CAA Football Weekly Awards - Oct. 21
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (October 21, 2024) – CAA Football has announced its weekly award winners for Week 8 of the 2024 season. Stony Brook graduate quarterback Tyler Knoop was selected as the Offensive Player of the Week, while Maine junior defensive lineman Xavier Holmes and Rhode Island senior defensive back Fredrick Mallay shared Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Elon senior kick returner/wide receiver Chandler Brayboy was chosen as the Special Teams Player of the Week and Elon freshman running back TJ Thomas was named the Rookie of the Week.
CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week
Tyler Knoop, Gr., QB, Stony Brook (North Richland Hills, Texas/Fort Worth Christian)
Knoop was 34-of-40 (85%) passing for a career-high 387 yards and a program-record six touchdowns in Stony Brook’s 52-24 win at Towson. The grad student guided an offense that piled up 512 yards and scored its most points since 2017. Knoop’s six TD passes are tied for the most in FCS this season and the 387 yards are the 5
th-most in SBU history.
CAA Football Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Xavier Holmes, Jr., DL, Maine (Clarksburg, Md./Clarksburg)
Holmes contributed six tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a career-high five quarterback hurries to spur a dominant defensive effort in Maine’s 35-7 win over #5 Villanova. The Black Bears recorded seven sacks, forced four turnovers, held VU to 214 yards (35 rushing) and pitched a shutout until the final two minutes.
CAA Football Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Fredrick Mallay, Sr., DB, Rhode Island (Providence, R.I./Mt. Pleasant)
Mallay recorded eight tackles, a TFL, a forced fumble and an interception as Rhode Island beat UNH, 26-9, for its first win in Durham since 1995. His third-quarter interception led to a field goal that put the Rams ahead to stay. Mallay was part of a URI defense that held UNH to 235 yards and just a field goal until the game’s final minute.
CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Chandler Brayboy, Sr., KR/WR, Elon (Pembroke, N.C./Purnell Swett)
Brayboy tied a CAA record by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in Elon’s 30-14 victory at UAlbany. The senior broke loose for a 94-yard return in the first quarter, which was the first for EU since 2019, and then scored on a 93-yarder in the third period. Brayboy added 55 receiving yards in the game and went over 2,000 receiving yards for his career.
CAA Football Rookie of the Week
T.J. Thomas, Fr., RB, Elon (Thomasville, Ga./Brookwood)
Thomas rushed for a team-high 138 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries (7.3 ypc) in Elon’s 30-14 win at UAlbany. His 8-yard scoring run on the opening drive of the second half gave the Phoenix a commanding 24-7 advantage. It was the sixth straight game with a TD for Thomas, who topped the 100-yard mark for the third time.