Colorado Buffaloes WR Laviska Shenault Jr. named Pac-12 Player of the Week

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2018 on Monday. The stalwart Buffs wideout had a statement game against Arizona State with 13 receptions for 127 yards and four total touchdowns one day after turning 20-years-old.

Shenault is currently third in the nation for receiving yards with 708 and leads all FBS players with a 10.1-yard average from scrimmage, along with 149.5 yards per game. He’s on pace to shatter Paul Richardson’s single-season receiving mark set in 2013 with 1,343 yards. This was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the year; the only other two players in CU history to have four 100-yard games in the first five games in a season were Michael Westbrook in 1992 and Nelson Spruce in 2014.

The sophomore receiver has caught at least one TD pass in all five games this season; that ties the second-longest streak of consecutive games with a TD reception in school history. He is the first player in Colorado history to score multiple touchdowns rushing and receiving in the same game (the 15th four-plus TD game at CU); it was his first multiple receiving TD game of his career, and he is now the third player to have four or more of each in the same season.

Also nominated: Eno Benjamin, RB, ASU; Jermar Jefferson, RB, OSU; KJ Costello, QB, STAN; Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA; Zack Moss, RB, UTAH; Gardner Minshew II, QB, WSU

Here’s the other players joining Shenault as Pac-12 defensive and special teams players of the week.

DEFENSIVE: Jaylon Johnson, So., DB, Utah (Fresno, Calif.)

• Johnson tallied seven tackles and one interception return for a touchdown in the 40-21 win at No. 14 Stanford.

• He became just the third Ute in history, and the first since 1994, to return an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. His interception return for the touchdown came in the second quarter with Stanford on the Utah 9-yard line and the Utes clinging to a 7-0 lead.

• Johnson’s 100-yard interception return is the longest in the nation this year.

Also nominated: Scottie Young Jr., S, ARIZ; Mustafa Johnson, DE, COLO; Bobby Okereke, LB, STAN; Adarius Pickett, S, UCLA; Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, WASH; Peyton Pelluer, LB, WSU

SPECIAL TEAMS: Matt Gay, K, Utah (Orem, Utah)

• Gay was integral in Utah’s 40-21 win at No. 14 Stanford, making 4-of-4 field goals, including back-to-back kicks of 48 and 49 yards to end the first half and the start the second half. His 49-yard field goal was a season-long.

• Gay’s other field goals were from 34 and 37 yards putting him at 4-of-4 made field goals inside the 40-yard line this season and 25-of-26 in his career.

• Gay also made 4-of-4 PATs giving him 16 points on the night.

• Gay ranks first in the Pac-12 in field goals per game (1.60) and is tied for first in the league in kick-scoring points per game (7.8).

Also nominated: Champ Flemings, WR/KR, OSU; Jake Bailey, P, STAN; Kainoa Wilson, WR, WSU