West Virginia senior safety Karl Joseph was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week, the conference announced today.
In his team's 44-0 blanking of Georgia Southern on Saturday, Joseph finished with three interceptions (a career high), a fumble recovery and a game-high eight tackles. His three interceptions were the most a West Virginia player has had in a game since 1994.
The game was the first time Georgia Southern has been shutout since 1995.
Joseph's performance provided an early indication that the senior will be able to match his preseason hype, which included first-team all-America honors from outlets like CBS Sports and the Sporting News, among others.