DALLAS – After throwing for 414 yards and totaling four touchdowns in a win over Middle Tennessee Friday night, UTSA QB Frank Harris was voted C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. North Texas DB Ridge Texada,took home Defensive Player of the Week honors following a massive performance with a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown, as well as four pass break-ups in the 45-28 win at home over Florida Atlantic. UTEP K Gavin Baechle was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season after scoring a season-high 11 points in the win at Charlotte on Saturday. The 2022 C-USA Players of the Week awards are presented by Blenders Eyewear and are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
Harris broke his own school records for passing yards and total offense for the second straight week to lead UTSA to a 45-30 road victory over Middle Tennessee in the C-USA opener on Friday night. Harris completed 27-36 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 31 yards and a pair of scores to help the offense churn out a season-high 590 yards. Harris reached the 300-yard mark through the air before halftime, notching his fourth 300-yard game of the season and seventh of his career, both school records. Harris leads the FBS in total offense (383.4 ypg) and he ranks second nationally in passing yards (1,724), seventh in completions per game (26.2) and 10th in points responsible for (98). The Schertz Clemens High School product now owns 30 UTSA records and is one of only 11 active FBS quarterbacks with 7,000-plus passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his career.
Texada finished the day with four tackles (all solo), four pass breakups, a tackle for-loss, two interceptions and an interception return for a touchdown in the win over Florida Atlantic. Texada’s 58-yard interception return for a touchdown with 9:22 left in the first half marked the first career interception for Texada and the first interception return for a touchdown for UNT since Kemon Hall’s against Arkansas on Sept. 15, 2018. On his second interception, Texada’s 58-yard interception return to the FAU 1-yard line set up a Mean Green touchdown to take a 42-21 lead with 8:23 left in the third quarter. Texada became the first UNT player with two interceptions in a game since DeShawn Gaddie had two against UTEP on Dec. 20, 2020 and Texada is only the 13th UNT player since 2000 with two interceptions in a game. The last time a UNT player had more than four pass breakups was in 2011, when Royce Hill had five in a game.
Baechle scored a season-high 11 points (5-5 PATs, 2-2 FG) in UTEP’s 41-35 win at Charlotte on Saturday. Baechle extended his streak to 11 consecutive made field goals after hitting on a 22-yard make that gave the Miners a 10-7 edge in the first quarter, while hitting a 29-yarder late in the third that pushed UTEP’s lead to 34-21. Baechle is now 11-for-12 on field goals on the season. He leads Conference USA in made field goals (11), attempts (12) and FGM/game (1.8). Nationally, Baechle ranks third in field goals made and is tied eighth in field goals made/per game. Baechle’s efforts helped UTEP win its first league game of 2022, while also ending its dreaded winless streak in the eastern time zone (1-26-1).
2022 WINNERS
Offensive Player of the Week
A29 – QB Austin Aune, North Texas
S5 – QB Frank Harris, UTSA
S12 – QB Frank Harris, UTSA
S19 – RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
S26 – QB Chase Cunningham, Middle Tennessee
O3 – QB Frank Harris, UTSA
Defensive Player of the Week
A29 – DB Justin McKithen, Florida Atlantic
S5 – DB Kaleb Oliver, WKU
S12 – DL Quindarius Dunnigan, Middle Tennessee
S19 – LB Noah Wilder, UAB
S26 – DL Zaylin Wood, Middle Tennessee
O3 – DB Ridge Texada, North Texas
Special Teams Player of the Week
A29 – K Morgan Suarez, Florida Atlantic
S5 – K Jared Sackett, UTSA
S12 – K Gavin Baechle, UTEP
S19 – KR Kaylon Horton, North Texas
S26 – PR Marcus Bellon, UTEP
O3 – K Gavin Baechle, ITEP
-ConferenceUSA.com-
