ZAPPE, BLANKENSHIP, HARRELL TAKE HOME C-USA POTW HONORS

DALLAS – Following a night where he completed 46-64 passes for 488 yards and three touchdowns at No. 17 Michigan State, QB Bailey Zappe (pronounced ZAP-ee) was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. Middle Tennessee S Reed Blankenship took home Defensive Player of the Week honors following a monster performance in a league win over Marshall, tallying seven tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries (one of which he returned 90 yards for a touchdown) and a pass break-up. Southern Miss KR Camron Harrell was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and recovering an onside kick at Rice. The 2021 C-USA Players of the Week awards are presented by Surf & Turf Golf and are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.

Zappe completed 46-64 (71.2%) passes for 488 yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions at No. 17 Michigan State. It was the third-most passing yards against a Spartans’ defense since 2000 (via Sports-Reference.com). Zappe’s 488 yards were the fifth-most in WKU history and the most by a C-USA quarterback since ODU’s Blake LaRussa had 495 vs. Virginia Tech in 2018. Zappe’s 46 completions tied the WKU all-time record set by Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green in 2014 and were the most by a C-USA quarterback since that same performance. For the season, Zappe is now 133-183 (72.7%) for 1,712 yards, with 16 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions on the year. Zappe’s 428.0-yard average leads all FBS quarterbacks and he has three of the four 400-yard passing performances among all C-USA quarterbacks in 2021.

Blankenship was all over the field against the Herd Saturday with seven tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass break-up. With Middle Tennessee leading, 28-14, the Herd was threatening to pull within a score before Blankenship picked up a fumble and raced 90 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. It was the second defensive score of his career to go with a 100-yard interception return (2018 at Old Dominion).

Harrell registered a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and also recovered an onside kick to almost single-handedly lead Southern Miss to a comeback in its 24-19 setback at Rice Saturday. The kick return for a score was the second of his career, tying the school mark for most kickoff returns for a touchdown. He is the eighth Golden Eagle to ever accomplish that feat. As a starting defensive back for the squad, Harrell also added three tackles in the contest.

2021 WINNERS

Offensive Player of the Week – Aug. 30 – WR Jacob Cowing, UTEP, Sept. 6 – QB Chris Reynolds, Charlotte, Sept. 13 – QB Bailey Zappe, WKU and QB N’Kosi Perry, Florida Atlantic, Sept. 20 – TE Gerrit Prince, UAB, Sept. 27 – QB Chris Reynolds, Charlotte, Oct. 4 – QB Bailey Zappe, WKU

Defensive Player of the Week – Aug. 30 – S Dy’Vonne Inyang, UTEP, Sept. 6 – LB Eli Neal, Marshall, Sept. 13 – DB BeeJay Williamson, Louisiana Tech, Sept. 20 – DL Trumane Bell II, UTSA, Sept. 27 – LB Clarence Hicks, UTSA and S A.J. Brathwaite, Jr., WKU, Oct. 4 – S Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee

Special Teams Player of the Week – Aug. 30 – K Gavin Baechle, UTEP, Sept. 6 – K Hunter Duplessis, UTSA, Sept. 13 – PR Sheldon Jones, UTSA, Sept. 20 – P Kyle Greenwell, UAB, Sept. 27 – K Hunter Duplessis, UTSA, Oct. 4 – KR Camron Harrell, Southern Miss

-ConferenceUSA.com-