ST. LOUIS – With exceptional performances that aided No. 11 Illinois State in a road defeat of No. 4 South Dakota State, junior linebacker Dylan Draka and senior placekicker Sam Fenlason were each named Missouri Valley Football Conference Players of the Week Sunday by the league office.
The MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors are the first for Draka in his career at ISU and Fenlason was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. They were joined by quarterback Austin Simmons of South Dakota (Offensive Player of the Week) and running back Jalen Bussey of North Dakota State (Newcomer of the Week) as this week's honorees.