UTEP’s Tyrice Knight named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week
(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)
DALLAS, Texas - Following a 14-tackle performance at Big Ten member Northwestern, UTEP LB Tyrice Knight has been tabbed as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday.
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.
It is the first career such honor for Knight, who earned it by roaming all over the field against the Wildcats. Eleven of his 14 stops were of the solo variety, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack.
He has now peeled off three consecutive contests with double-digit tackles for the second time of his career and first occasion in a single season.
Overall, Knight leads the country for both solo tackles (28) and total tackles (43).
His 14.3 tackles per contest and 9.3 solo tackles per game are both second in the nation.
Knight becomes the first Miner to earn CUSA Defensive Player of the Week accolades since Jadrian Taylor on Oct. 18, 2021.
UTEP will hit the road for the second of back-to-back road games versus Power Five opponents as it will play at Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 16 with kickoff set for 9:00 p.m. MT/8 PT on the Pac-12 Network.
The Miners and Wildcats can also be heard on 95.5 KLAQ.
It will mark the 53rd meeting and first since 2017 when the Miners and Wildcats played in the Sun Bowl.
