DALLAS – Former Conference USA standouts played pivotal roles in key NFL wins during week six, with multiple former players leading the way for the Los Angeles Rams’ 17-3 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ divisional win over the Browns, 23-9.
 
The Rams benefited from a CUSA veteran on both sides of the ball. Tight end Tyler Higbee (WKU) caught four passes for 40 yards and an eight-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach in the third quarter. On defense, Darious Williams (UAB) tallied four tackles, three solo stops and a pair of pass deflections, helping anchor a defense that shutdown the Ravens all game.
 
Pittsburgh’s win was powered by a quartet of former CUSA playmakers. Chris Boswell (Rice) connected on 3-4 field-goal attempts with makes from 44, 48 and 50 yards – all in the first half. He also converted both extra-point attempts to finish with 11 points on the day. Up front, Alex Highsmith (Charlotte) generated three tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hits, while James Pierre (FAU) made his presence felt in the secondary with three tackles, a TFL and a pass deflection. Veteran tight end Jonnu Smith (FIU) caught three passes for 18 yards and recorded a 10-yard rush.
 
Other CUSA alumni were active across other defensive units in week six. Kevin Byard (MTSU) recorded six tackles and a tackle for loss in Chicago’s win over Washington, while Alex Wright (UAB) continued his breakout season in Cleveland with seven tackles and a TFL. Atlanta’s DeAngelo Malone (WKU) picked off Josh Allen in the waning moments of the Falcons’ upset of the Bills, and Malone added a pass deflection in the win.  
 
In the secondary, Reed Blankenship (MTSU) notched six solo tackles for Philadelphia, Quincy Riley (MTSU) broke up a pass for New Orleans and Upton Stout (WKU) logged five tackles and a TFL for San Francisco. Tennessee’s defensive back tandem of L’Jarius Sneed (Louisiana Tech) and Xavier Woods (Louisiana Tech) combined for 16 tackles in another strong showing.
 
On offense, Los Angeles Chargers rookie Tre’ Harris (Louisiana Tech) continued his development with four receptions for 27 yards. Washington’s Luke McCaffrey (Rice) found the end zone again, catching a 33-yard touchdown and adding 127 kickoff return yards (31.8 average), while Jaylin Lane (MTSU) contributed 44 total yards between rushing and receiving.
 
Detroit punter Jack Fox (Rice) remained consistent with a 46.0-yard average on three punts, pinning two inside the 20, while Thomas Morstead (SMU) averaged 44.5 yards per punt with one inside the 20 for San Francisco.
 
Click here for a complete list of the 83 former CUSA players featured on NFL rosters for the 2025 season.