NEW ORLEANS (KLFY) – Coming off a 51-30 win over Troy on Saturday, the University of Louisiana’s Keyon Martin and Robert Williams were named as the Sun Belt Conference Players of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.
Martin, named the SBC Defensive Player of the Week, returned to the lineup for the first time since an injury at Texas State on Oct. 29, picking off a pair of second-quarter passes which led to touchdowns in a 27-point stanza.
The senior cornerback added four tackles and a pair of pass breakups as Louisiana improved to 9-2 on the season and 6-1 in league play.
Martin set up a Chandler Fields to Lance LeGendre touchdown pass when he picked off Matthew Caldwell at the Troy 44 for his first interception of the season. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native added his second pick two drives later when he stepped in front of Devonte Ross and got Louisiana's second turnover of the period at the Troy 49.
Williams, the SBC Special Teams Player of the Week, returned four kickoffs for 180 yards, highlighted by a momentum-halting 96-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The redshirt junior receiver came into the game with two career kick returns and finished with a Sun Belt single-game best 180 return yards on four attempts.
The Houston, Texas native set up a Cajuns' game-tying touchdown in the second quarter with a 44-yard return after a Troy had scored at the end of the first quarter for a 14-7 lead. After the Trojans rallied to close a 37-14 deficit to 37-30 in the fourth, Williams would help Louisiana seal the win with his 96-yard return for a 44-30 lead.
Louisiana will wrap up the regular season on Saturday when it visits in-state foe ULM in an 11 a.m. contest at Malone Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
