Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Williams Earns MVFC Defensive Player of the Week Honors
10/18/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Oct. 18, 2009
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Southern Illinois senior cornerback Brandon Williams has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week following SIU's 27-20 victory at No. 2 Northern Iowa. This is the first player of the week honor for the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native.
Williams scored the winning points for the fifth-ranked Salukis (5-1, 4-0 MVFC) in their win at UNI, which snapped an 11-game, 26-year losing streak for the Dawgs in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Williams intercepted a Pat Grace pass and returned it 21-yards for a touchdown with 2:48 left in the game. The touchdown sealed the victory for the Salukis and it came on Williams' first pick of the season.
Williams and the SIU secondary held Grace, who came into the game ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency, to just 219 yards and only allowed him to complete 46 percent of his 28 pass attempts.
This was the second interception return for a touchdown in Williams' career and both ignited huge Saluki victories. The first one came in the fourth quarter at Northern Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007 during his sophomore season. His 52-yard interception return for a TD in that game against the Football Bowl Subdivision school started SIU's 20-point fourth quarter that allowed the Dawgs to come back for a 34-31 victory.
Williams, who has started in 28 games throughout his career, has four interceptions and 11 pass break-ups as a Saluki.
