COLBY, Kan. – Butler quarterback Tanner Murray and defensive back Ashton Levells earned KJCCC weekly awards for their play in Butler's 26-20 win over Independence on Saturday, the league announced on Tuesday.
Murray, a Houston, Texas native, put together his best performance of the season as he was tabbed the conference's offensive player of the week. He was 12-of-25 for 245 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Grizzlies with 49 rushing yards on seven carries, good for seven yards per carry. He connected with wide receiver Jamarion McDougle for a 61-yard touchdown in the first half to put Butler ahead for the first time, 8-6. Murray led the Grizzlies on a nine-play, 80-yard drive on the opening drive of the third quarter with completions of 16, 19 and 21 yards to go with a 21-yard rush. He also engineered Butler's six-play, 70-yard drive in the fourth quarter that put the Grizzlies ahead for good as he capped that off with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dominick Foster.
Murray leads the conference with 210.8 passing yards per game.
Levells, a Dallas, Texas native blocked two kicks in the Grizzlies dominant special teams performance that saw him be named KJCCC special teams player of the week.. Levells blocked an extra point in the second quarter after the Pirates scored and went ahead 6-0. Butler DB Kaden White ran it back 92 yards for a defensive two-point conversion to make it 6-2. Later in the second quarter, Indy set up for a 25-yard field goal and Levells came screaming off the right edge to block it. Butler DB Timothy Croskey scooped it up and returned it for 21 yards. The Grizzlies blocked two Independence field goals and an extra point in the 26-20 win over the Pirates. It was the third consecutive week that Butler has blocked an opponent's extra point. It was Levell's third block of the season after he blocked an extra point in Week 1 at Garden City.
Butler football hits the road this week when they travel to Miami, OK, for a game at Red Robertson Stadium vs. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at 6 p.m.
