Buies Creek – After a 38-0 victory over Morehead State, Campbell’s Montel Goods and Carlos Merritt have both been named Pioneer Football League Players of the Week.
Goods was named the PFL’s week five Offensive Player of the Week, rushing for 193 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. Merritt, meanwhile, collected his second straight PFL Defensive Player of the Week honor, picking off his fourth pass of the season and added six tackles, leading Campbell to its second shutout of the year.
Goods’ 193 yards stands as the second-highest total in Campbell’s Division I era, and the most ever by a Camel at Barker-Lane Stadium. De’Shawn Jones gained a school-record 201 yards in 2015 at Davidson.
The Pittsboro, N.C. native carried 27 times for 193 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. In just three career games, Goods has scored six touchdowns, adding 260 yards rushing.
Goods’ first TD of the day came from three yards out on the third play of the second quarter, capping a 13-play, 83-yard drive, Mitchell Brown added the PAT and the Camels took a 7-0 lead.
He added a two yard touchdown run in the third, rounding off a 12-play, 77 yard drive to put Campbell up 24-0. Goods’ third touchdown of the day – a three-yard run – completed a six-play, 65-yard march in only 1:44 and left CU in front 38-0 with 11:41 left in the game. The three touchdown day marked the 11th time a Camel has reached the endzone at least three times in a single game.
Merritt piloted a defense that held Morehead State to just 240 total yards – and only 35 on the ground – while posting its second-largest victory margin in a PFL game.
Morehead entered the game second in the PFL in total offense at 439.5 yards gained per outing, but the Camel defense held the Eagles almost 200 yards below their average and just 3-of-13 in third-down conversions.
CU intercepted two MSU passes, including Merritt’s fourth pick of the seasons, making it a NCAA FCS leading 16 takeaways for the Camels in 2017. Merritt owns 26 tackles, including 1.5 stops for loss, with four interceptions, two fumble recoveries through five games.
This is the third time in five weeks at least one Camel has taken PFL weekly honors. In addition to Merritt taking his second consecutive defensive player of the week honor, both Emmanuel Olenga and Jaquan Brooks claimed accolades in Week One.
The Camels will host Valparaiso next week this Saturday, Oct. 7th. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek.
