Army quarterback Bryson Daily celebrates a touchdown during an NCAA...

Army quarterback Bryson Daily celebrates a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against East Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in West Point, N.Y. Credit: AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

The Associated Press national player of the week in college football for Week 8 of the season:

Bryson Daily, Army

The Black Knights quarterback rushed for five touchdowns and threw for another in a 42-28 victory over East Carolina, making him the first Army player to account for six TDs since Elmer Oliphant in 1916. Daily's five rushing touchdowns tied the program record for most in a game.

The 6-foot, 221-pound senior from Abernathy, Texas, finished with 171 yards rushing on 31 carries and 7-of-10 passing for 147 yards.

He holds the school record for touchdowns responsible for with 26 with five regular-season games remaining. His nation-leading 19 rushing touchdowns also are a school record.

Daily is first in the American Athletic Conference and fourth nationally with 129.9 yards rushing per game for the 23rd-ranked Knights (7-0).

Runner-up

Miami QB Cam Ward added to his Heisman Trophy resume with four touchdown passes and his school-record seventh straight 300-yard passing game in a 52-45 win at Louisville. Ward completed 21 of 32 passes for 319 yards.

Ward leads the nation with 362.6 yards passing per game, 24 touchdown passes and 45 passes of 20 yards or longer.

Army Quarter Back Bryson Daily, left pases the ball to...

Army Quarter Back Bryson Daily, left pases the ball to running back Kanye Udoh during an NCAA colleague football game against East Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in West Point, N.Y. Credit: AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

Honorable mention

Navy cornerback Dashaun Peele became his school's first player to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a game in a 51-17 win over Charlotte. Peele's pick-6s were 61 and 84 yards. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook went to the hospital with an ankle injury in the first quarter, and after he had an MRI he returned in the third quarter to lead his team to a 21-17 comeback win over Auburn. Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten rushed for a school-record 266 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in a 42-21 win over Boston College. Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards was 39 of 50 for a career-high 373 yards and two TDs in a 29-28 comeback win over Southern California. UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers set career highs with four TD passes and 383 yards passing in a 35-32 win over Rutgers.

Six stats

— North Texas WR DT Sheffield scored 75-yard touchdowns on the Mean Green’s first two offensive plays in a 52-44 loss to Memphis. He had a 75-yard run on UNT’s first play from scrimmage and a 75-yard reception on the second.

— Iowa State CB Jontez Williams has intercepted a pass in four straight games, the first ISU player to do that since Ronnie Osborne in 1982.

— Michigan's point total in its 21-7 loss at Illinois was its lowest since a 31-0 loss to Notre Dame in 2014. The Wolverines had scored at least 10 points in 100 straight games.

Army quarterback Bryson Daily, right, hands the ball to running...

Army quarterback Bryson Daily, right, hands the ball to running back Kanye Udoh during an NCAA colleague football game against East Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in West Point, N.Y. Credit: AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

— Clemson has recorded five 500-yard games in the first seven games for the first time.

— Tennessee, a 24-17 winner over Alabama, became the first team to beat the Crimson Tide with so few points since Mississippi won 23-17 in 2014.

— Indiana is the only Bowl Subdivision program to not allow a first-quarter point.

___

AP voters: Aaron Beard, Pat Graham, Gary B. Graves, Stephen Hawkins, Pete Iacobelli, Mark Long, John Marshall, Eric Olson, Dave Zelio, John Zenor.

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