DALLAS – After a career-night in WKU’s win at Louisiana Tech, Hilltoppers WR Malachi Corley was voted CUSA Offensive Player of the Week. Jax State DL Chris Hardietook home Defensive Player of the Week honors following a standout performance with six tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception on Wednesday night in the Gamecocks’ win over Middle Tennessee. Liberty P Max Morgan was named CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week after a strong performance in the Flames’ win over Sam Houston. The 2023 CUSA Players of the Week awards are presented by Blenders Eyewear and are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.
Corley had a massive night Thursday in a 35-28 win over Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium. The junior recorded 207 yards – with 142 yards after the catch – and three touchdowns on eight receptions. Corley’s touchdown receptions were 70, 48 and 29 yards, and they helped the Hilltoppers build a 35-7 lead by halftime. He’s the third in WKU program history to record a 200-plus yard receiving game, and he’s now second in program history in career receptions and third all-time in program history in touchdown receptions. In addition to this honor, Corley was also named the Senior Bowl Co-Offensive Player of the Week and the East-West Shrine Bowl Offensive Breakout Player of the Week.
Hardie had a monster game for Jax State in its 45-30 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, recording six tackles – five solo – two sacks, 4.5 TFL for a loss of 23 yards, an interception and a quarterback hurry. He tied Jax State’s school record for tackles for loss in a game with 4.5, tying Chris Landrum’s record set in 2015. The Vincent, Alabama, native helped put the game away in the fourth quarter, when MTSU was in the Jax State redzone, and he intercepted a Nicholas Vattiato pass and returned it 58 yards to set up another Gamecock score.
Morgan punted a season-high five times in the win over Sam Houston, which matched his career-high for punts in a game. He averaged 42.2 yards per attempt, his third game of the season averaging better than 40-yards per punt. His final attempt of the game was his best, pinning the Bearkats at its own one-yard line, forcing the Bearkats to drive 96 yards that was ultimately stopped at the Liberty three-yard line to preserve the win. Morgan also averaged 61.0 yards per kickoff on four attempts, with one touchback.
2023 WINNERS
Offensive Player of the Week
A28 – WR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
S4 – WR Kris Mitchell, FIU
S11 – RB Kejon Owens, FIU
S18 – QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
S25 – QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
O2 – QB Logan Smothers, Jax State
O9 – WR Malachi Corley, WKU
Defensive Player of the Week
A28 – S Jeremiah Harris, Jax State
S4 – LB JaQues Evans, WKU
S11 – LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP
S18 – LB Sam Brumfield, MTSU
S25 – DL Chris Hardie, Jax State
O2 – LB Bryson Washington, WKU
O9 – DL Chris Hardie, Jax State
Special Teams Player of the Week
A28 – P Jack Dawson, Jax State
S4 – K Lucas Carneiro, WKU
S11 – K Jacob Barnes, LA Tech
S18 – K Ethan Albertson, New Mexico State
S25 – P Jack Dawson, Jax State
O2 – PR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
O9 – P Max Morgan, Liberty
-ConferenceUSA.com-
