ST. LOUIS — Missouri State wide receiver Raylen Sharpe (Jr., Allen, Texas) has been named as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday (Nov. 13).Sharpe matched a Missouri State season record with his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season, and his third in a row, to help the Bears to a dominant 35-16 win over No. 15 Northern Iowa. Sharpe pulled in 11 receptions for a career-high 160 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.His catch total was the second-highest, single-game reception sum in the MVFC this season, trailing only his own 13-reception performance against North Dakota State in October. Likewise, his game-high 175 all-purpose yards was two yards shy of a career high.Sharpe’s 10-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter put the game vs. UNI on ice and capped an impressive, 12-play, seven-minute, game-clinching drive that gave the Bears a 28-9 lead at the time. His 35-yard reception on that drive set up his key touchdown moments later.The All-America candidate eclipsed 900 receiving yards on the season this week, becoming just the fourth player in Missouri State history to reach that milestone, while moving within one reception (65) and one receiving touchdown (7) of Bears single-season records. He also captured the MVFC lead in both receiving yards per game (100.56) and receptions per game (7.22), which now rank third and fifth, respectively, among all players in the FCS ranks.He is the sixth MSU player to earn Valley honors this season, joining Jacob Clark (Offense, Sept. 23), Caleb Blake (Defense, Sept. 23), Jayden Becks (Newcomer, Sept. 23), Owen Rozanc (Newcomer, Oct. 14) and Devin Goree (Defense, Oct. 23).Other MVFC players honored Monday were: LB Garret Ollendieck of Indiana State (Defense); WR/RS Red Wilson of North Dakota (Special Teams); and LB Amir Abdullah of Illinois State (Newcomer).The Bears conclude the 2023 season this Saturday when they take on top-ranked South Dakota State in Brookings at 2 p.m.
