Pierce named MAC Offensive Player of the Week

It didn’t take long for junior running back Bernard Pierce to make an impact on the Owls’ 2011 season.

Pierce was named the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against Villanova in the Mayor’s Cup last week. Pierce rushed for 147 yards and tied a career high with three touchdowns in the Owls’ dominating 42-7 defeat of the Wildcats.

“The last two years, [my performance in the Mayor's Cup] didn’t really go over,” Pierce said in a teleconference on Friday. “I really think I set the tone for the rest of the season.”

This was the fifth MAC Offensive Player of the Week award of Pierce’s collegiate career.