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OGDEN, Utah (November 22, 2016) - After a landmark season in #BigSkyFB, the conference announced its 2016 All-Conference football teams.
With four teams preparing to represent the Big Sky in the postseason, the conference’s individual award winners reflected the teams at the top of the standings. Big Sky co-champions Eastern Washington and North Dakota led the league with 11 all-conference selections, followed by Weber State and Cal Poly with ten, each. It is of no coincidence those four programs will represent the Big Sky Conference in the FCS Playoffs.
It’s also of no surprise to anyone, after a pair of record-setting seasons, that Eastern Washington’s Gage Gubrud and Cooper Kupp share the Big Sky’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Kupp caught 91 passes for 1,297 yards, to go along with 12 touchdowns. The senior also threw a pair of touchdowns. Kupp was a unanimous first-team selection at wide receiver, along with being a second-team selection at return specialist.
Gubrud, only a sophomore, set the Big Sky Conference on fire, throwing for 4,071 yards, and 40 touchdowns, in the regular season. He led the Eagles to a Big Sky co-title, and a 10-1 record. Gubrud also rushed for 463 yards and four scores, proving to be yet another quarterback with mobility in the EWU quarterback lineage.
North Dakota powered to a 9-2 record, playing one of the Big Sky’s stingiest forms of defense. Additionally, the Fighting Hawks were one of the top teams in the FCS at forcing turnovers, specifically interceptions.
UND’s defense was celebrated, both as a team and individually, as safety Cole Reyes was named as the Big Sky Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. The junior made 58 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and had three interceptions, along with forcing two fumbles. He also broke up eight passes, and had a safety.
Winning a game in Missoula against Montana is always big for any Big Sky program, but there was no bigger moment for the Montana State Bobcats this season, than in earning a 24-17 win against their bitter in-state rivals. The man to lead them to that win? Freshman quarterback Chris Murray. Murray burst on the scene early in the season, showcasing a duel-threat ability that marked him as a player to watch for years to come in the Big Sky. Opponents were already watching him this season, naming him the Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
Murray, a true freshman, rushed for 860 yards and 12 touchdowns, and rushed for two scores in MSU’s win at Montana. The quarterback also threw for 778 yards and six touchdowns.
Weber State qualified for the FCS postseason for the first time since 2009, and several upperclassmen helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-4 record in the regular season. While several of those players were entrenched in Ogden, it was a newcomer who helped spark the Wildcats to a postseason berth against Chattanooga. For his efforts this past season, Weber State tight end Andrew Vollert was named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year.
Vollert led the Wildcats in receiving yards, with 757 yards, for an average of 13.3 yards per catch. Vollert also caught six touchdown passes, on his way to first-team all-conference honors as a tight end. He is a junior at Weber State, after starting his career at San Jose State.
The unanimous selections to the first-team include Kupp, Gubrud and Southern Utah punter Tate Lewis. Eastern Washington led all teams with seven players on the first-team.
The Big Sky All-Conference team is selected by the Big Sky’s head football coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players. The conference’s Coach of the Year award will be announced on Wednesday.
| 2016 Big Sky Conference Football All-Conference Teams and Special Awards |
| Special Awards |
| Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington; Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington |
Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year |
| Cole Reyes, North Dakota |
Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year |
| Chris Murray, Montana State |
Big Sky Freshman of the Year |
| Andrew Vollert, Weber State |
Big Sky Newcomer of the Year |
| All-Conference First Team |
| Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Cooper Kupp |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
Yakima, Wash. |
| Shaq Hill |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
Stockton, Calif. |
| Emmanuel Butler |
Northern Arizona |
Junior |
Wide Receiver |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Michael Coe |
North Dakota |
Senior |
Offensive Tackle |
Carlsbad, Calif. |
| Matt Fisher |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Offensive Tackle |
Danville, Calif. |
| J.P. Flynn |
Montana State |
Senior |
Offensive Guard |
Bettendorf, Iowa |
| Cam Keizur |
Portland State |
Senior |
Offensive Guard |
West Linn, Ore. |
| Joey Kuperman |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Center |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Andrew Vollert |
Weber State |
Junior |
Tight End |
San Mateo, Calif. |
| Gage Gubrud |
Eastern Washington |
Sophomore |
Quarterback |
McMinnville, Ore. |
| John Santiago |
North Dakota |
Sophomore |
Running Back |
St. Francis, Minn. |
| Malik Brown |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
Running Back |
North Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Joe Protheroe |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Fullback |
Concord, Calif. |
| Griffin Roehler |
Northern Arizona |
Freshman |
Placekicker |
Litchfield Park, Ariz. |
| Hakeem Deggs |
Northern Colorado |
Junior |
Special Teams Player |
Plaquemine, La. |
| John Santiago |
North Dakota |
Sophomore |
Return Specialist |
St. Francis, Minn. |
| Robert Torgerson |
Southern Utah |
Junior |
Defensive Tackle |
Richfield, Utah |
| Jay-Tee Tiuli |
Eastern Washington |
Junior |
Defensive Tackle |
Seattle, Wash. |
| Samson Ebukam |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Portland, Ore. |
| Siupeli Anau |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Mike Needham |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
Outside Linebacker |
St. George, Utah |
| Tre'von Johnson |
Weber State |
Senior |
Outside Linebacker |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Chris Santini |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Inside Linebacker |
San Jose, Calif. |
| Miquiyah Zamora |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Inside Linebacker |
Pasco, Wash. |
| Deion Harris |
North Dakota |
Junior |
Cornerback |
Hibbing, Minn. |
| Xavier Coleman |
Portland State |
Senior |
Cornerback |
Portland, Ore. |
| Cole Reyes |
North Dakota |
Junior |
Safety |
Schaumburg, Ill. |
| Zach Bruce |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Safety |
Spokane, Wash. |
| Tate Lewis |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
Punter |
Plain City, Utah |
| All-Conference Second Team |
| Kendrick Bourne |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
Portland, Ore. |
| Mike Sharp |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
St. George, Utah |
| Keelan Doss |
UC Davis |
Sophomore |
Wide Receiver |
Alameda, Calif. |
| Calvin Steyn |
Weber State |
Senior |
Offensive Tackle |
Rancho Santa Margerita, Calif. |
| David Reese |
Montana |
Junior |
Offensive Tackle |
Happy Valley, Ore. |
| Cameron Young |
Weber State |
Senior |
Offensive Guard |
Cove, Texas |
| Tyler Shank |
Northern Arizona |
Junior |
Offensive Guard |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Spencer Blackburn |
Eastern Washington |
Sophomore |
Center |
Bellingham, Wash. |
| Maximo Espitia |
Portland State |
Senior |
Tight End |
Salem, Ore. |
| Dano Graves |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Quarterback |
Folsom, Calif. |
| Jordan Robinson |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
Running Back |
Chino Hills, Calif. |
| Manusamoa Luuga |
UC Davis |
Senior |
Running Back |
Long Beach, Calif. |
| Chad Newell |
Montana State |
Senior |
Fullback |
Billings, Mont. |
| Reid Taubenheim |
North Dakota |
Junior |
Placekicker |
Farmington, Minn. |
| Mitch Thompson |
Portland State |
Junior |
Special Teams Player |
Oregon City, Ore. |
| Cooper Kupp |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
Return Specialist |
Yakima, Wash. |
| Inoke Raikadroka |
UC Davis |
Senior |
Defensive Tackle |
Inglewood, Calif. |
| Augustino Elisaia |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Defensive Tackle |
Union City, Calif. |
| Caleb Kidder |
Montana |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Helena, Mont. |
| Mikhail Dubose |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Mac Bignell |
Montana State |
Senior |
Outside Linebacker |
Drummond, Mont. |
| Kyle Newsom |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Outside Linebacker |
Lynnwood, Wash. |
| Dylan Bakker |
North Dakota |
Senior |
Inside Linebacker |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Mario Jenkins |
Idaho State |
Senior |
Inside Linebacker |
Nampa, Idaho |
| Taron Johnson |
Weber State |
Junior |
Cornerback |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Joshua Thornton |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
Cornerback |
West Palm, Fla. |
| Bryson McCabe |
Montana State |
Junior |
Safety |
Spirit Lake, Iowa |
| Josh Burton |
Weber State |
Senior |
Safety |
Roseland, La. |
| Jacob De Maio |
Weber State |
Junior |
Punter |
Danville, Calif. |
| All-Conference Third Team |
| KW Williams |
Idaho State |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
Des Moines, Wash. |
| Stephen Miller |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Wide Receiver |
Centennial, Colo. |
| Elijah Marks |
Northern Arizona |
Junior |
Wide Receiver |
Goodyear, Ariz. |
| Randin Crecelius |
Portland State |
Junior |
Offensive Tackle |
Lake Stevens, Wash. |
| Jackson Thiebes |
Montana |
Senior |
Offensive Tackle |
Kalispell, Mont. |
| Harry Whitson |
Cal Poly |
Sophomore |
Offensive Guard |
Redondo Beach, Calif. |
| Demon Taylor |
North Dakota |
Sophomore |
Offensive Guard |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Blake Porter |
Northern Arizona |
Junior |
Center |
Newhall, Calif. |
| Josh Cook |
Idaho State |
Senior |
Tight End |
Santa Ana, Calif. |
| Jadrian Clark |
Weber State |
Senior |
Quarterback |
Lakeland, Fla. |
| Brady Oliveira |
North Dakota |
Sophomore |
Running Back |
Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Kori Garcia |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Running Back |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Quinn Zamora |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Fullback |
Palisade, Colo. |
| Jonathan Gonzales |
Portland State |
Senior |
Placekicker |
Apple Valley, Calif. |
| Cory Thomson |
Weber State |
Senior |
Special Teams Player |
Mission Viejo, Calif. |
| Cory Thomson |
Weber State |
Senior |
Return Specialist |
Mission Viejo, Calif. |
| Tank Harris |
North Dakota |
Sophomore |
Defensive Tackle |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Chuntony Johnson |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Defensive Tackle |
Valdosta, Ga. |
| Noah Johnson |
North Dakota |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Murrieta, Calif. |
| Ryan Johnson |
Montana |
Senior |
Defensive End |
Vancouver, Wash. |
| Josh Buss |
Montana |
Sophomore |
Outside Linebacker |
Boise, Idaho |
| Josh Letuligasenoa |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Outside Linebacker |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Connor Strahm |
Montana |
Junior |
Inside Linebacker |
Eugene, Ore. |
| Jake Thomas |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
Inside Linebacker |
Mesa, Ariz. |
| Thomas Singleton |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
Cornerback |
Aurora, Colo. |
| Nzuzi Webster |
Eastern Washington |
Junior |
Cornerback |
Antioch, Calif. |
| Kyle Hannemann |
Southern Utah |
Junior |
Safety |
Alpine, Utah |
| B.J. Nard |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Safety |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
| Sean Cheney |
Idaho State |
Sophomore |
Punter |
Jonesboro, Ga. |
Honorable Mention
Wide Receiver: Cameron Livingston, Weber State; Jerry Louie-McGee, Montana; Isiah Hennie, Sacramento State
Offensive Tackle: Iosua Opeta, Weber State; Marcus Piechowski, Northern Colorado; Brian Fineanganofo, Idaho State; Christian Schneider, UC Davis; Nick Ellison, Eastern Washington; Tristen Taylor, Eastern Washington
Offensive Guard: Tyshon Mosley, Portland State; Devon Dietrich, Montana; Evan Ross, Southern Utah; Julian Bertero, UC Davis
Center: Pailake Aiono, Sacramento State; Austin Hendrickson, Northern Colorado
Tight End: Steven Wroblewski, Southern Utah
Quarterback: Alex Kuresa, Portland State; Brady Gustafson, Montana; Kyle Sloter, Northern Colorado
Running Backs: Kyle Lewis, Cal Poly; Nate Tago, Portland State; Paris Penn, Portland State; Joe Logan, Northern Arizona
Fullback: Cory Thomson, Weber State
Placekicker: Casey Sublette, Cal Poly; Jamie Falloon, Northern Colorado
Special Teams Player: Alex Reed, North Dakota; Taylor Powell, Northern Arizona; Joey Michael, Montana State
Return Specialist: Isiah Hennie, Sacramento State; William Morehand, Northern Arizona
Defensive Tackle: Savali Talaemotu, Portland State; McKay Murphy, Weber State; Sefesi Vaa’ivaka, Southern Utah; Zach Wright, Montana State; Myles Overton, Northern Colorado; Brandon Dranka, North Dakota; Zak Pettit, UC Davis
Defensive End: Ben Sorenson, Sacramento State; Kelly Shepherd, Cal Poly; Taylor Pili, Southern Utah; Drew Greely, North Dakota
Outside Linebacker: Brian Labat, North Dakota; Joe Martin, Idaho State
Inside Linebacker: Landon Stice, Weber State; Junior Tufuga, Southern Utah; Nas Anesi, UC Davis
Cornerback: John Walker, Montana State; Torrey Hunt, North Dakota; Khalil Dorsey, Northern Arizona; Keleen Culberson, UC Davis
Safeties: Justin Strong, Montana; Zach Jones, UC Davis; Mitch Fettig, Eastern Washington
Punter: Colby Wadman, UC Davis; Marcus Kinsella, Portland State