The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors for the eighth week of the 2021 season.
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tanner Mordecai • Jr. • QB • SMU
Mordecai engineered an SMU offense that reeled off 612 yards and hit a season high scoring total in a 55-26 win against Tulane.  Mordecai completed 30 of 42 passes for a career-high 427 yards and three touchdowns and added 34 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to finish with 461 yards of total offense. Mordecai enters Week 9 tied for the NCAA FBS national lead with 29 touchdown passes or 13 more than any other American Athletic Conference player. 
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Donavan Mutin • Jr. • LB • Houston
Mutin had a game-high nine tackles, including a tackle for loss and two forced fumbles to lead Houston to a 31-24 overtime win against East Carolina.  Mutin’s second forced fumble came on the second play of East Carolina’s overtime possession, allowing the Cougars to recover the ball and end the game.  He led a Cougar defense that limited the Pirates to 1-for-12 efficiency on third down, while he had a hand in two of Houston’s three takeaways.

 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marcus Jones • Sr. • CB • Houston
Jones had 132 all-purpose yards as he finished with 121 yards on kickoff returns and 11 on punt returns in Houston’s 31-24 overtime win against East Carolina.  Jones scored his third special teams touchdown of the season on a 98-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that erased the Pirates’ only lead of the game. Jones also finished with a career-high eight tackles as part of a Houston defense that forced three turnovers.
 
HONOR ROLL
Davonte Brown • So. • DB • UCF
Had seven tackles with 0.5 sacks and an interception in a 24-7 win against Memphis.  Helped limit the Tigers to 292 yards of offense. 

 
Curtis Brooks • Gr. • DT • Cincinnati
Had a career-high 10 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss in a 27-20 win at Navy.
 
Jamal Glenn • Sr. • CB • Navy
Had a career-high 11 tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss, an interception and an onside kick recovery in the final minute of a 27-20 loss to No. 2 Cincinnati.  Helped limit the Bearcats to 271 yards of offense.
 
Jaren Mangham • Jr. • RB • South Florida
Rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a 34-14 win against Temple.  Led an offense that set a program record with 421 rushing yards.
 
Spencer Shrader • Jr. • K • South Florida
Scored 10 points, connecting on field goals of 52 and 26 yards and going 4-for-4 on PATs in a 34-14 win against Temple.  Remained perfect on placements in 2021 (9-9 FG, 20-20 PAT).