O’Connell named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week
9/19/2022 9:59:00 AM | Football
They call it the Player of the Week award, but for Patrick O'Connell, it could also be a tip-of-the-hat for his entire body of work this season, and it's just getting started.
On Monday, the league named O'Connell the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this year and the second time in his career after yet another high-impact weekend. He also earned an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week.
The Griz have now won two of the first three weekly awards from the Big Sky, with Braxton Hill winning after his performance against Northwestern State.
O'Connell had a monster day for the Grizzly defense at Indiana State Saturday, logging nine tackles, three for a loss, and two-and-a-half sacks.
The first of those sacks forced a fumble that was scooped up by fellow Grizzly Kale Edwards and returned 20 yards for Montana's first touchdown of the day and the third score for the UM defense this season.
O'Connell's 2.5 sacks and three TFLs were the most of any defender in the conference this week and matched his career high set against Western Illinois in 2021.
The senior from Kalispell was one of the main catalysts for Coordinator Kent Baer's defensive unit that only allowed one offensive touchdown in a 49-14 demolition of the Sycamores.
Montana now enters conference play having won the last three games by a combined score of 120-21 and has not allowed more than 212 yards of total offense in a game this season.
O'Connell, the preseason Big Sky Defensive MVP and member of the Buchanan Award Watch List, has been a key player in each of those games. He's done a bit of everything for the Griz this season, with five sacks, seven TFLs, 26 total tackles, a forced fumble, a QB hurry, and an interception.
As a junior, he led the Big Sky in sacks during the regular season with 14 and finished third in the voting for the Buchanan Award.
He now sits at No. 7 among Montana's all-time sack leaders and No. 8 on the career tackle for loss list, passing Trey Young and Jace Lewis over the weekend.
O'Connell's first defensive weekly accolade from the league came after UM's dominant Brawl of the Wild win over Montana State in 2021, when he totaled 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a QB hurry.
He and the Grizzlies return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week for Homecoming, with kickoff against Portland State scheduled for 2 p.m.
On Monday, the league named O'Connell the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this year and the second time in his career after yet another high-impact weekend. He also earned an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week.
The Griz have now won two of the first three weekly awards from the Big Sky, with Braxton Hill winning after his performance against Northwestern State.
O'Connell had a monster day for the Grizzly defense at Indiana State Saturday, logging nine tackles, three for a loss, and two-and-a-half sacks.
The first of those sacks forced a fumble that was scooped up by fellow Grizzly Kale Edwards and returned 20 yards for Montana's first touchdown of the day and the third score for the UM defense this season.
O'Connell's 2.5 sacks and three TFLs were the most of any defender in the conference this week and matched his career high set against Western Illinois in 2021.
The senior from Kalispell was one of the main catalysts for Coordinator Kent Baer's defensive unit that only allowed one offensive touchdown in a 49-14 demolition of the Sycamores.
Montana now enters conference play having won the last three games by a combined score of 120-21 and has not allowed more than 212 yards of total offense in a game this season.
O'Connell, the preseason Big Sky Defensive MVP and member of the Buchanan Award Watch List, has been a key player in each of those games. He's done a bit of everything for the Griz this season, with five sacks, seven TFLs, 26 total tackles, a forced fumble, a QB hurry, and an interception.
As a junior, he led the Big Sky in sacks during the regular season with 14 and finished third in the voting for the Buchanan Award.
He now sits at No. 7 among Montana's all-time sack leaders and No. 8 on the career tackle for loss list, passing Trey Young and Jace Lewis over the weekend.
O'Connell's first defensive weekly accolade from the league came after UM's dominant Brawl of the Wild win over Montana State in 2021, when he totaled 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a QB hurry.
He and the Grizzlies return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week for Homecoming, with kickoff against Portland State scheduled for 2 p.m.
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