AZUSA, Calif. -- Sophomore running back Ben Buys has swept all 3 of the NAIA Player of the Week honors for his effort in Azusa Pacific’s 23-14 victory over Southern Oregon.

Against the Raiders last Saturday, Buys rushed for a career-high 243 yards on a career-high 38 carries and scored 2 touchdowns to lead Azusa Pacific to a come-from-behind victory.

The performance, which matches the third-best single-game effort in Azusa Pacific history and is just 5 yards shy of Christian Okoye’s single-game school record of 248, netted the NAIA national office, Football Gazette, and naiafootball.net national player of the week honors for Buys.

Buys is the first Cougar to win the national office honor since he did it himself during the second of last season vs. Pacific Lutheran, when he rushed for a then career-high 185 yards on 35 carries and scored 28 points in the Cougars’ 44-42 triple overtime victory. He is the first Cougar ever to earn the national player of the week honor from naiafootball.net, and is the first Cougar since 1999 to be so accorded by Football Gazette.