing TD and one rushing TD in 10 straight games. It is the nation’s longest active streak and tied for third-longest since 2000.
__ Louisville WR Caullin Lacy became the first Cardinals player since 1978 to return two punts for touchdowns in a season. Lacy amassed 268 all-purpose yards, most by an FBS player this season, in a 40-17 win over Bowling Green. His 75-yard punt return gave the Cardinals a 21-3 lead.
__ Hawaii's Kansei Matsuzawa is 13 for 13 on field goals and is off to the best start through a Week 4 since Utah's Matt Gay was 14 for 14 in 2017, according to Sportradar.
__ Five teams are yet to commit a turnover — Alabama, Houston, Temple, UConn and San Diego State.
__ UTSA LB Nnanna Anyanwu made his first start and recorded three sacks in a 17-16 win over Colorado State. Anyanwu was responsible for four of the Roadrunners’ five tackles for loss.
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AP voters: Aaron Beard, Cliff Brunt, Pat Graham, Stephen Hawkins, Mark Long, John Marshall, Steve Megargee, Eric Olson and Dave Zelio.
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