Week 9 AUS Football Players of the Week: Burnett, Nightingale, Gervais

(HALIFAX, N.S) - In Week 9's AUS football action, Bishop's Oliver Burnett and Xavier Gervais, along with Acadia's Graham Nightingale have been recognized for their outstanding play as AUS Football Players of the Week.

Offensive Player of the Week 
Name: Oliver Burnett 
University: Bishop's University 
Position: Receiver 
Hometown: Fredericton, N.B.   
Year of eligibility: Third 
Academic program: Sports Studies 
Height and weight: 5'11", 188 lbs.  

Bishop's Gaiters receiver Oliver Burnett is the Atlantic University Sport Football Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 22, 2023. 

The fifth-year Sports Studies student in his third year of eligibility recorded 137 yards receiving on seven catches in his team's 22-10 victory over the Acadia Axemen – moving his team's record to 5-2 and securing them a home playoff game with just one regular season contest remaining.  

The Fredericton product also scored his league-leading sixth touchdown of the season on a 56-yard catch and run late in the second quarter. 

This is the second time this season Burnett has cracked the 100-yard mark in a game – also doing so in his team's season-opening 22-8 loss to STFX on Aug. 26 when he grabbed eight balls for 101 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensive Player of the Week 
Name: Graham Nightingale 
University: Acadia University 
Position: Linebacker 
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. 
Year of eligibility: Third 
Academic program: Economics 
Height and weight: 6'1", 205 lbs 

Acadia Axemen linebacker Graham Nightingale has been named the Atlantic University Sport Football Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 22, 2023. 

The Ottawa product recorded a career-best 12 tackles (8 solo, 8 assists) as his Axemen fell 22-10 to the visiting Bishop's Gaiters this past weekend. Not only is the mark a career high for Nightingale, but the most recorded by an Acadia player all season. 

A third-year Economics student, Nightingale now sits fifth in the league in tackles.

Special Teams Player of the Week 
Name: Xavier Gervais 
University: Bishop's University 
Position: Kicker 
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. 
Year of eligibility: Second 
Academic program: Sports Studies 
Height and weight: 6'1", 214 lbs 

Bishop's Gaiters kicker Xavier Gervais is the Atlantic University Sport Football Special Team Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 22, 2023. 

Gervais, a third-year Sports Studies student in his second year of eligibility, helped his team to a 22-10 victory over Acadia this past weekend by recording 13 points (4/4 on field goals, 1 extra point).  

He connected from 22 and 23 yards in the opening half and then followed that up by making good from 17 and 28 yards in the second half. 

Gervais sits second in the league in made field goals with 16.