COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo sophomore quarterback Navi Bruzon (Peoria, Ariz./Highland CC) has been named this week's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Football Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday afternoon.
Bruzon earns his second RMAC Player of the Week accolade this season after having a hand in four of the Pack's five touchdowns in last Saturday's 35-23 Band Day home win in the ThunderBowl over Colorado Mesa. The victory moved the Pack to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in RMAC play.
Against the Mavericks, Bruzon completed 76.5 percent of his passes as he was 16-for-21 for 287 yards and three touchdown passes and added a season-high 47 rushing yards on eight attempts and scored a rushing touchdown on an 11-yard run with 10 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Pack a 35-9 lead. He finished the game with 334 yards of total offense and has now had at least 300 yards of total offense in four of five games this season. His touchdown passes went for 28 yards, two yards and 36-yards and he completed passes to eight different receivers in the game.
In the third quarter of Saturday's game, the Pack outscored the Mavericks, 21-3 and Bruzon was 5-for-5 passing for 110 yards and added 22 yards rushing on four carries and accounted for two of the Pack's three touchdowns. In the second quarter, Bruzon was 8-for-11 passing for 136 yards and had 17 yards rushing on two carries and tossed two touchdown passes.
Through his first five games in a Pack uniform, Bruzon is 93-for-141 passing for 1,533 yards and is completing 66 percent of his passes, and has had three interceptions and 16 touchdowns, while running the ball 42 times for 118 yards and has had three rushing scores and has had a hand in 19 of the Pack's 25 offensive touchdowns and has gained 1,651 yards of total offense and is averaging 330.2 yards per game.
Entering this week's action, Bruzon led the RMAC in passing yards (1,533), passing yards per game (306.6), passing touchdowns (16), total offense (330.2 ypg), points responsible for (114 points), passing efficiency (190.5), passing yards per attempt (10.87), and passing yards per completion (16.48), and is fifth in rushing touchdowns (5). Meanwhile, in the latest NCAA D-II statistics, Bruzon is second nationally in touchdown passes, points responsible for, points responsible for per game, passing yards, and is third nationally in total offense, passing yards per game, and is fifth nationally in passing efficiency.
In addition to Bruzon, the league named Colorado School of Mines redshirt senior edge rusher Christian Peluse as the Defensive Player of the Week and Western Colorado senior defensive back Jevon Young as the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Peluse earns this week's RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honor after recording a team-high seven tackles, including two tackles for a loss, a sack and three quarterback hurries in the Orediggers' 16-12 win on Saturday at Chadron State. Peluse led a Mines defense that limited Chadron State to on 39 net rushing yards on 24 carries, and 277 total offensive yards overall.
Meanwhile, Young takes home the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week honor after being credited with three blocked punts in the No. 7 Mountaineers' 70-21 home win on Saturday over Adams State. One of Young's three blocked punts led to a touchdown in the third quarter to give Western Colorado a 49-11 lead. The three blocked punts are the most in a game this season by a Division II player.
Bruzon and the fourth-ranked ThunderWolves (5-0 overall, 3-0 RMAC) return to action this coming Saturday, Oct. 3 as they travel to Alamosa, Colo., for a 12 p.m. game against Adams State (0-5 overall, 0-3 RMAC).
