Cal Poly junior linebacker Wes Pryor, who blocked a UC Davis punt early in the third quarter to spark a Mustang rally against UC Davis, has been named Special Teams Player of the Week by The Sports Network.
Pryor also earned Great West Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Trailing 10-3 at halftime, Cal Poly scored 20 unanswered points to beat the Aggies 23-17 in a Great West Football Conference game at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The spark was provided by Pryor, a 2003 Moorpark High School graduate who for the second time in his Mustang career blocked a punt.
His first blocked punt came as a freshman at Southern Utah, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter of Cal Poly’s 24-17 victory in Cedar City, Utah. Last Saturday, Pryor blocked a Gabe Ellis punt in the end zone. A UC Davis player fell on the loose ball for a safety, trimming the Aggies’ lead to 10-5.
Cal Poly scored a touchdown after the ensuing free kick – a two-yard run by James Noble – and Noble also ran for the two-point conversion, giving the Mustangs a 13-10 advantage. Quarterback Matt Brennan later scored on a one-yard run and Nick Coromelas added a 45-yard field goal midway through the final period to complete Cal Poly’s 20-0 run.
The victory was Cal Poly’s first against the Aggies at home since 1996.
Playing as a backup on defense behind linebacker Kyle Shotwell, Pryor has eight tackles and a fumble recovery this season.
After a bye, Cal Poly plays the last of three consecutive home games Oct. 21 against South Dakota State. The homecoming and Great West Football Conference game kicks off at 4 p.m. on Mustang Memorial Field at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.