After playing a key role in Rice's first win over a Big 12 school, Owls junior K Chris Boswell has been named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. The Defensive Player of the Week honor went to SMU junior DB Kenneth Acker, who had two interceptions and scored two touchdowns vs. Stephen F. Austin. Offensive recognition went to Houston sophomore QB David Piland, who set one individual NCAA single-game record in a game that produced four new NCAA team records. C-USA Football Players of the Week are voted on by a panel of the league's media.

Boswell tied a pair of school records while kicking four field goals against Kansas, the last coming from 45 yards out as time ran out to give Rice its first win over a Big 12 school. Boswell's four field goals tied his school record which he shares with two others and gave him 33 in his career, matching the school career mark set by James Hamrick from 1983-85. He is the first Rice kicker to have a pair of games with four field goals. Boswell also averaged 64.3 yards on six kickoffs. Five were touchbacks and the sixth was returned 14 yards to the Kansas 18 where the Jayhawks fumbled and Rice recovered. On Monday, Boswell was named as one of the three Lou Groza Award Stars of the Week, given to the top placekicking performers in the FBS.

Acker had two interceptions and scored two touchdowns - one on an interception return and one on a blocked field goal try - as SMU routed Stephen F. Austin, 52-0. His interception return was 77 yards and his blocked field goal return was 56 yards. Acker led an SMU defense that set a new C-USA single-game record with seven interceptions and forced 10 total turnovers in the game. The shutout was the first for SMU since a 42-0 win at Memphis last season and the first home shutout since 1983.

In a night that saw Houston set an NCAA record with 115 total plays, Piland set an NCAA record for attempts in a game without an interception as the sophomore finished with 53 completions on 77 attempts for 580 yards and four touchdowns. Piland's 580 yards set a Robertson Stadium record as he set career highs in all four categories and also had a career-long rush of 33 yards. Piland's 584 yards of total offense is the second-best total in Conference USA history as were his completions, yards and touchdowns. His 77 attempts broke Case Keenum's conference record in the category. Piland's 53 completions are the fifth-best single-game mark in NCAA history as his 77 attempts rank sixth.

2012 WINNERS:
Offensive Player of the Week - Sept. 3 - Nathan Jeffery, RB; Sept. 10 - David Piland, QB, Houston
Defensive Player of the Week - Sept. 3 - Jeremy Grove, LB; Sept. 10 - Kenneth Acker, DB, SMU
Special Teams Player of the Week - Sept. 3 - Cameron Nwosu, LB, Rice; Sept. 10 - Chris Boswell, K, Rice