JONESBORO,
Ark. (11/14/2011) — Following his performance in Arkansas State's 30-21 Sun
Belt Conference victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday, ASU senior defensive
end Brandon Joiner has been named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the
Week and the National Defensive Lineman Performer of the Week by College
Football Performance Awards.
Joiner tied
an Arkansas State and Sun Belt Conference record with four sacks against the
Ragin' Cajuns while setting a new career high with eight tackles in the
game. His eight stops were a team high
and he became just the third player in ASU history and the seventh in SBC
history to post four sacks in a single game.
His four sacks also ties the most in the nation in a single game this
season. Joiner recorded a career-high
4.5 tackles-for-loss and a quarterback hurry as well. He was part of a Red Wolves defense that
forced five turnovers and limited the Ragin' Cajuns to 314 yards of total
offense – 70 yards below their season average.
Joiner has
now posted at least a partial sack in all but two games this season. He has 10 sacks on the year to move him into
a tie for fifth-most in ASU history and 10th-most in Sun Belt
Conference history.
Holding a
6-0 Sun Belt record with two league games remaining on its schedule, Arkansas
State (8-2 overall) can secure at least a share of the conference championship when
it returns to action Saturday at Middle Tennessee State (2-7, 1-4). The
Red Wolves currently hold the nation's seventh longest winning streak at seven
games, which includes three consecutive road victories. The Red Wolves are ranked 28th
nationally by CBSSports.com and are 36th in the latest BCS
standings.
Saturday's
kickoff against the Blue Raiders is set for 2:00 p.m. in Murfreesboro, Tenn.,
and the game will be televised by ESPN3.com.
