BJ Turner of North Carolina A&T turned in a career-high defensive effort on Saturday, helping the Aggies earn their first win, 28-26 over Norfolk State.
The graduate student, who plays linebacker, also recorded one of the most dominant performances of the season by a defensive player from the Old North State. Turner recorded 19 tackles, including nine solo stops, and had 2.5 tackles for loss. He also broke up a pass.
Turner’s play headlines our Best In State top performers for Week Five.
“He’s evolved into the heart and soul of our defense in a very short time because he loves football. He’s smart. He’s tough, and he wants to be great. He wants to win,” NC A&T coach Vincent Brown said earlier this week, posted by the school on Twitter.
One of Turner’s most crucial plays came with the game in the balance late in the fourth quarter. Norfolk State had scored to pull within two points. For some reason, Norfolk State didn’t account for Turner on the two-point conversion. He came through on a blitz and knocked down the Spartans quarterback, whose pass fell incomplete. NC A&T held on for the win.
Turner picked up CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors, the first for the school since joining the league this season. His 19 tackles were tied for second-most by an FCS defender this season, according to A&T.
“He was awesome,” Brown said. “He was out there making plays, getting TFLs (tackles-for-loss) and running through people.”
Turner played at Charlotte for three seasons. He then transferred to A&T, joining a school where his father, Barry Turner Sr., earned a place in the Hall of Fame for being an all-star running back.
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More Week 5 defensive standouts
Elon’s Caleb Curtain earned co-Defensive Player of the Week honors in the CAA. The sophomore defensive back made 11 tackles, helping the Phoenix end William & Mary’s nine-game conference win streak. Curtain had a big fourth-down stop at the goal line early in the game and also recorded a sack.
It was a good Saturday for defensive players from HBCU schools. North Carolina Central’s Jayden Flaker and Winston-Salem State’s Justin Fleming both had 15 tackles in their games. Flaker collected MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Benari Black of Johnson C. Smith was one of three North Carolina players to earn 14 tackles.
Andrew Brown of North Carolina Wesleyan recorded four tackles-for-loss, tops in the state.
Despite NC State’s loss, Payton Wilson earned ACC Linebacker of the Week recognition following a 10-tackle, two-sack effort against Louisville. Wilson also recovered a fumble, broke up a pass and had a quarterback hurry.
Livingstone got its first win of the season thanks in part to the play of two defensive standouts: Kobe Pringle was named CIAA Defensive Lineman of the Week, while Jaden Echols earned league Linebacker of the Week.
Fayetteville State’s Dylan Morris picked up CIAA Defensive Back of the Week.
Mars Hill’s Landon Honeycutt had eight tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack and recorded a safety in the first quarter against Limestone.
JR Atkinson of UNC Pembroke picked off two passes against Wheeler on a day when the Braves offense was setting records in the pass-catching department.
Wingate’s Bryan Bordeaux had nine tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble against Erskine.
Brevard’s James Woods blocked a field goal in a win over Greensboro. That earned him USA South Special Teams Player of the Week recognition.
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Week 5 Defensive Standouts | In Spreadsheet Form
| TACKLING LEADERS | DIVISION | SOLO | ASSISTS | TOTAL |
| BJ Turner (NC A&T) | FCS | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Jayden Flaker (NC Central) | FCS | 11 | 4 | 15 |
| Justin Fleming (Winston-Salem State) | D2 | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| Benari Black (Johnson C. Smith) | D2 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| Josh Hill (Methodist) | D3 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Nick Iannone (Guilford) | D3 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Tre Freeman (Duke) | FBS | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Jaden Echols (Livingstone) | D2 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Caleb Curtain (Elon) | FCS | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| Marco Patierno (Elon) | FCS | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| Nikhai Hill-Green (Charlotte) | FBS | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| Quintrell Bowman (Brevard) | D3 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| D’Marcus Harrington (Campbell) | FCS | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| Jeremiah Lewis (Duke) | FBS | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Jon Ross Maye (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Matt Smith (Barton) | D2 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Nick Ross (Appalachian State) | FBS | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Payton Wilson (NC State) | FBS | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Ronechie Carter (NC Wesleyan) | D3 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
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| TACKLES FOR LOSS | DIVISION | TFL | TFL/YDS | SACKS | SACK/YDS |
| Andrew Brown (NC Wesleyan) | D3 | 4.0 | 18 | 1.0 | 11 |
| Chad Stephens (East Carolina) | FBS | 2.5 | 15 | 1.0 | 9 |
| BJ Turner (NC A&T) | FCS | 2.5 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Landon Honeycutt (Mars Hill) | D2 | 2.5 | 8 | 1.0 | 5 |
| Sean Brown (NC State) | FBS | 2.0 | 25 | 2.0 | 25 |
| Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Charlotte) | FBS | 2.0 | 15 | 2.0 | 15 |
| Payton Wilson (NC State) | FBS | 2.0 | 15 | 2.0 | 15 |
| Bryan Bordeaux (Wingate) | D2 | 2.0 | 13 | 1.5 | 12 |
| Kobe Pringle (Livingstone) | D2 | 2.0 | 11 | 2.0 | 11 |
| Brian Grier (Fayetteville State) | D2 | 2.0 | 10 | 2.0 | 10 |
| Devin Hibbitt (Lenoir-Rhyne) | D2 | 2.0 | 10 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Eli Davis (Guilford) | D3 | 2.0 | 9 | 1.0 | 7 |
| Omar Rogers (East Carolina) | FBS | 2.0 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Monchovia Gaffney (Campbell) | FCS | 2.0 | 8 | 1.0 | 5 |
| Evan McGhee (Chowan) | D2 | 2.0 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Kennedy Nelson (St. Augustine’s) | D2 | 2.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Shane Perry (Barton) | FBS | 2.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 |
| David Hylick (St. Augustine’s) | D2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
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| SACKS | DIVISION | SACKS | SACK/YDS |
| Brian Grier (Fayetteville State) | D2 | 2.0 | 10 |
| Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Charlotte) | FBS | 2.0 | 15 |
| Kobe Pringle (Livingstone) | D2 | 2.0 | 11 |
| Payton Wilson (NC State) | FBS | 2.0 | 15 |
| Sean Brown (NC State) | FBS | 2.0 | 25 |
| Bryan Bordeaux (Wingate) | D2 | 1.5 | 12 |
