Troy’s Martial named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week

Sun Belt Communications

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt announced its football honors for Week 15 of the season on Monday.

Offensive Player of the Week
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
(Fr, QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

For the third time this season, redshirt freshman quarterback Grayson McCall was named SBC Offensive Player of the Week after leading a late fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Troy 42-38 on the road. McCall finished the game going 24-of-29 for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed 10 times for 40 yards and a TD in the win. After throwing just his second interception of the season which allowed Troy to take the lead with 1:20 left in the game, McCall answered by going 4-of-4 for 71 yards to lead the Chants’ game-winning drive. He connected with Jaivon Heiligh for a 23-yard touchdown pass to cap the five-play, 75-yard drive that took just 45 seconds to put the Chants back on top for good 42-38. McCall’s 24 pass completions and 338 yards were both career highs and his three touchdowns gives him eight games this season with two touchdown passes or more. With the win, the Chants finish the regular season undefeated at 11-0. The perfect regular season is the first-ever in Coastal Carolina’s program history and the first-ever in Sun Belt Conference history.

Defensive Player of the Week
Carlton Martial, Troy
(Jr, LB – Mobile, Ala.)

Carlton Martial recorded 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and an interception against Coastal Carolina. His interception set up Troy’s go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes of the game. It was his fourth career interception and his 10th career game with a forced turnover. Martial’s 21 tackles were a career high and his 13th career game with double-digit tackles, and his fifth this season. Martial has averaged 12.7 tackles per game over a seven-game stretch. The junior’s 21 tackles are tied for the most in the country this season and the second most in school history (Anthony Rabb had 23 vs. Middle Tennessee in 1999). He has 113 tackles on the season becoming the first Troy player since Naazir Yamini in 2001-02 to record more than 100 tackles in consecutive seasons. Martial moved into 11th place all-time in Troy history with 315 career tackles, 20th place with 156 solo tackles and fifth place with 159 career assisted tackles. His 2.5 tackles for loss pushed his career total to 37, one away from ninth all-time in Sun Belt history and fourth in Troy history.

Special Teams Player of the Week
Jalen Virgil, App State
(Sr, WR – Lawrenceville, Ga.)

Jalen Virgil’s 100-yard kickoff return gave App State its first lead of the game at 24-20 in the fourth quarter and helped lift the Mountaineers to a 34-26 road win at Georgia Southern. Virgil’s first career touchdown return was the third 100-yard return in school history (Darrynton Evans in 2018 and Keith Nash in 1968). After fielding the kickoff over his head, Virgil sprinted left and weaved his way through a couple of defenders, untouched, before using his sprinter’s speed to streak down the left sideline to the end zone. Virgil finished the game with 171 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns (one receiving).

SBC Weekly Honors Season recap:

Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 7         Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
Sept. 14       Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State
Sept. 21       Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
Sept. 28       Daetrich Harrington, App State
Oct. 5          Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Oct. 12        Gunnar Watson, Troy
Oct. 19        Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State
Oct. 26        Kawaan Baker, South Alabama &
Zac Thomas, App State
Nov. 2         Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Nov. 9         Cornelious Brown IV, Georgia State
Nov. 16       Levi Lewis, Louisiana
Nov. 23       Brady McBride, Texas State
Nov. 30       Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
Dec. 7         Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
Dec. 14       Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina

The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game will pit No. 9 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (11-0) against the No. 17 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (9-1). Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 19 at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina. The game will be televised by ESPN.