The American Athletic Conference announced its weekly football awards Monday and UCF quarterback Blake Bortles earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Week honor after his strong effort in the victory at Penn State.
Bortles led UCF to what might be its best regular-season win in program history as the Knights scored a 34-31 win at Penn State. Bortles completed 20 of 27 passes for 288 yards and matched his career high with three touchdown passes, extending his streak to 11 consecutive games with at least one TD pass. Bortles, who has thrown for 816 yards and seven touchdowns for the Knights, ranks second in the American Athletic Conference in pass efficiency (199.5).
The Oviedo product is the first UCF quarterback to get a win over a Big Ten team in program history, and he has helped give UCF a 3-0 record for the first time since 1988.
The last weekly offensive award handed out to a Knight was last season when Latavius Murray (Oct. 22) was honored by Conference USA. Murray is currently suiting up in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. For Bortles, it was his first weekly award of his career.
Monday also featured the announcement of the College Football Performance Awards weekly accolades with juniors Rannell Hall and J.J. Worton receiving honorable mention status.