For the fourth time this season, Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton has been named the Western Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in leading Utah State to a 48-41 WAC road win at No. 19 Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon.
Along with the conference honor, Keeton was named College Sports Madness' WAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, as well as the American First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the fourth time this year.
Keeton is one of six Aggies this year to earn WAC Player of the Week honors joining senior punter Tyler Bennett (9/10), senior running back Kerwynn Williams (9/24), redshirt freshman linebacker Kyler Fackrell (10/8, 10/15), redshirt sophomore placekicker Nick Diaz (10/22) and senior defensive back Will Davis (11/5).
Keeton was also named WAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 10, Oct. 1 and Oct. 29. He is the first player to be named WAC Player of the Week four times in a single season since Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz accomplished the feat in 2010. As for Utah State, Keeton is the first player in school history to earn conference player of the week honors four times in a single season. The school record for conference Player of the Week is 11, set during the 1997 season. So far this season, Utah State players have received the honor 10 times.
Keeton, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore from Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek HS), completed 20-of-34 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 86-yard pass for a score. Keeton also tied his career-high with 17 rushing attempts and ran for a career-high 121 yards, tying the USU single-game school record by a quarterback. Keeton also tied his career-high with two rushing touchdowns.
Against Louisiana Tech, Keeton set new single-season school records for touchdown passes (25) and total offense (3,538). Keeton helped USU’s offense produce season-highs in total offense (646) and rushing offense (306).
On the season, Keeton ranks second in the WAC and 11th in the nation in total offense (321.6 ypg), second in the WAC and 13th in the nation in passing efficiency (159.1), third in the WAC and 25th in the nation in passing (273.3 ypg), and seventh in the WAC in rushing (47.9 ypg).
Keeton is 237-of-351 passing on the year for 3,011 yards with 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He has also carried the ball 113 times for 527 yards with six touchdowns.
Utah State (9-2, 5-0 WAC), who is ranked tied for 25th in the nation in this week's Associated Press Poll, is off to its best start to a season since the 1961 team finished the year with a 9-1-1 record. USU's nine wins so far this year are tied with the 1960 and 1961 USU teams for the most victories in a single season in school history.
Utah State continues WAC play at home this weekend against Idaho (1-10, 1-4 WAC) on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. The Aggies will be going for their first undefeated home season since the 1982 team posted a 4-0 record.
For USU football ticket information, contact the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or call 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305. Tickets can also be purchased online.
Doug Hoffman is the assistant athletic director for Utah State University Athletic Media Relations.