O’Connell named MVP as five Griz land on preseason All-Big Sky team
7/24/2022 1:59:00 PM | Football
Montana linebacker Patrick O'Connell has been named the Big Sky Conference's preseason defensive most valuable player and was one of five Grizzlies to earn a place on the league's preseason all-conference team.
The league announced its preseason honorees on Monday at the annual Big Sky Kickoff event in Spokane. Voting for the team was conducted by the conference's sports information directors and media. UC Davis running back Ulonzo Gilliam was named the preseason offensive MVP.
O'Connell, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as a junior, was joined on the preseason all-conference team by record-breaking kick returner and wide receiver Malik Flowers, junior defensive tackle Alex Gubner, unanimous All-American Justin Ford, and senior safety Robby Hauck.
"I was happy for our players to be recognized on the preseason all-conference team. It's a reflection of the plays they've made in the past, and I think all of them will play well again this fall. They've put in a lot of work to get ready for this season," said UM head coach Bobby Hauck.
Montana was recently tabbed "Linebacker U" by FCS columnist Craig Haley, and the Griz have continued to live up to that billing.
O'Connell now becomes UM's fourth linebacker in the past five seasons to be named the preseason player of the year, joining standouts Jace Lewis (2020), Dante Olson (2019), and Josh Buss (2018) as honorees.
The Kalispell native returns after one of the best defensive seasons in Montana history as a junior. The former walk-on was the Big Sky regular season leader in sacks as a junior with 14 and was third in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the top defender in FCS football. A consensus All-American, O'Connell was also a first-team All-Big Sky pick and was named the team's Steve Carlson MVP and co-recipient of the Doug Betters Golden Helmet Award.
Flowers enters his senior season as Montana's all-time leader in kick return touchdowns with two in 2021, earning a place on three All-America teams. He's tallied five career return TDs with 2,044 career return yards – the second-most in UM history – with another season to play. His current average of 28.4 yards on 72 returns is the best average in school history as well.
Ford led all divisions of college football in interceptions with nine as a junior, going on an unprecedented streak of eight-straight games with a pick. He also logged a pair of touchdowns on interception returns and a fumble return for a touchdown against Montana State.
He's finished the year tied for the third-most single-season INTs in UM history and the most-ever by a Grizzly cornerback. He was also one of three defenders to be named Defensive team MVP by the UM coaches after the season.
Gubner was dominant on Montana's defensive line his junior season. He finished the year with 43 total tackles and was fourth on the team in TFLs with nine. He also registered 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup, a QB hurry, and a forced fumble. As a sophomore, he tallied a team-high four interceptions, one of the highest totals in the league.
Hauck is poised to shatter the all-time tackles record at Montana, entering his senior year sitting at No. 3 on UM's career tackles list with 364 and chasing former Grizzly Dante Olson's school record of 398 stops. He's also on track to break EWU's Ronnie Hamlin's Big Sky record of 473 tackles.
Hauck earned All-America honors after posting his second-straight season with over 125 tackles, missing his 2019 career-high of 129 by a single stop last year at 128. A star in the classroom as well as on the field, he is also poised to become just the third, three-time Academic All-American in program history.
2022 Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Offensive MVP – Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. (UC Davis)
Defensive MVP - Patrick O'Connell (Montana)
QB – Tommy Mellott (Montana State)
RB – Isaiah Ifanse (Montana State), Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. (UC Davis)
FB – R. J. Fitzgerald (Montana State)
TE – Marshel Martin (Sacramento State)
WR – Beau Kelly (Portland State), Efton Chism III (EWU), Pierre Williams (Sacramento State)
C – Connor Pettek (UC Davis)
OG – Jake Parks (UC Davis), Brandon Weldon (Sacramento State)
OT – Noah Atagi (Weber State), Jonas Leader (NAU)
K – Kyle Sentkowski (Sacramento State)
RS – Malik Flowers (Montana)
AP – Asher O'Hara (Sacramento State)
DT – Alex Gubner (Montana), Joshua Jerome (EWU)
DE – VJ Malo (Portland State), Brody Grebe (Montana State)
OLB – Patrick O'Connell (Montana), David Hoage (UNC)
ILB – Callahan O'Reilly (Montana State), Fa'Avae Fa'Avae (Idaho)
CB – Justin Ford (Montana), Anthony Adams (Portland State)
S – Robby Hauck (Montana), Morgan Vest (NAU)
P – Bryce Leighton (Montana State)
LS – Tommy Sullivan (Montana State)
The league announced its preseason honorees on Monday at the annual Big Sky Kickoff event in Spokane. Voting for the team was conducted by the conference's sports information directors and media. UC Davis running back Ulonzo Gilliam was named the preseason offensive MVP.
O'Connell, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as a junior, was joined on the preseason all-conference team by record-breaking kick returner and wide receiver Malik Flowers, junior defensive tackle Alex Gubner, unanimous All-American Justin Ford, and senior safety Robby Hauck.
"I was happy for our players to be recognized on the preseason all-conference team. It's a reflection of the plays they've made in the past, and I think all of them will play well again this fall. They've put in a lot of work to get ready for this season," said UM head coach Bobby Hauck.
Montana was recently tabbed "Linebacker U" by FCS columnist Craig Haley, and the Griz have continued to live up to that billing.
O'Connell now becomes UM's fourth linebacker in the past five seasons to be named the preseason player of the year, joining standouts Jace Lewis (2020), Dante Olson (2019), and Josh Buss (2018) as honorees.
The Kalispell native returns after one of the best defensive seasons in Montana history as a junior. The former walk-on was the Big Sky regular season leader in sacks as a junior with 14 and was third in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the top defender in FCS football. A consensus All-American, O'Connell was also a first-team All-Big Sky pick and was named the team's Steve Carlson MVP and co-recipient of the Doug Betters Golden Helmet Award.
Flowers enters his senior season as Montana's all-time leader in kick return touchdowns with two in 2021, earning a place on three All-America teams. He's tallied five career return TDs with 2,044 career return yards – the second-most in UM history – with another season to play. His current average of 28.4 yards on 72 returns is the best average in school history as well.
Ford led all divisions of college football in interceptions with nine as a junior, going on an unprecedented streak of eight-straight games with a pick. He also logged a pair of touchdowns on interception returns and a fumble return for a touchdown against Montana State.
He's finished the year tied for the third-most single-season INTs in UM history and the most-ever by a Grizzly cornerback. He was also one of three defenders to be named Defensive team MVP by the UM coaches after the season.
Gubner was dominant on Montana's defensive line his junior season. He finished the year with 43 total tackles and was fourth on the team in TFLs with nine. He also registered 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup, a QB hurry, and a forced fumble. As a sophomore, he tallied a team-high four interceptions, one of the highest totals in the league.
Hauck is poised to shatter the all-time tackles record at Montana, entering his senior year sitting at No. 3 on UM's career tackles list with 364 and chasing former Grizzly Dante Olson's school record of 398 stops. He's also on track to break EWU's Ronnie Hamlin's Big Sky record of 473 tackles.
Hauck earned All-America honors after posting his second-straight season with over 125 tackles, missing his 2019 career-high of 129 by a single stop last year at 128. A star in the classroom as well as on the field, he is also poised to become just the third, three-time Academic All-American in program history.
2022 Preseason All-Big Sky Team
Offensive MVP – Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. (UC Davis)
Defensive MVP - Patrick O'Connell (Montana)
QB – Tommy Mellott (Montana State)
RB – Isaiah Ifanse (Montana State), Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. (UC Davis)
FB – R. J. Fitzgerald (Montana State)
TE – Marshel Martin (Sacramento State)
WR – Beau Kelly (Portland State), Efton Chism III (EWU), Pierre Williams (Sacramento State)
C – Connor Pettek (UC Davis)
OG – Jake Parks (UC Davis), Brandon Weldon (Sacramento State)
OT – Noah Atagi (Weber State), Jonas Leader (NAU)
K – Kyle Sentkowski (Sacramento State)
RS – Malik Flowers (Montana)
AP – Asher O'Hara (Sacramento State)
DT – Alex Gubner (Montana), Joshua Jerome (EWU)
DE – VJ Malo (Portland State), Brody Grebe (Montana State)
OLB – Patrick O'Connell (Montana), David Hoage (UNC)
ILB – Callahan O'Reilly (Montana State), Fa'Avae Fa'Avae (Idaho)
CB – Justin Ford (Montana), Anthony Adams (Portland State)
S – Robby Hauck (Montana), Morgan Vest (NAU)
P – Bryce Leighton (Montana State)
LS – Tommy Sullivan (Montana State)
Players Mentioned
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