COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo redshirt freshman running back/kick returner
Moosah Alsaffar (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) has been named this week's National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter Player of the Week on Tuesday.
Alsaffar becomes the second ThunderWolves football player to honored this season by the NFFCC as graduate student quarterback
Chance Fuller (Arlington, Texas/Fort Hays State) was honored by organization on Oct. 24.
It is the second Player of the Week accolade this week for Alsaffar as he was selected as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's final Special Teams Player of the Week for the 2023 season on Monday afternoon.
Alsaffar earns this week's NFFCC Player of the Week accolade after returning a kickoff 100 yards for a score in the Pack's 42-37 season finale home win this past Saturday against Black Hills State. The win was the seventh consecutive for Pack as they closed the 2023 season with an 8-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the RMAC.
In the win over Black Hills State, Alsaffar made two big special teams plays against the Yellow Jackets. His first big special teams play came on punt coverage as he collected a muffed punt by BHSU returner Jamin Wurtz on the Yellow Jackets 20-yard line about four-plus minutes into the third quarter. On the punt, Alsaffar was right there as Wurtz bobbled the catch and the ball popped into Alsaffar's hand almost simultaneously. The play helped lead to a scoring possession for the Pack to give them a 21-14 lead with 9:58 left in the third quarter. Alsaffar's next big play on special teams came on kickoff return has he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score after the Yellow Jackets had tied the game at 21. It was the third-ever 100-yard kickoff return for a score in school history and the first since Bryan Webb returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score against Western Colorado in 1983. Additionally, Alsaffar's 100-yard kickoff return is one of 10 this season in Division II and he is one of six Division II players this season with two kickoff returns for a score.
On the season, Alsaffar returned three kickoffs for 228 yards and averaged 76.0 yards per return and had kickoff return touchdowns – a 96 yard return against Colorado Mesa and a 100 yard return against Black Hills State. In addition, he recorded a total of six tackles on special teams and both forced and recovered a fumble on special teams for the Pack. On offense, he carried the ball eight times for 83 yards and averaged 10.4 yards per carry and scored two rushing touchdowns. He was one of seven Pack players to score four or more touchdowns on the season.
