After throwing for 324 yards and totaling four touchdowns to lead Charlotte to a thrilling 31-28 win at home over Duke on Friday night, QB Chris Reynolds took home Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Defensive Player of the Week honor went to Marshall LB Eli Neal, who posted 11 total tackles and three sacks in the Thundering Herd’s dominant 49-7 win at Navy on Saturday. The Special Teams Player of the Week award was given to UTSA K Hunter Duplessis, who scored 13 points and kicked three field goals for the Roadrunners in their 37-30 win at Illinois on Saturday night. 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.

Reynolds led the 49ers’ dramatic first-ever win over a power five opponent, 31-28, against Duke. The two-time team captain threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in the victory. Reynolds opened the scoring with a 56-yard touchdown strike on the 49ers’ first drive. On Charlotte’s final two drives of the seesaw battle, Reynolds was 9-of-10 for 161 yards and threw for two touchdowns in the final three minutes to secure the historic win. The game-winner came on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Shadrick Byrd with 33 seconds remaining. Reynolds notched his school-record fourth career 300-yard passing game (324 yards) and figured in all four of the 49ers touchdowns by passing for three and running for a fourth. He also moved to within 39 yards of the 49ers all-time record with 5,366 career passing yards.

Neal recorded 11 tackles and a game-high three sacks in the Thundering Herd’s 49-7 romp at Navy on Saturday. He also had a hand in a big special teams play as he scooped up T.J. Johnson’s blocked field goal and got three more yards on the return. The Memphis native entered Saturday with just 1.5 sacks in his first 23 games. Neal’s effort led a Thundering Herd defense that finished with nine sacks, the second most in a single game in program history (Record: 12, vs. Ohio, 1986).

Duplessis opened the 2021 season by making all three of his field goal attempts and going 4-for-4 on extra points in UTSA’s 37-30 road win over Illinois on Saturday night. The senior all-conference performer drilled a pair of field goals in the second quarter to help hand the Roadrunners a 20-14 halftime advantage, and his third make of the night late in the third stanza gave the visitors a 23-17 lead. Duplessis, a 2020 Lou Groza Award semifinalist who is on the watch list this year, has now made 29-of-34 field goals (85%) for his career.

C-USA Media Relations