Eckhaus named NEC Player, Rookie of the Week

SOMERSET, N.J. -- Bryant University football freshman Zevi Eckhaus was named the Northeast Conference Player and Rookie of the Week of the week on Monday. 

Eckhaus, who also earned Stats Perform FCS Honorable Mention Rookie of the Week, helped the Black and Gold defeat Brown on Homecoming.

Eckhaus broke the 300-yard barrier in total offense and accounted for four touchdowns in Bryant's win over Ivy League member Brown. The California-born Bulldog completed 71.4 percent of his pass attempts, including scoring strikes in the first, second and third quarters. Going 35-of-49 passing for 335 yards, Eckhaus accounted for the second-highest yardage total against a Division I opponent in the NEC through the season's first five weeks. Leading Bryant to paydirt on its opening possession of the game, Eckhaus connected on four passes for 60 yards with the fourth completion going to Landon Ruggieri for a 13-yard touchdown. The 6-foot-1 signal caller's second touchdown pass, a 16-yarder to Anthony Frederick, boosted Bryant's lead to 20-0 with 3:16 gone by in the second quarter. Eckhaus found Frederick for another touchdown pass on a 24-yard hookup that gave the Bulldogs a 33-0 advantage with 4:30 left in the third quarter. After Brown used a 22-point flurry to cut its deficit to seven points late in the final quarter, Eckhaus extinguished any hopes of a Bears' comeback by stepping up and completing a 29-yard strike to David Zorilla on a 3rd-and-5 play that was snapped with 1:52 left on the clock.

In addition, Anthony Frederick and Jayvis Rayside were named #NECPrimePerformers. Frederick caught seven passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns, his second-straight game with two scores. Rayside posted 3.0 tackles, intercepted his first-career pass and recovered a fumble.