DALLAS – Liberty’s Reese Smith, along with WKU’s Devonte’ Mathews and Cole Maynard, earned CUSA Player of the Week honors for week four. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
 
Offensive Player of the Week – Reese Smith, Liberty – Junior – WR – Danville, Ky.
Smith entered Saturday’s 35-24 win over East Carolina without a touchdown in a Flames uniform and just two career receiving touchdowns but hauled in six passes for 80 yards and a program-record tying three touchdowns to help Liberty rally from a 17-0 deficit. His second touchdown grab gave the Flames their first lead (21-17) with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter, and his final score gave Liberty the lead for good midway through the final frame. Smith became the 13^th player in program history with three receiving touchdowns in a game and now leads CUSA and ranks 30^th nationally in receiving touchdowns.
 
Defensive Player of the Week – Devonte’ Mathews, WKU – Senior – DB – Phenix City, Ala.
Mathews came up big for the Hilltoppers in their 26-21 win over Toledo on Saturday, intercepting two passes in the final two minutes when the Rockets were threatening to score. The first came with Toledo facing a fourth-and-15 from the WKU 20-yard line, when he picked off a pass attempt in the end zone with 1:20 remaining. After a turnover allowed Toledo to get the ball back, he intercepted his second pass at the Tops’ one-yard line with 18 seconds remaining to clinch the victory. Mathews, WKU's leading tackler through four games this season, finished with four tackles in the win, including 0.5 for loss. 
 
Special Teams Player of the Week – Cole Maynard, WKU – RS Junior – P – Mooresville, N.C.
Maynard played an important role in Saturday’s win over Toledo, averaging 50.8 yards per punt on six attempts in the game – the fifth-highest average in a single game in program history of players who had at least four attempts. He sent four punts 50-plus yards and had two downed inside the 20-yard line. His long was 57 yards, which he did twice, but his most impactful came with under a minute to play in the third quarter when he pinned Toledo at its own two-yard line. The WKU defense recorded a safety on the next play, kicking off a stretch of 16 unanswered points in the comeback victory.
 
2024 Winners
Offensive Players of the Week
S2        Hunter Watson, Sam Houston
S9        Keyone Jenkins, FIU
S16       Caden Veltkamp, WKU
S23      Reese Smith, 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
 
Special Teams Players of the Week
S2        Christian Pavon, Sam Houston
S9        Colin Karhu, Liberty
S16       Buck Buchanan, LA Tech
S23      Cole Maynard, WKU