Lockport, New York, senior linebacker posted second-straight double-digit tackle tally at Merrimack to earn first career Player of the Week selection
Carraha and Woodard join Murphy with Prime Performer recognition
EASTON, Mass. (October 9, 2023) – Stonehill College senior linebacker Sam Murphy has been named the Northeast Conference's Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Skyhawks matchup with Merrimack College on Saturday that was broadcast on ESPN+ to kick off the NEC's 2023 Football Broadcast schedule.
Murphy delivered double-digit tackles for the second-straight week (third career) for Stonehill at Merrimack on Saturday, matching his season-high with ten tackles (five solo), including 0.5 tackles for a loss of one yard, to go with the first interception of his career late in the first half. The interception was on the Stonehill 19-yard line and ended a Merrimack scoring chance with less than a minute to play in the second quarter and kept the Skyhawks within 11 at the break. Murphy is the second Stonehill senior to earn NEC Defensive Player of the Week, joining fellow Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute product Micah Brown who earned the recognition after week two.
Murphy has also been named an NEC Prime Performer for the second-straight week and team-leading this time this season overall, along with junior quarterback Ashur Carraha and sophomore running back Zavion Woodard.
Carraha tossed a season-high three touchdowns to three different receivers at Merrimack on Saturday, completing 20-of-34 passes for a season-best 204 yards without an interception. He helped pilot a late Stonehill comeback effort that produced four scores in the final quarter by completing 11-of-16 pass attempts for 157 yards and two touchdown passes in the frame. Woodard posted the first 100-yard rushing game of his collegiate career in his first career start on Saturday, carrying the ball a career-best 20 times for 103 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns for his first multi-score game at Stonehill.
Murphy earns NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time after his second-straight double-digit tackle performance at Merrimack on Saturday, adding his first career interception (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce) |
Murphy, a preseason All-NEC selection this summer, has started all six games at middle linebacker for Stonehill, posting a team-high 38 tackles (18 solo), including 2.5 for a loss of eight yards, with 1.0 sacks for a loss of five, three pass breakups and the interception. The Skyhawks captain ranks ninth among NEC tackles leaders, while his 18 solo stops rank 15th and 6.2 tackles per game rank 13th. He ranks seventh in the NEC for passes defended, with his three pass breakups also seventh.
Murphy has appeared in 23 games over his Stonehill career, starting 15, including the last ten straight, surpassing 100 career tackles with 112 (44 solo), 8.5 tackles for a loss of 23 yards, 4.0 sacks for a loss of 16, a fumble recovery, interception and eight pass breakups. In addition to being named to the preseason All-NEC by the Conference's head coaches, Murphy was named to preseason All-NEC teams by The Bluebloods (2nd Team) and Phil Steele (2nd Team), while also earning honorable mention preseason All-New England status by New England Football Journal.
Murphy, a finance major, received the St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Students, Medal from Stonehill for having the highest cumulative grade point average on the team, while being named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner's Honor Roll, the latter for having a GPA of 3.75 or better, while earning NE10 Academic Honor Roll status each semester prior to the program's transition to NCAA FCS.
Stonehill (2-4, 1-2 NEC) has this weekend off for a bye week and then returns to action on Saturday, October 21, when it hosts Sacred Heart University for Homecoming Weekend at the College with kickoff at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
