Week 4 Maxwell Football Club Players of the Week

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The Maxwell Football Club takes time to honor college football's top performers over the course of the season through weekly awards. The Maxwell Player of the Week award is given to the top offensive player, and the Bednarik Player of the Week award is given to the top defensive player.

Here are the performances that stood out above the rest in Week 4.

Maxwell Player of the Week

QB Blake Horvath, Navy

The junior dual-threat quarterback led an explosive Midshipmen offense to a shocking upset win over the Memphis Tigers (3-1, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) on Sept. 21. Navy (3-0, 2-0 AAC) piled up 566 yards of total offense in the 56-44 victory to record their first 3-0 start since 2017. Horvath accounted for 6 touchdowns in all, throwing for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 9-for-12 passing and adding 211 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 12 carries.

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Coming into the game, all eyes were on Memphis after their victory over the Florida State Seminoles (1-3), and many believed the Tigers were the favorite to land the coveted Group of 5 berth in the College Football Playoff. Navy had played well in wins over Temple (1-3) and Bucknell (2-2) to start the season, but expectations were tempered for the Midshipmen's first real challenge of the season.

Horvath and the Navy offense quickly showed the entire country why they deserve more respect going forward. The Midshipmen scored a touchdown on four of their five first-half possessions to take a 28-17 lead going in to the halftime. After Memphis brought the score within five near the end of the third quarter, Horvath broke the game open with two rushing touchdowns on consecutive drives. His 90-yard rushing score to effectively put the game out of reach was a true display of his vision and pure athletic ability.

As long as Navy continues to rely on the leadership and talent of Horvath to run their offense, the Midshipmen will continue to reach new heights.

Bednarik Player of the Week

EDGE, Josaiah Stewart, Michigan

The No. 12 Wolverines' struggles in 2024 have been well-documented, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Thanks to a physical game by the defense, the Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten Conference) offense did not have to do much to pull out a narrow 27-24 victory over the No. 13 USC Trojans (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) on Sept. 21.

Senior EDGE Stewart led the charge on the Wolverines' defensive line, wreaking havoc from his very first snap of the game. He consistently got the better of the USC offensive line, recording a 31.4 percent pass-rush win rate and tallying 2 sacks, 3 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. In addition to his recognition by the Maxwell Football Club, Stewart earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Reese's Senior Bowl Player of the Week honors for his disruption and physicality on the line.

After losing talented lineman Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor to the NFL this past spring, Stewart has been forced to step up in a leadership role in his first season as a starter for the Wolverines. So far, his work ethic and tenacity have elevated a defensive line that is at the center of Michigan's success.