‘She looks like a Make-A-Wish sponsor’: Fury as female football ace backed by Hillary Clinton wins award for just one play (VIDEO)

College football fans have questioned the sport's integrity after Sarah Fuller, the first woman to appear in a Power 5 game, won Special Teams Player of the Week and powerful support despite appearing in only one play in the game.

Fuller, who usually plays in goal for Vanderbilt University's soccer team, crossed codes at the weekend to become the first player to appear in a Power 5 game when she was briefly called to the field during the second half of Saturday's game with the University of Missouri - and was rewarded with the Special Teams Player of the Week award.

Some supporters have called the move little more than a publicity stunt after Fuller was handed the honor for what amounted to just a few seconds on the field.

The 21-year-old Texan was drafted in to the squad to cover kicking duties after the team's regular starter was forced to miss the game as a result of testing positive for Covid-19.

Despite being routed 41-0, the team hailed their own coronavirus-enforced version of affirmative action.

"Sarah Fuller. Remember the name," the college tweeted after their heavy defeat, with Fuller saying that she was "very excited to step out on the field and do my thing.

"I represent the little girls out there who wanted to do this or have thought about playing football or any sport, really," she added.

Some fans weren't quite as quick to hail the achievement, suggesting that the move was effectively little more than a feelgood headline.

They were particularly perplexed by Fuller inexplicably receiving the weekly award for her sole contribution to the game, a 30-yard kickoff.

While legions of college football fans welcomed Fuller's involvement in the sport and recognized the significance of her achievement, many also questioned whether her sole contribution, touching the ball once, was enough to outshine other candidates for the award.

"I’m great with a female kicker. I don’t care either way especially if she is better than the boys," wrote one of the skeptics to argue that the award was an insult to other players who had achieved more without receiving credit.

"But 'equality' means 'equal' and a girl who executed a kick off is not deserving of Special Teams Player of the Week.

"Imagine being a guy that actually had a career week and not getting the award because she does."

Despite her rookie status, Fuller was also invited into the locker room at half-time to give a speech.

"I was a little p*ssed off at how everyone was on the sideline," she explained to ESPN. "I just went in there and said exactly what I was thinking.

"I was like, 'we need to be cheering each other on. This is how you win games - you get better by calling each other out for stuff and I'm going to call you guys out.

"I've been trying not to look at the comments but it's hard not to see them sometimes when they're talking cr*p about you.

"I'll take on the hate. I don't care. I am a D1 soccer player. I go to Vanderbilt University. I'm going to get my degree from here.

"I've done amazing things that I've set out to do and I've had goals of reaching, so they can talk crap all they want. This is something that I believe I've earned."

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton thanked Fuller, telling her Twitter folllowing of almost 30 million that the player had "helped to prove that women and girls belong on every playing field - quite literally."

A critic said: "No disrespect to her, but she didn’t deserve this.

"I’m sorry, but this is exactly why I’m against this...preferential treatment. Just let her play.

"If she is better than everyone else, then reward her. This is obvious pandering."

Speaking a day before he was fired for abysmal results, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason denied that the exercise was a public relations move.

“It was meant for her because that’s what she used to striking," he told reporters in his post-game press conference.

"You know, really, we tried to go with the most natural kicks in her arsenal.

“I tried not to over-coach her, but let her do and understand what felt comfortable to her. And that’s really what we went with.

"I thought she punched it exactly where she needed to punch it. Ball’s down, 35-yard line. Let’s go.

“She’s been a trooper. She could have very easily said no in this. And instead, she prepared all week. She did what she was supposed to do. She was as prepared as anybody.”