NIU starting quarterback Chandler Harnish was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week Monday by the league office after his performance against Army on Saturday night, according to a press release.

Harnish completed 12 of 19 passes for 195 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 80 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown and achieved a quartback rating of 225.68, currently ranking him second in the country.

Running backs Jamal Womble and Akeem Daniels, wide receivers Nathan Palmer and Martel Moore and tight end Luke Eakes all scored on touchdown passes from Harnish, who accounted for 275 yards of total offense in three quarters of action, and averaged 9.2 yards per play every time he touched the ball.

His five touchdown passes were the most by a Huskie quarterback since Phil Horvath threw six against Akron on September 17th, 2005. Harnish now ranks third all-time for most career touchdown passes by an NIU quarterback with 45, putting him behind only Josh Haldi (55) and George Bork (60).

This marks the sixth time Harnish has won MAC offensive player of the week honors. He won the award three times in 2010, and twice in 2008 as a red-shirt freshman. After winning the award this week, Harnish extends the Huskies streak of having at least one player named MAC West Player of the Week in each of the last 11 weeks that the MAC has done the awards.

Rivals.com also named the quarterback their MAC offensive player of the week, and called Harnish “one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks”.