Photo by: Zachary Lucy
Hayes, Woolen, Klein, Schiltz Earn MW Player of the Week Honors
8/31/2026 11:45:00 AM | Football
LAS VEGAS - The Old Trapper Mountain West Football Players of the Week for games played in Week Zero were announced on Monday, Aug. 31. North Dakota State swept all four awards after claiming a 33-7 home victory over Jacksonville State.
NDSU quarterback Nathan Hayes was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week, linebacker Donovan Woolen was named MW Defensive Player of the Week, kicker Drew Klein earned MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and defensive end Blake Schiltz was selected as MW Freshman of the Week.
Hayes, a fifth-year quarterback from West Chicago, Ill., completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start. He went 4-for-4 on the game's opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Reis Kessel, and he completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jordan McCants to cap an 88-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the first half.
Woolen, a third-year linebacker from Frisco, Texas, had a game-high 10 tackles including seven solo stops in his first game at middle linebacker. He led a Bison defense that held Jacksonville State, last year's No. 5 rushing offense nationally, to just 85 yards on the ground and 170 total yards.
Klein, a fifth-year kicker from Hortonville, Wis., converted all seven attempts including four field goals and three extra points. In his first game as the team's No. 1 placekicker, Klein made field goals from 34, 44, 42 and 48 yards. He also put all seven of his kickoff attempts into the end zone with five touchbacks.
Schiltz, a second-year defensive end from Pine Island, Minn., recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Bison a 20-point lead in the third quarter. He also registered a sack in the fourth quarter that forced Jacksonville State into a 52-yard field goal attempt that missed. The Bison defense allowed just 88 yards in the second half.
North Dakota State (1-0) is scheduled to host the Fordham Rams at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. The game will be televised on WDAY (ABC) statewide in North Dakota with streaming available on the MW+ app.
NDSU quarterback Nathan Hayes was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week, linebacker Donovan Woolen was named MW Defensive Player of the Week, kicker Drew Klein earned MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and defensive end Blake Schiltz was selected as MW Freshman of the Week.
Hayes, a fifth-year quarterback from West Chicago, Ill., completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start. He went 4-for-4 on the game's opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Reis Kessel, and he completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jordan McCants to cap an 88-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the first half.
Woolen, a third-year linebacker from Frisco, Texas, had a game-high 10 tackles including seven solo stops in his first game at middle linebacker. He led a Bison defense that held Jacksonville State, last year's No. 5 rushing offense nationally, to just 85 yards on the ground and 170 total yards.
Klein, a fifth-year kicker from Hortonville, Wis., converted all seven attempts including four field goals and three extra points. In his first game as the team's No. 1 placekicker, Klein made field goals from 34, 44, 42 and 48 yards. He also put all seven of his kickoff attempts into the end zone with five touchbacks.
Schiltz, a second-year defensive end from Pine Island, Minn., recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Bison a 20-point lead in the third quarter. He also registered a sack in the fourth quarter that forced Jacksonville State into a 52-yard field goal attempt that missed. The Bison defense allowed just 88 yards in the second half.
North Dakota State (1-0) is scheduled to host the Fordham Rams at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. The game will be televised on WDAY (ABC) statewide in North Dakota with streaming available on the MW+ app.
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