Willy Named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week

Drew Willy

BUFFALO, NY – The Mid-American Conference office named Buffalo junior quarterback Drew Willy (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) the MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Kent State. Willy completed a school-record 34 passes for a career-high 334 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-23 overtime victory.

Willy led the Bulls on a 73-yard drive late in the fourth quarter at Kent State to force overtime. On the drive, he completed 8-of-9 passes for 68 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brett Hamlin (Jupiter, FL/William T. Dwyer) to complete the drive. With his 34 completions against the Golden Flashes, Willy tied Cliff Scott for the UB career completions record with 545. Willy threw 44 passes in the contest without an interception, extending his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 235.

The award marks the eighth time this season that a UB player has earned conference Player of the Week honors and the second time for Willy. The junior signal caller was previously awarded the honor for his performance against Penn State. In addition to Willy, sophomore running back James Starks (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) was also a two-time MAC Player of the Week this season. Larry Hutchinson (Seattle, WA/Franklin), Simon Manka (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park), Mike Newton (Pasadena, MD/Calvert Hall) and AJ Principe (Columbus, OH/St. Francis DeSales) also earned Player of the Week honors this season from the MAC.

The eight Player of the Week awards is the most for the Bulls since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1999. UB's previous high was four, set in 2004.

Buffalo finished the season as co-champions of the MAC East Division and its five victories were the most in Division I-A history.