Missouri State sophomore safety Caleb Schaffitzel (Fair Grove, Mo.) was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Schaffitzel snagged two interceptions and recorded nine total tackles in Saturday’s 42-3 homecoming win over Western Illinois, MSU’s third straight conference victory.
He had 65 yards in interception returns, including a 47 yarder, and had the second-highest tackle total in the game. He became just the fifth Bear since 2006 to tally two interceptions in a single game and posted the team’s longest interception return since Jimmie Strong’s 91 yard touchdown return at WIU on Oct.22, 2011. Schaffitzel, who has started 15 straight games, now has 95 total tackles and three interceptions on the season and is on pace to become just the second player during the Terry Allen era (2006-present) to secure 100 or more tackles in a season.
The Bears (3-6, 3-3 MVFC) close out a two-game homestand this Saturday at 1 p.m. against defending Division I FCS national champion North Dakota State (7-1, 4-1). The Bison were ranked No. 3 nationally last week and will almost certainly move up in the national polls Monday after No. 1 Eastern Washington lost over the weekend.
