Patterson Leads Wildcats Defenders to SIAC Defensive Player of the Week Honor

10/22/2019 4:14:00 PM

By: Chris Myers

ATLANTA, Ga. – An improving Wildcats defensive unit picked up its first award. Fort Valley State defensive end Jahseari Patterson produced his best outing of his three-year career and earned the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Patterson was half of the outstanding FVSU defensive end duo with Demetrius Harris and led the FVSU defense to its best stifling of an opponent in over two years. The Wildcats (5-2/3-0 SIAC East) defense held Morehouse College to only 128 yards of total offense and two field goals of the 37-21 victory in last Saturday afternoon's Homecoming game.

Individually, Patterson of Cairo, Ga., registered nine tackles, his season best, but it was his other statistics, which stood out the most. The junior sacked the Maroon Tigers quarterbacks to a total of 4.5 sacks, he combined with Harris on one sack, for 35 yards, five tackles for loss of 37 yards, forced two fumbles (one of which Harris returned for a touchdown), one fumble recovery (which Harris forced) and credited with three quarterback hurries.

The dynamic end duo wreaked havoc on the Morehouse offense to a tune of a combined for 16 tackles, nine sacks, 10 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five quarterback hurries. Harris had seven stops, 4.5 sacks of 22 yards, five tackles for loss of 24 yards, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery for the score and two quarterback hurries.

Currently, Patterson and Harris are tied for the NCAA Division II national lead for forced fumbles at 0.57 per game. Patterson is also tied for 20^th in both sacks (0.93/game) and tackles for loss (1.7/game). Harris leads the nation in sacks (1.64/game) and sits fourth in tackles for loss (2.2/game).

On the year, Patterson has 35 tackles, fourth on the Wildcats team, 12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Harris is right behind him with 29 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Patterson, Harris and the FVSU team look for a sixth win in a row and chance to stay atop the SIAC East standings this Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, in a 1 p.m. road contest at Clark Atlanta.

-Wildcats-

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