The Ohio Valley / Big South Football Association announced the winners for the weekly awards on Monday morning and had another pair of Buccaneers earn honors. Malik McKinizie claimed Defensive Player of the Week and Rashawn Cunningham got the Freshman of the Week award.
McKinzie had his first signature game of his Buccaneer career on Saturday. He collected 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the come-from-behind win, leading the team in each category and setting season-highs for himself. He helped to hold EIU’s offense to a 1-10 conversion rate on third downs with him being responsible for five of the tackles on these plays. McKinzie had nine tackles in the fourth quarter and stalled the Panther drive at the end of the game to setup the game-winning block on the field goal. Had the first, second and third down stops on the drive before the first CSU TD, which included TFLs on the second and third down plays to begin the swing of momentum towards CSU.
Cunningham had a five-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter to bring the game back within a single possession and help to complete the comeback. This marked his third consecutive game with a touchdown of the season. He ended the game Saturday with five catches for 77 yards with each going for a first down or touchdown with three of them being third down conversions as well. He currently has 21 receptions for 325 yards and five touchdowns and is coming off another big performance at Western Illinois where he had four catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
In total, these are the Buccaneers' sixth and seventh weekly awards from the league office this fall. Other winners from Charleston Southern has included Gilbert Brown (Special Teams – 9/8), Steve Zayachkowsky (Defensive – 9/22, 10/18) Justin Waters (Defensive – 10/6) and Zolten Osborne (Offensive – 10/18).
The Buccaneers will be back in action next weekend with a trip out to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They will face Southeast Missouri State ahead of the bye week with the kickoff slated for 2 p.m. with the game to be available live on ESPN+.