This week’s Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include RB Bruce Anderson of North Dakota State, LB Alex Gray of South Dakota, QB Brady Davis of Illinois State and WR/RS Dakota Caton of Indiana State.

Offense
RB Bruce Anderson, North Dakota State, 5-11, 210, Sr., Ruskin, Fla. (Newsome HS)
Anderson rushed 11 times for a career-high 185 yards averaging 16.82 yards per carry with two touchdowns in North Dakota State’s 49-3 home win over Cal Poly. He scored on runs of 10 and 86 yards and finished with 239 all-purpose yards including kickoff returns of 23 and 24 yards and one reception for seven yards. It was Anderson’s fifth career 100-yard rushing game. His per-carry average ranks 2nd in the FCS while his 185 yards is 3rd-best.

Defense
LB Alex Gray, South Dakota, Sr., LB, New Lenox, Ill. (Lincoln Way West HS)
Returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown to push South Dakota’s lead over Kansas State to 24-12 just before halftime of Saturday’s game. It was his first collegiate touchdown. Gray also recovered a fumble with 50 seconds left that gave the Coyotes a chance at a game-tying field goal. He added two sacks including one in the red zone that forced a Kansas State field goal and led the Coyotes with six tackles.

Newcomer
QB Brady Davis, Illinois State, 6-4, 210, Jr., Columbus, Mississippi (Memphis transfer)
Davis led the Redbirds to a victory in his first start under center at Hancock Stadium. Davis finished the night 12-for-19 (63.2 percent) for 123 yards with a touchdown, while compiling an efficiency rating of 134.91. He tossed his first career touchdown pass at ISU late in the first quarter, when he found senior tight end Tylor Petkovich in the end zone for a 15-yard score to put ISU up 14-0 at the time. Three different Redbirds saw action at QB in the season-opening blowout win.

Special Teams
WR/RS Dakota Caton, Indiana State, Fr., 5-10, 175, Sullivan, Ind. (Sullivan HS)
Freshman wide receiver Dakota Caton capped off the Sycamores’ 45-0 shutout of Quincy with a 71-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter – his first touch in a Sycamore uniform. It marked the first punt return touchdown for the Sycamores since 2015 at Missouri State.