FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 18, 2021) - Eastern Washington's Eric Barriere was honored with his fifth ROOT SPORTS Big Sky Football Offensive Player of the Week award after his sensational day that stole national headlines. Montana State's Daniel Hardy and Blake Glessner earned the Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week honors after the Bobcats' win on ESPNU last Friday night.
The fifth conference weekly honor for the year now gives Barriere 11 for his career. Barriere's fifth win gives him the most offensive weekly awards in a single season since Montana's Dave Dickenson won five in 1995. The honors for Hardy and Glessner are the first of their Bobcat careers.
Barriere threw for 600 yards passing, while tossing seven touchdowns and running one in to cap off his eight-score day against Idaho this past weekend. The 600 yards passing was the fourth-most for a single game in Big Sky history, while ranking as the eighth-most ever in the FCS. Barriere leads the FCS in passing yards (3,052), passing yards per game (436.0), passing yards per completion (15.8), yards per passing attempt (10.9), passing TDs (28), passer rating (190.6) and total offense (3,111).
Hardy and the Bobcat defense clamped down on Weber State last Friday night, as Montana State downed the Wildcats 13-7 on ESPNU. Hardy finished the game with eight total tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Hardy produced three crucial plays for the Bobcats on defense, forcing a fumble at midfield to start the second half and earning a pair of sacks on Weber State's final drive to halt the Wildcat comeback.
Glessner scored seven of Montana State's 13 points in its win over Weber State, as the freshman was key in the Bobcat victory. Glessner nailed both of his field goals from 46 and 32 yards out, while converting the PAT to add to his scoring for the night. Two of Glessner's four kickoffs also pinned Weber State inside the 25-yard line. Glessner is now one field goal make shy of tying Jason Cunningham's school record for a freshman.
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Others Nominated
Off: RJ Martinez (NAU), Davis Alexander (PSU), Jared Gipson, Lan Larison (UC Davis)
Def: Josiah Erickson (Sac State), David Hoage (UNC), VJ Malo (PSU), Tristen Vance (NAU), Jerome Joshua (EWU)
ST: Luis Aguilar (NAU), Seth Harrison (EWU)
Past ROOT SPORTS Big Sky Football Players of the Week
Offensive
Aug. 30: Justin Miller, Southern Utah
Sept. 6: Eric Barriere/Hunter Rodrigues, EWU/UC Davis
Sept. 13: Hunter Rodrigues, UC Davis
Sept. 20: Eric Barriere, EWU
Sept. 27: Eric Barriere, EWU
Oct. 4: RJ Martinez, NAU
Oct. 11: Eric Barriere, EWU
Oct. 18: Eric Barriere, EWU
Defensive
Aug. 30: Kobe Singleton, Southern Utah
Sept. 6: Marcus Welnel, Montana
Sept. 13: David Hoage, UNC
Sept. 20: Harrison Beemiller, NAU
Sept. 27: Xander Gagnon, UNC
Oct. 4: Morgan Vest, NAU
Oct. 11: Jayden Dawson, Idaho State
Oct. 18: Daniel Hardy, Montana State
Special Teams
Aug. 30: Jake Gerardi, Southern Utah
Sept. 6: Isaiah Gomez/Brian Buschini, UC Davis/Montana
Sept. 13: Trent Tompkins, UC Davis
Sept. 20: DJ Arnson, NAU
Sept. 27: Kyle Sentkowski, Sac State
Oct. 4: Jackson Cleaver, EWU
Oct. 11: Kevin Ryan, Idaho State
Oct. 18: Blake Glessner, Montana State