After one of the most thrilling comebacks in Murray State history, the two men at the heart of the upset of 19th-ranked Southeast Missouri earned weekly honors from the OVC Sunday, the league announced. Senior Drew Anderson was named as both Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week, while junior Malik Honeycutt was named as the Specialist of the Week.
After a bad first half in in which he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, Anderson threw four touchdowns passes and helped engineer one of the greatest comebacks in Murray State history, rallying from a 31-0 deficit. The senior was 37-for-63 on the day for 412 yards including 18-for-28 in the second half. Anderson drove the Racers down the field late in the fourth quarter on a 5-play 82-yard drive that gave MSU its first lead of the game. In addition, Anderson capped his effort with 40 yards on the ground.
After the Redhawks took a 38-34 lead with just 20 seconds left, Honeycutt picked up a squib kick and immediately ran into a swarm of defenders. Thinking quickly, Honeycutt weaved left, found a hole and went 79 yards untouched for the go-ahead score with three seconds left for his only kickoff return of the game. The touchdown was the first for the Racers on a kickoff return since Janawski Davis went 85 yards against UT Martin in 2015.
This is the second Offensive Player of the Week honor for Anderson and his third time being named Newcomer of the Week. For Honeycutt, it’s the first OVC honor of his career, Specialist or otherwise, and is also the first specialist honor for a Racer non-kicker since Davis, Zach Dean and Poke Harris earned the honor in the 2015 season.
Courtesy of MSU Athletics