CMU Sweeps MAC West Player of the Week Honors

MOUNT PLEASANT - Three Central Michigan University football players earned Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors for their efforts in the Chippewas' 37-34 win at Indiana on Saturday.

Quarterback Brian Brunner (offense), tackle Mark Dietz (defense) and punter Brett Hartmann (special teams) were all recognized by the conference.

Brunner, of Hartford (Wisc.) Union High School, earned his second player of the week honor in the past three weeks after completing 35-of-53 passes for a school-record 485 yards and four touchdowns against the Hoosiers. Brunner also scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 8:52 remaining.

Brunner’s 485 passing yards are the most by any MAC quarterback this season and the most by any signal-caller against a Big Ten opponent in 2008.

Along with his third career MAC West Player of the Week accolade, Brunner has been named the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s National Offensive Player of the Week and the MAC Report Online Offensive Player of the Week and was nominated for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award.

Dietz, of Chicago St. Patrick High School and Joliet Community College, earned his first career player of the week honor after recording three solo sacks against Indiana. Two of his sacks came on third down and forced Indiana to punt. Dietz’s three sacks are tied for the most in a single-game by a MAC player in 2008 and are the most by a Chippewa in a single game since 2005.

Dietz, who transferred to CMU from the University of Minnesota, shared the weekly conference honor with Western Michigan defensive back E.J. Biggers.

Hartmann, of Menomonee Falls (Wisc.) High School, averaged 43.5 yards on six punts against the Hoosiers. Two of his punts were downed inside the Indiana 20-yard line, and the Hoosiers were able to return just two punts for a net of 16 yards. His longest punt of the day, a 57-yarder, came with CMU facing fourth-and-19 from its own 16-yard line, and it was returned for a loss of 4 yards.

Central Michigan (7-2 overall, 5-0 MAC), winner of five straight games, returns to action at Northern Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Central Time. ESPN2 will televise the contest.