Big Sky Conference

Studsrud, Buss, Blair earn Big Sky weekly awards

on

OGDEN, Utah  – There were a variety of impressive performances from the Big Sky Conference last week, as three teams remain undefeated in league play, and a selection of teams earned impressive victories.

However, the play of three different players distinguished itself, leading to key wins, and weekly honors for three victorious players from last weekend.

For their performances, North Dakota quarterback Keaton Studsrud earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week, Montana linebacker Josh Buss earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and UC Davis kicker Matt Blair earned Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week.


Studsrud led North Dakota to a 45-23 Homecoming victory over Southern Utah, going 20-of-27 through the air. The junior quarterback threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. Studsrud utilized seven different receivers, with all of his touchdowns going to different receivers.

The Fighting Hawks quarterback also added 18 rushing yards to register 300 yards of total offense for the first time in his career. He threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, breaking open a one-score game.

The Montana defense has quickly growled its way to the top of the Big Sky Conference, and the sophomore linebacker Buss has been a large reason why. The Grizzlies earned a 68-7 win over Sacramento State, with Buss making ten tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and a single sack. Buss’s tackles cost the Hornets 19 yards, as Montana earned its third consecutive win.

UC Davis earned its first conference win of the season, thanks to a 34-21 win over Northern Colorado. Aggies kicker Matt Blair played a large role in that win, hitting two field goals, including a 38-yard attempt that gave UC Davis an early 3-0 lead. He also hit from 24-yards in the fourth quarter, giving the Aggies a 27-21 lead.

The finalists for Offensive Player of the Week included: Blake Kemp, Northern Arizona; Jadrian Clark, Weber State; John Nguyen, Montana; Alex Kuresa, Portland State; Manusamoa Luuga, UC Davis; Dano Graves, Cal Poly; and KW Williams, Idaho State.

Nominees for Defensive Player of the Week included: Siupeli Anau, Northern Arizona; Brian Labat, North Dakota; Ryan Bua, UC Davis; John Norcross, Portland State; Trey Hoskins, Weber State; and Mario Jenkins, Idaho State.

The nominees for Special Teams Player of the Week were: Caleb Kidder, Montana; Griffin Roehler, Northern Arizona; Raysean Pringle, Southern Utah; and Kahlil Dawson, Portland State.

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

Recommended for you