UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES CT)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
LA Tech at NC State
ACC Network) 11 a.m.
UTEP at Liberty
(ESPN+) 5 p.m.
FIU at Florida Atlantic
(ESPN+) 5 p.m.
WKU at MTSU
(ESPN+) 6 p.m.
Jax State at Eastern Michigan
(ESPN+) 6 p.m.
Hawai’i at Sam Houston
(ESPN+) 6 p.m.
Kennesaw State at San Jose State
(truTV) 6 p.m.
NM State at Fresno State
(truTV) 9:30 p.m
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offensive Player of the Week
Keyone Jenkins, FIU Jenkins led the Panthers (1-1) to a 52-point scoring effort – the program’s highest total since 2018 – with three total touchdowns and a two-point conversion in FIU’s 52-16 win over Central Michigan. The victory was the inaugural game at newly branded Pitbull Stadium and marked the Panthers’ fourth consecutive win in a home opener. The hometown hero completed 10-18 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns while rushing five times for 42 yards and another score. In the second quarter, Jenkins scrambled for a career-long 34-yard run and followed two plays later with a 36- yard strike – his longest of the day – to Eric Rivers to double the FIU lead.
Defensive Player of the Week
CJ Bazile Jr., Liberty Bazile jumpstarted the Flames’ fourth-quarter rally with a 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown as Liberty (2-0, 1-0 CUSA) went on to down NM State (1-1, 0-1 CUSA), 30-24, in each team’s CUSA opener. After Quinton Reese knocked the ball loose on a crucial sack on third down, Bazile scooped the ball up and rumbled in for the Flames’ first touchdown of the night. The CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year finished second on the team with six tackles and assisted on one of Liberty’s four sacks. After the Aggies jumped out to a 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter, Bazile and the Flames limited NM State to 130 total yards the rest of the way.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Colin Karhu, Liberty Karhu kept Liberty in the game while the Flames’ offense was struggling during the first three quarters of the game, providing the only points in the first 45 minutes on a trio of field goals. He put Liberty on the board with a season-long 39-yard make and connected on tries from 31 and 29 yards to cut the deficit to 17-9 at the half. Karhu improves to 5-7 on field goals this season and 6-6 on PATs, while ranking fifth nationally in field goals per game (2.5) and 28th in scoring (10.5).
Conference USA will name an Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week each Monday during the season. The awards are selected by a panel of media members with one representative in each league city.
The conference office also will produce a weekly football release Mondays during the season. It will be distributed directly to members of the media upon request and available at ConferenceUSA.com.
