FARMINGTON, Utah (Nov. 26, 2024) — Stats Perform announced its finalists for four of its prestige awards this past week, with the Big Sky Conference earning 13 national finalists across the four award announcements.
Below is a breakdown for each award and the Big Sky's national finalists.
2024 Walter Payton Award Finalists | Stats Perform Release
The Big Sky had four finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive player in the FCS. The UC Davis duo of Miles Hastings and Lan Larison made the cut, while Montana State's Tommy Mellott and Eastern Washington's Efton Chism rounded out the Big Sky's four finalists.
Miles Hastings and Lan Larison led the Aggies to a 10-2 season, with the only loss coming to undefeated Montana State. Hastings had 3,745 yards passing, with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Larison had 1,321 yards rushing and 755 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns on the ground and six receiving. The versatile back finished the season with 2,000-plus total offensive yards and 20 TDs.
Tommy Mellott led Montana State to a 12-0 record and Big Sky title, with 22 passing touchdowns and only one interception. The Bobcat quarterback also had 11 touchdowns rushing as well to give him 33 total TDs on the year. Mellott finished the regular season with 1,930 yards passing and 633 yards rushing to give him a 2,613-yard haul for the year.
Efton Chism III was the top wide receiver in the Big Sky this past season, catching 120 passes for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns for Eastern Washington. In his last game of the season, Chism broke all-time great Cooper Kupp's FCS and EWU record for most consecutive games with a reception at 53-straight games.
The Walter Payton Award, which was first presented in 1987, was last won by a Big Sky school in 2021 following Eric Barriere winning the honor after a great year for Eastern Washington. The Big Sky has won the award a total of nine times in the award's 37-year history.
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Walter Payton Award Winners for the Big Sky
2021: Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
2015: Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
2011: Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington
2005: Erik Meyer, Eastern Washington
1996: Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona
1995: Dave Dickenson, Montana
1993: Doug Nussmeier, Idaho
1991: Jamie Martin, Weber State
1989: John Friesz, Idaho
2024 Buck Buchanan Award Finalists | Stats Perform Release
The Big Sky had three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the FCS. Montana State's Brody Grebe, Idaho's Keyshawn James-Newby and UC Davis' David Meyer were named finalists for the award from the Big Sky.
Montana State's Grebe has been an anchor on the Bobcat defense this season, which tops the Big Sky in most defensive categories and ranks in the Top 10 for the FCS. Grebe has 28 tackles this year, with 16 being solos, 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks on the year in just 10 games.
Idaho's James-Newby has racked up 54 tackles, with 30 solos, on the defensive line. Newby leads the Big Sky with 9.5 sacks, while earning 13.5 tackles for loss on the year.
UC Davis' Meyer ranks second in the Big Sky with 104 tackles on this season, with 63 solos. The Aggie linebacker has also made an impact on defense with 6.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, four interceptions and one defensive touchdown this year.
The Buck Buchanan Award, which was first presented in 1995, was last won by a Big Sky school in 2019 following Dante Olson winning the honor after his season with Montana. The Big Sky has won the award a total of seven times in the award's 29-year history.
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Buck Buchanan Award Winners for the Big Sky
2019: Dante Olson, Montana
2013: Brad Daly, Montana State
2012: Caleb Schreibeis, Montana State
2010: J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington
2008: Greg Peach, Eastern Washington
2007: Kroy Biermann, Montana
2003: Jared Allen, Idaho State
2024 Jerry Rice Award Finalists | Stats Perform Release
The Big Sky had four finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman player in the FCS. Sacramento State's Carson Conklin, Montana State's Adam Jones, Idaho's Mark Hamper and Eastern Washington's Derek Ganter Jr., were named finalists for the award from the Big Sky.
Quarterback Carson Conklin passed for 2,876 yards this season, with 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions for Sacramento State. Conklin finished the season with four games over 300 yards passing, with three of those coming in the final four games of the year for the Hornets.
Running back Adam Jones rushed for 904 yards on just 123 carries, scoring nine touchdowns on the ground and another receiving. Jones finished with over 1,000 yards of total offense for Montana State.
Wide receiver Mark Hamper caught 41 passes for 858 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with the Vandals. Hamper had a strong finish to the year, racking up four touchdowns and nearly 300 yards receiving in his final two games of the regular season for Idaho.
Defensive back Ganter Jr., had 95 tackles, with 55 being solos, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack for Eastern Washington this season. The 95 tackles were the fifth-most in the Big Sky this past season, with it ranking as the second-most for Big Sky defensive backs.
The Jerry Rice Award, which was first presented in 2011, has been won by the Big Sky the last two seasons and most recently by Eli Gillman of Montana. The Big Sky has won the award a total of five times in the award's 13-year history.
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 4 and honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Jerry Rice Award Winners for the Big Sky
2023: Eli Gillman, Montana
2022: Gevani McCoy, Idaho
2018: Josh Davis, Weber State
2015: Case Cookus, Northern Arizona
2013: Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
2024 Eddie Robinson Award Finalists | Stats Perform Release
The Big Sky landed two of the 15 finalists for the 2024 Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the national coach of the year in the FCS. Montana State's Brent Vigen and UC Davis' Tim Plough were named finalists for the national honor, after each leading their teams to Top-5 seasons.
Brent Vigen's Bobcats went 12-0 on the year, winning the program's first outright Big Sky title since 2011. Montana State also earned the Big Sky's first No. 1 seed for the FCS Playoffs since 2009, after the Bobcats were tabbed as the top seed for the 24-team field following Sunday's selection show.
Tim Plough led UC Davis back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, as the Aggies went 10-2 on the year, with their only FCS loss coming to undefeated Montana State. The 10-win season is just the second-ever in the football program's Division I era and the No. 5 playoff seed is the highest in program history for the FCS Playoffs.
The Eddie Robinson Award, which was first presented in 1987, was last won by a Big Sky school in 2019 following Troy Taylor winning the honor for Sacramento State's incredible season. The Big Sky has won the award a total of four times in the award's 37-year history.
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 5 and honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Eddie Robinson Award Winners for the Big Sky
2019: Troy Taylor, Sacramento State
2018: Dan Hawkins, UC Davis
2000: Joe Glenn, Montana
1991: Chris Ault, Nevada
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