DALLAS – Liberty’s Quinton Cooley and Joseph Carter, along with LA Tech’s Buck Buchanan earned CUSA Player of the Week honors for week 12. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – Quinton Cooley, Liberty – Senior – RB – Bailey, N.C.
Cooley led the Flames’ rushing attack in a 35-34 overtime victory over UMass with 20 carries for 147 yards and three touchdowns, which matched his career high. He scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to help Liberty (7-2, 4-2 CUSA) seal the come-from-behind victory. Cooley helped the Flames finish the game with 309 rushing yards, their second straight game with at least 300 yards on the ground. It marked Cooley’s seventh 100-yard game of the season and the 14^th in his two seasons with the Flames.
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Joseph Carter, Liberty – Junior – LB – Jacksonville, Fla.
Carter paced the Flames with 11 tackles in the overtime victory over UMass, finishing with five solo tackles and six assisted stops. It marked the fourth time this season he has recorded double-digit tackles and the third time in the last four contests. Carter notched six of his 11 tackles in the fourth quarter of the win. With 68 tackles on the year and 37 solo tackles, he has topped his tackling numbers from last year’s 14-game campaign with at least three more games to play.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – Buck Buchanan, LA Tech – Junior – K – Longview, Texas
Buchanan accounted for all 12 of the Bulldogs’ points in a 12-7 upset at then-first place WKU last Saturday. He connected on 4-5 field goal attempts, giving LA Tech (4-6, 3-4 CUSA) all it needed to keep its bowl game hopes alive. Buchanan gave LA Tech an early 3-0 lead with a 35-yard field goal, his first of the day. The Texas native went on to drill kicks from 42, 28, and 24 yards. His four-field goal performance marked his third multi-field goal game of the season, and his 42-yard make was his third field goal from 40 or more yards this year.
 
2024 Winners
Offensive Players of the Week
S2        Hunter Watson, Sam Houston
S9        Keyone Jenkins, FIU
S16       Caden Veltkamp, WKU
S23      Reese Smith, Liberty
S30      Hunter Watson, Sam Houston
O7       Tyler Huff, Jax State
O14      Evan Bullock, LA Tech
O21      Caden Veltkamp, WKU
O28     Davis Bryson, Kennesaw State
N4       Eric Rivers, FIU / Tre Stewart, Jax State
N11       Skyler Locklear, UTEP
N18      Quinton Cooley, Liberty
 
Defensive Players of the Week
S2        Tayden Barnes, NM State
S9        CJ Bazile Jr., Liberty
S16       Caleb Weaver, Sam Houston
S23      Devonte’ Mathews, WKU
S30      Travion Barnes, FIU
O7       Zechariah Poyser, Jax State
O14      Travion Barnes, FIU
O21      Kale Edwards, NM State
O28     Tyler Hallum, Kennesaw State
N4       Geimere Latimer, Jax State
N11       Kory Chapman, UTEP
N18      Joseph Carter, Liberty
 
Special Teams Players of the Week
S2        Christian Pavon, Sam Houston
S9        Colin Karhu, Liberty
S16       Buck Buchanan, LA Tech
S23      Cole Maynard, WKU
S30      Christian Pavon, Sam Houston
O7       Jadon Cardell, Sam Houston
O14      Lucas Carneiro, WKU
O21      Omari Kelly, MTSU
O28     Austin Welch, Kennesaw State
N4       Abraham Montano, NM State
N11       Lucas Carneiro, WKU
N18      Buck Buchanan, LA Tech