Pac-12 Week 12 Awards: Dorian Thompson-Robinson Secures Offensive Player of the Week
To go along with the Victory Bell, one Bruin racked up even more hardware over the weekend.
The Pac-12 announced its weekly honors Monday, and UCLA football (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12) quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson won the Offensive Player of the Week award following his team's win over USC on Saturday. Safety Quentin Lake was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Week, while kick returner Kazmeir Allen was nominated for Special Teams Player of the Week and edge rusher Mitchell Agude was one of the nominees for Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Thompson-Robinson, after throwing interceptions on his first two pass attempts of the day and incompletions on his next two, stuffed the stat sheet for the rest of UCLA's blowout 62-33 win against its crosstown rival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Two long passes got the Bruins back in the game early, as Thompson-Robinson found Allen for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter. After punting the next drive, Thompson-Robinson led touchdown drives each and every time UCLA had a meaningful possession from that point on, outside of one that ended in a missed field goal.
Thompson-Robinson ended Saturday with 349 yards and four touchdowns through the air – two going to Allen and two going to receiver Kyle Philips. Thompson-Robinson also added another 46 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, both of which became viral highlight moments for the senior.
The first rushing touchdown came towards the end of the first half, putting the Bruins up by 18, and Thompson-Robinson's momentum carried him to the padded wall at the end of the bleachers. A fan, wearing USC gear, handed Thompson-Robinson a hat and pen, and after giving the kid his autograph, the quarterback tossed it back to him and got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Thompson-Robinson's second rushing touchdown came right at the start of garbage time, with the game already mostly decided, when he fully hurdled an incoming defender and leapt into the end zone for six.
Through the air, Thompson-Robinson completed the final 14 passes he tossed, and he posted a 325.1 passer rating after his 0-for-4 start. Even including the rocky first few possessions, Thompson-Robinson set a career high in passer rating and now leads the Pac-12 in that stat for the season.
Thompson-Robinson now ranks No. 4 in total yards and No. 5 in total touchdowns in UCLA history.
This is Thompson-Robinson's first time winning the award this season and second time overall. The last time he won it was following his record-breaking performance in UCLA's comeback win over Washington State in Week 4 of the 2019 season.
Running back Zach Charbonnet is the only other Bruin to win Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week this fall.
Thompson-Robinson's weekly conference award win marked the fifth by a Bruin so far this season.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated