Biermann headlines Grizzlies on All-Big Sky Conference teams
11/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Big Sky Conference has announced the 2007 All-Conference football team along with Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. The teams and awards were selected by the league??s nine head coaches.
Montana senior defensive end Kroy Biermann, a leading candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Eastern Washington quarterback Matt Nichols was tabbed the Offensive Player of the Year. Weber State freshman quarterback Cameron Higgins was selected as the Newcomer of the Year.
Big Sky regular-season champion Montana led the way with seven players selected to the first team. Biermann, a 6-foot-3, 238-pounder from Hardin, Mont., was a unanimous selection at his defensive end spot. Biermann, who leads the Big Sky and ranks second in the nation with 15 sacks, was one of eight players selected to the first team for a second time.
Biermann closed the regular season with 59 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and a league-high five forced fumbles. Undefeated and second-ranked Montana leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. Biermann is the first Grizzly defender since Trey Young in 2002 to claim the honor.
The Grizzlies meet Wofford in the first round of the Division I Football Championship on Saturday.
Nichols, a 6-2, 220-pounder from Cottonwood Calif., helped Eastern Washington finish 6-2 in the Big Sky and 8-3 overall, securing an at-large bid to the playoffs. Nichols completed 62.7 percent of his passes in the regular season for 3,125 yards with 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He??s averaging a league-best 312.5 yards of total offense per game, and a league-best 284.1 passing yards per game. His 312.5 yards of total offense rank fifth in the nation. His efficiency rating of 161.4 is seventh-best in the FCS. Eastern Washington finished the regular season leading the Big Sky in scoring offense and total offense. EWU takes on McNeese State in a first-round playoff game on Saturday.
Higgins, a 6-2, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Honolulu, Hawai??i, started six of Weber State??s final seven games, helping the Wildcats to a 5-2 record down the stretch. Higgins completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 1,959 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He averaged 178.1 yards of total offense per game. Higgins accounted for seven touchdowns in Weber State??s historic 73-68 win over Portland State, the highest scoring game in NCAA history.
Weber State senior offensive tackle David Hale, Portland State senior center Brennan Carvalho, Idaho State senior running back Josh Barnett, Weber State sophomore running back Trevyn Smith and Wildcat junior return specialist Bryant Eteuati were repeat first-team picks on offense. Biermann and Montana safety Colt Anderson were the repeat picks on defense. Eastern Washington offensive guard Matt Alfred, a first-team pick in 2005, returned to the first team in 2007. Biermann, Eteuati, and Carvalho were unanimous first-team picks.
Other Montana players tabbed to the first team were: Guard J.D. Quinn, tackle Brent Russum, linebacker Loren Utterback, punter Tyson Johnson, and kicker Dan Carpenter. Carpenter, a senior from Helena, Mont., broke the FCS record for points by a kicker last Saturday. Carpenter enters the playoffs with 403 career points. He also has 72 career field goals, which is tied for the FCS record.
Weber State played six players on the first team. Joining Eteuati, Smith and Hale were fullback Marcus Mailei, defensive tackle Bryce Scanlon and safety Ty Sparrow.
Junior defensive end Greg Beach joined Nichols, Alfred and sophomore wide receiver Aaron Boyce as Eastern Washington first-teamers. Boyce hauled in 75 catches for 1,230 yards with nine touchdowns.
Boyce??s wide receiving mates on the first team also put up big numbers. Portland State senior Tremayne Kirkland led the Big Sky with 84 catches for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns. Idaho State junior Eddie Thompson caught 83 passes for 907 yards and six touchdowns.
Northern Arizona and Sacramento State both placed three players on the first team. Northern Arizona cornerbacks KJ Gerard, who led the Big Sky with six interceptions, and Ricky Wilson were tabbed first team, along with special teamer Cyrus Igono, who blocked a league-high four kicks.
Sacramento State defensive tackle Dallas Mauga, outside linebacker Mike Brannon, and inside linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo were first-team picks.
Northern Colorado and Montana State each placed one player on the first team. Junior linebacker Bobby Daly, who led the Big Sky with 135 tackles and is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, was the Bobcats?? first-teamer. Tight end Ryan Chelsa, who caught 37 passes for 444 yards with four touchdowns, is the first Northern Colorado player to earn first-team honors in the Big Sky.
Montana senior defensive end Kroy Biermann, a leading candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Eastern Washington quarterback Matt Nichols was tabbed the Offensive Player of the Year. Weber State freshman quarterback Cameron Higgins was selected as the Newcomer of the Year.
Big Sky regular-season champion Montana led the way with seven players selected to the first team. Biermann, a 6-foot-3, 238-pounder from Hardin, Mont., was a unanimous selection at his defensive end spot. Biermann, who leads the Big Sky and ranks second in the nation with 15 sacks, was one of eight players selected to the first team for a second time.
Biermann closed the regular season with 59 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and a league-high five forced fumbles. Undefeated and second-ranked Montana leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. Biermann is the first Grizzly defender since Trey Young in 2002 to claim the honor.
The Grizzlies meet Wofford in the first round of the Division I Football Championship on Saturday.
Nichols, a 6-2, 220-pounder from Cottonwood Calif., helped Eastern Washington finish 6-2 in the Big Sky and 8-3 overall, securing an at-large bid to the playoffs. Nichols completed 62.7 percent of his passes in the regular season for 3,125 yards with 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He??s averaging a league-best 312.5 yards of total offense per game, and a league-best 284.1 passing yards per game. His 312.5 yards of total offense rank fifth in the nation. His efficiency rating of 161.4 is seventh-best in the FCS. Eastern Washington finished the regular season leading the Big Sky in scoring offense and total offense. EWU takes on McNeese State in a first-round playoff game on Saturday.
Higgins, a 6-2, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Honolulu, Hawai??i, started six of Weber State??s final seven games, helping the Wildcats to a 5-2 record down the stretch. Higgins completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 1,959 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He averaged 178.1 yards of total offense per game. Higgins accounted for seven touchdowns in Weber State??s historic 73-68 win over Portland State, the highest scoring game in NCAA history.
Weber State senior offensive tackle David Hale, Portland State senior center Brennan Carvalho, Idaho State senior running back Josh Barnett, Weber State sophomore running back Trevyn Smith and Wildcat junior return specialist Bryant Eteuati were repeat first-team picks on offense. Biermann and Montana safety Colt Anderson were the repeat picks on defense. Eastern Washington offensive guard Matt Alfred, a first-team pick in 2005, returned to the first team in 2007. Biermann, Eteuati, and Carvalho were unanimous first-team picks.
Other Montana players tabbed to the first team were: Guard J.D. Quinn, tackle Brent Russum, linebacker Loren Utterback, punter Tyson Johnson, and kicker Dan Carpenter. Carpenter, a senior from Helena, Mont., broke the FCS record for points by a kicker last Saturday. Carpenter enters the playoffs with 403 career points. He also has 72 career field goals, which is tied for the FCS record.
Weber State played six players on the first team. Joining Eteuati, Smith and Hale were fullback Marcus Mailei, defensive tackle Bryce Scanlon and safety Ty Sparrow.
Junior defensive end Greg Beach joined Nichols, Alfred and sophomore wide receiver Aaron Boyce as Eastern Washington first-teamers. Boyce hauled in 75 catches for 1,230 yards with nine touchdowns.
Boyce??s wide receiving mates on the first team also put up big numbers. Portland State senior Tremayne Kirkland led the Big Sky with 84 catches for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns. Idaho State junior Eddie Thompson caught 83 passes for 907 yards and six touchdowns.
Northern Arizona and Sacramento State both placed three players on the first team. Northern Arizona cornerbacks KJ Gerard, who led the Big Sky with six interceptions, and Ricky Wilson were tabbed first team, along with special teamer Cyrus Igono, who blocked a league-high four kicks.
Sacramento State defensive tackle Dallas Mauga, outside linebacker Mike Brannon, and inside linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo were first-team picks.
Northern Colorado and Montana State each placed one player on the first team. Junior linebacker Bobby Daly, who led the Big Sky with 135 tackles and is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, was the Bobcats?? first-teamer. Tight end Ryan Chelsa, who caught 37 passes for 444 yards with four touchdowns, is the first Northern Colorado player to earn first-team honors in the Big Sky.
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