FWAA Awards Articles

Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano was named the recipient of the 80th Outland Trophy on tonight during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. The Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. Fano is Utah’s first Outland Trophy winner.

The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced 12 finalists for the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Tuesday. The FWAA's National Coach of the Year will be chosen from among a list that includes last year’s winner, three returning finalists, a total of six prior finalists and six who have been nominated for the first time. Six of the coaches earned conference championships and seven will lead their teams into the College Football Playoff.

The leader of one of college football's top defenses with tackle numbers that place him among the country’s best, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has earned the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player from the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Rodriguez, one of the top defensive playmakers, was honored tonight with the award here at a gala banquet here.

Alabama is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 14 for Isaiah Horton's touchdown fourth-quarter fourth-down touchdown catch to push the Crimson Tide past Auburn in the Iron Bowl, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The Vanderbilt Commodores rushed for 314 yards and secured their first 10-win season in school history with a dominating 45-24 win at No. 19 Tennessee. For its first win over Tennessee since 2018, Vanderbilt earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 29, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

DALLAS (FWAA) – Three finalists for the 2025 Outland Trophy – offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah, center Logan Jones of Iowa and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald of Ohio State – were announced Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America.

Utah is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 13 for quarterback Devin Dampier's one-yard touchdown run to cap a furious rally in a 51-47 win over Kansas State, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The Yale Bulldogs topped previously-undefeated Harvard in the 141st edition of The Game on Saturday, taking not only a share of the Ivy League championship but the league’s first automatic berth into the postseason. To honor the historic 45-28 win, its second Ivy League title in the past three seasons and its spot in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, Yale earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 22, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Four finalists for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy represent four separate conferences and come from within the top nine teams in the current College Football Playoff rankings. A top sack man from the defensive edge, a takeaway master at linebacker and two top coverage players from the secondary make up the list released Thursday as candidates for the award honoring the nation’s top defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Seven semifinalists for the 2025 Outland Trophy – five offensive linemen and two defensive tackles – were announced Wednesday by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. The semifinalists are each from different schools within four conferences and are all centers, offensive tackles or defensive tackles.

East Carolina is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 12 for Payton Magrum's 31-yard touchdown grab from Katin Houser with 1:08 left that gave the Pirates the 31-27 comeback win over Memphis, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The Oklahoma defense came up big Saturday producing three takeaways that led to 17 points in its 23-21 win at No. 4 Alabama. For snapping the Crimson Tide’s 17-game home win streak – the nation’s longest – and as they surge toward a possible College Football Playoff bid, the Sooners earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 15, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Miami averaged 6.8 yards per play while rolling up 385 yards of total offense Saturday led by an offensive line featuring Francis Mauigoa. In their 38-10 win over Syracuse, the Hurricanes' right tackle controlled his side of the line and even scored a rare touchdown as Miami cruised to the win. For his work Mauigoa earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Nov. 8, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was a constant nemesis against BYU on Saturday with a team-high 14 tackles and came up with an interception and a fumble recovery as the Red Raiders moved atop the Big 12 standings with a 29-7 win. For his play leading a defense that halted one of the nation’s top offenses, Rodriguez earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week again for the weekend of Nov. 8, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Indiana is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 11 for Omar Cooper Jr.'s remarkable touchdown catch in the back of the Penn State end zone that kept the Hoosiers unbeaten, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders took over first place in the Big 12 Conference with an emphatic 29-7 win over No. 7 BYU that was a dominating defensive show. For its rise to the moment playing in its first top-10 matchup since 2008 and in front of a national audience, Texas Tech earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 8, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

North Texas safety Quinton Hammonds snagged two second-half interceptions to stall any Navy comeback as the Mean Green ended the Midshipmen’s undefeated run with a 31-17 home win. For his two picks to go with four tackles that helped North Texas keep pace at the top of the American Conference standings, Hammonds earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of Nov. 1, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Utah surged past No. 17 Cincinnati, 45-14, on Saturday with an offense that rolled up 480 total yards powered by dominant push up front. Offensive tackle Spencer Fano played a large role in the key Big 12 win as the highest-graded FBS offensive lineman from last weekend’s games and has earned the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honor for games during the weekend of Nov. 1, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

Duke is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 10 as Sahmir Hagans followed a late touchdown run with a two-point conversion catch to give the Blue Devils a 46-45 win at Clemson, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.

The SMU Mustangs upset No. 10 Miami, 26-20, in overtime Saturday with a dramatic final-minute rally, taking a win over its highest-ranked opponent since the 1983 Cotton Bowl. For a career-high performance from its quarterback and winning at home against its highest-ranked opponent since 2016, SMU earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 1, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.