CAA Football Weekly Awards - Nov. 18
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (November 18, 2024) – CAA Football has announced its weekly award winners for Week 12 of the 2024 season. Delaware sophomore quarterback Nick Minicucci and Monmouth senior quarterback Derek Robertson share Offensive Player of the Week accolades, while UAlbany senior linebacker Dontae Lunan was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week. William & Mary sophomore punt returner Carson Jenkins was chosen as the Special Teams Player of the Week and New Hampshire freshman running back Denzell Gibson was named the Rookie of the Week.
CAA Football Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Minicucci, So., QB, Delaware (Midland Park, N.J./Don Bosco)
Minicucci accounted for 308 yards of offense and six touchdowns in Delaware’s 41-22 win over Campbell. The sophomore passed for a career-high 230 yards and 4 TD’s and ran for a career-best 78 yards and 2 TD’s as the Hens piled up 529 yards. The six TD’s are the most for a UD player since 2022, including two in the fourth quarter to break open a five-point game.
CAA Football Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Derek Robertson, Sr., QB, Monmouth (Hartsdale, N.Y./Iona Prep)
Robertson was 22-of-23 passing for 358 yards and three touchdowns as Monmouth knocked off #8 Villanova, 40-33. The senior’s 95.7% completion percentage is the best in FCS this season and it was his sixth game this season with 350+ yards passing. All three of Robertson’s TD passes came in the first half as the Hawks recorded their fourth-ever win over a Top 10 opponent.
CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week
Dontae Lunan, Sr., LB, UAlbany (Miami Gardens, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas)
Lunan recorded a team-high 15 tackles, 1.5 TFL’s, a QB hurry and two interceptions in UAlbany’s narrow 20-17 setback at #15 Rhode Island. It was Lunan’s eighth game this season with double-digit stops and he’s the first CAA player with two pickoffs in a game this season. Lunan leads the CAA with 114 tackles and has 9.5 TFL’s.
CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Carson Jenkins, So., PR, William & Mary (Gate City, Va./Gate City)
Jenkins returned two punts for 109 yards (54.5 avg), highlighted by a 90-yarder for a touchdown in William & Mary’s 22-12 victory over Bryant. It was the first punt return for a TD by a Tribe player since 2015 and it was the longest by any player in FCS this season. Jenkins had just 50 punt return yards all season before his big day.
CAA Football Rookie of the Week
Denzell Gibson, Fr., RB, New Hampshire (Bellwood, Ill./Immaculate Conception)
Gibson accounted for 108 yards of offense and a touchdown to help UNH rally for a 31-30 victory over #16 Stony Brook. The freshman rushed for a team-high 64 yards, including a 2-yard TD run to help the Wildcats overcome a 20-point, 4
th-quarter deficit. He also caught three passes for 44 yards. Gibson recorded 73 of his 108 yards in the final quarter.