DALLAS – Sam Houston quarterback Hunter Watson and kicker Christian Pavon have been named the Conference USA offensive and special teams players of the week, the league announced on Monday, following the Bearkats' win at Rice. 

The 2024 CUSA Players of the Week are presented by Blenders Eyewear and are voted on by a panel of the league's media. The honors are the first such individual honors for either player in their Bearkat career. 

Watson got the nod for the start in the season opener and backed up the decision with impact through the air and on the ground in leading the Kats to a 34-14 win over the Owls. He connected on 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also leading the Bearkats with 57 yards on the ground.  

He found receiver Qua'Vez Humphreys on the Bearkats' second drive of the game for a 67-yard touchdown which gave Sam Houston a lead never relinquished. Watson also led two more scoring drives in the first half, including finding Ife Adeyi for a 32-yard touchdown which gave the Kats a 24-7 lead at halftime.  

Pavon played a big role as well, handling all kicking duties for the first time as a Bearkat. The junior from Willis converted all four of his PAT tries and hit field goals on each of his first two career attempts.  

He helped the Bearkats keep early momentum when he nailed a 52-yard field goal late in the first quarter, the first field goal try of his career. He would later cap the Kats' scoring for the day with a 26-yard field goal.  

The 52-yarder was the longest field goal by a CUSA player in Week 1 and is tied for the sixth-longest field goal in Sam Houston history. 

The Bearkats will stay on the road for another tough task on Saturday when they go to UCF to take on the Knights. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT from Orlando, Fla.  

The game will be aired on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Bearkat Sports Network.