Week 11 Stats: 6 tackles (5 solo), 1 pick-6 (30 yards)
LIU’s defense has been stifling as of late thanks in part to Watkins, who has snagged two of the last three NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Defensive Player of the Week awards. The Rahway, NJ native has been an integral part of a Sharks’ defense that has limited NEC squads to just 12.0 points per game, the second-best average in the league, this year. In addition, LIU nearly shut down the conference’s top two scoring teams during that stretch, as it held undefeated Central Connecticut to 10 points on Nov. 1 before it limited Duquesne to 11 points on Saturday, a mark that is significantly lower than the Dukes’ season average of 29.4 points per game in league play. At Duquesne, Watkins posted six tackles, including five solo stops. Most impressively, the defensive back produced a pivotal play in the third quarter when he returned an interception 30 yards to the end zone to extend LIU’s advantage to 22-3 in the eventual 29-11 win. Watkins leads the NEC with five picks this season while his 0.5 interceptions per game are good for second in the FCS.