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