Hilliard, Johnson named Big Sky Players of the Week
10/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Big Sky Conference has announced its football Players of the Week for games played on Saturday, Oct. 22. The Offensive Player of the Week is Montana running back Lex Hilliard. Weber State defensive end Brady Fosmark and Portland State defensive end Ryan Friesen are the Co-Defensive Players of the Week. Montana punter Tyson Johnson is the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Hilliard, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior from Kalispell, Mont., rushed a career-high 34 times for a career-high 237 yards with one touchdown in No. 9 Montana?s 36-27 home victory over No. 3 Cal Poly. Hilliard scored on a 21-yard run with 33 seconds left to secure the victory. Hilliard ripped off a 58-yard run in the first quarter to set up UM?s first touchdown. Hilliard rushed for 80 yards in the fourth quarter. The 237 yards was the second best single-game effort in Montana history. Hilliard also moved into second place on UM?s all-time rushing list with 2,404 yards. Hilliard, a Walter Payton Award candidate, has 842 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. This is Hilliard?s first POW Award.
Fosmark, a 6-3, 260-pound senior from Clearfield, Utah., tallied a season-high 11 tackles and a season-high three sacks in Weber State?s 28-23 upset of No. 6 Eastern Washington. Fosmark had seven solo tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Weber State sacked EWU QB Erik Meyer five times. This is the fourth Player of the Week award for Fosmark, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate.
Friesen, a 6-2, 245-pound senior from Keizer, Ore., tallied five tackles, a sack, forced two fumbles and returned one fumble 24 yards for a touchdown in Portland State?s 45-0 victory over Northern Arizona. It was the first time Northern Arizona failed to score a point since 1985, a span of 227 games. Friesen forced a fumble 26 seconds into the game that led to a PSU touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Friesen scooped up a fumbled handoff and scampered 24 yards for the score to put PSU ahead 24-0. PSU held NAU to 273 yards of total offense. This is the first Player of the Week Award for Friesen.
Johnson, a 6-2, 188-pound junior from Stevensville, Mont., punted three times for an average of 51.7 yards per punt in UM?s 36-27 victory over Cal Poly. Johnson, the holder on field goals, also scored a 4-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal. Johnson?s run tied the game 24-27 with 1:29 to play in the third quarter. Johnson boomed a 57-yard punt in the third quarter that was muffed by Cal Poly and recovered by UM as the Cal Poly 1-yard line. Johnson also booted a 51-yard punt to the Montana 19-yard line with 1:36 to play and the Grizzlies holding a 30-27 lead.
Hilliard, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior from Kalispell, Mont., rushed a career-high 34 times for a career-high 237 yards with one touchdown in No. 9 Montana?s 36-27 home victory over No. 3 Cal Poly. Hilliard scored on a 21-yard run with 33 seconds left to secure the victory. Hilliard ripped off a 58-yard run in the first quarter to set up UM?s first touchdown. Hilliard rushed for 80 yards in the fourth quarter. The 237 yards was the second best single-game effort in Montana history. Hilliard also moved into second place on UM?s all-time rushing list with 2,404 yards. Hilliard, a Walter Payton Award candidate, has 842 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. This is Hilliard?s first POW Award.
Fosmark, a 6-3, 260-pound senior from Clearfield, Utah., tallied a season-high 11 tackles and a season-high three sacks in Weber State?s 28-23 upset of No. 6 Eastern Washington. Fosmark had seven solo tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Weber State sacked EWU QB Erik Meyer five times. This is the fourth Player of the Week award for Fosmark, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate.
Friesen, a 6-2, 245-pound senior from Keizer, Ore., tallied five tackles, a sack, forced two fumbles and returned one fumble 24 yards for a touchdown in Portland State?s 45-0 victory over Northern Arizona. It was the first time Northern Arizona failed to score a point since 1985, a span of 227 games. Friesen forced a fumble 26 seconds into the game that led to a PSU touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Friesen scooped up a fumbled handoff and scampered 24 yards for the score to put PSU ahead 24-0. PSU held NAU to 273 yards of total offense. This is the first Player of the Week Award for Friesen.
Johnson, a 6-2, 188-pound junior from Stevensville, Mont., punted three times for an average of 51.7 yards per punt in UM?s 36-27 victory over Cal Poly. Johnson, the holder on field goals, also scored a 4-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal. Johnson?s run tied the game 24-27 with 1:29 to play in the third quarter. Johnson boomed a 57-yard punt in the third quarter that was muffed by Cal Poly and recovered by UM as the Cal Poly 1-yard line. Johnson also booted a 51-yard punt to the Montana 19-yard line with 1:36 to play and the Grizzlies holding a 30-27 lead.
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