TMG Newsmaker of The Week: Sarah Fuller, Jaret Patterson

Unusual week in unusual season produced unusual stars

We could have taken the easy way out and simply chosen Buffalo running back Jarret Patterson

But this has been an historic season in many ways, so we decided to break the mold and go with co-chices for TMG's Newsmaker of the Week honors.

Like we noted, Patterson was an easy pick. The 5-foot-9 inch, 195 pound sophomore running back for the Bulls had a SEASON's production in one afternoon: 36 carries for 409 yards and EIGHT touchdowns in  Buffalo's 70-41 win over Kent State.

But for historic terms, it was impossible not to take note of what happened on Saturday in Columbia, Missouri.

At first glance it was a mundane Southeastern Conference football game, with Missouri pounding winless Vanderbilt 41-0.

But wait. 

Vanderbilt, a team short-handed by COVID-19 issues, kicked off to the start of the second half. 

The only problem was that the  Commodores didn't have any kickers on their roster--or at least any established kickers. Faced with the shortage, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason issued a campus wide call for help.

It came in the name of Vanderbilt women's soccer player Sarah Fuller, who broke a barrier on Saturday when she became the first female to participate in a Power 5 conference football game.

It was a cameo appearance at best since Vanderbilt was so offensively inept that the second half kick off--a squib boot down the left side of the field--was the only kicking opportunity in the game for the  Commodores.

Still, the barrier had been broken.

""I think it's an incredible that I am able to do this,'' said Fuller after the game. ""And all lI want to do is be a good influence to the young girls out there.''

Consider it mission accomplished.