By ERIC TABER
Montana Sports Information
“Mr. Electricity”, “Jerry Touchdown”, “J-Loo”, or even “Jerry Jukes-McGee”; Montana receiver Jerry Louie-McGee has earned some good unofficial titles during his breakout season.
Now, he can add an official title to that list: STATS FCS National Freshman Player of the Week.
Louie-McGee’s award comes following a huge individual performance at Cal Poly, where the Montana Grizzlies’ redshirt freshman “Z” slot receiver smashed a 19-year-old Montana school record for receptions in a game and tied the Big Sky record with 21 grabs against the Mustangs.
He racked up 155 yards and two touchdowns with his record breaking 21 receptions. The redshirt freshman out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, broke Josh Paffhausen’s previous school record of 15 receptions in a game, set in 1997 against St. Mary’s.
Louie-McGee also tied Montana State’s David Pandt’s 1985 Big Sky Conference record for most receptions in a game.
In addition to a brilliant offensive performance, Louie-McGee earned Montana’s nomination for the Big Sky Special Team Player of the Week, after running for a game-high 114 yards on kick returns to give him a total of 275 all-purpose yards on the day.
“Jerry is a tremendous player, but his biggest attribute is taking a play that used to be a five-yard gain and turning it into 60 and a touchdown,” Montana head coach Bob Stitt said on Monday.
“The things that we see on tape, we pause it and say, ok. That would have been the end of the play last year. Now, he ends up turning that into 10, or 15, or even 60 and a score.”
Louie-McGee has earned Player of the Week honors twice in as many games, having earned the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week award following the Northern Iowa game after taking a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in Montana’s 20-14 win.
He was also given another national nod for his performance at Cal Poly. The Associated Press named him one of “Saturday’s Best” stars amongst all college football players, including FBS schools.
FCS Media outlet STATS FCS gave Louie-McGee the weekly national freshman award alongside another Big Sky Conference performer, Weber State Punter/Kicker Taylor Hintze who was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week for booting a FCS best 57-yard field goal, in addition to hitting the game-winner for the Wildcats over UC Davis.
Fans will get another chance to see Louie-McGee and the Griz in action this coming Saturday, Oct. 1 when the defending Big Sky Champion Southern Utah Thunderbirds come to Missoula for Montana’s 97th homecoming festivities.
OTHER NATIONAL AWARDS
FCS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nick Shafnisky, Lehigh, QB, Sr., 6-2, 220, Whitehall, Pennsylvania
The third-year starter has long been known for his rushing skills, but he keeps improving as a passer. He picked apart Princeton in a 42-28 victory, passing for career highs of 461 yards and four touchdowns. Shafnisky completed 29 passes (another personal best) in 36 attempts with touchdown passes of 7, 42, 14 and 56 yards. He also had a 16-yard run to set up a teammate’s touchdown carry. In his Patriot League team’s 2-2 start, Shafnisky has completed 72.3 percent of his passes and accounted for 14 total touchdowns.
Honorable Mention: Derrick Craine, RB, Chattanooga; Gage Gubrud, QB, Eastern Washington; Mike Holloway, RB, Charleston Southern; Eli Jenkins, QB, Jacksonville State; De’Shawn Jones, RB, Campbell; DeVante Kincade, QB, Grambling State; Hunter Taylor, QB, Stephen F. Austin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
George Odum, Central Arkansas, OLB, R-Jr., 6-2, 190, Millington, Tennessee
Working out of the Rover position, Odum was all over the field in Central Arkansas’ 28-23 triumph over Arkansas State – the Southland Conference program’s second win over an FBS opponent since moving to the Division I level in 2006. UCA limited Arkansas State to 45 rushing yards on 34 attempts and Odum had 11 total tackles, three for loss which went minus-16 yards, two sacks and two forced fumbles. The second fumble ended the Sun Belt Conference opponent’s next-to-last possession and helped allow UCA to hold on for the win.
Honorable Mention: Pat Afriyie, DE, Colgate; Kevin Barry, LB, Sacred Heart; Dante Blackmon, CB, Kennesaw State; Ryan Francis, LB, VMI; Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova; Folarin Orimolade, LB, Dartmouth; DeVohn Reed, NG, Prairie View A&M; Marquis Smith, LB, Savannah State
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Taylor Hintze, Weber State, PK, R-Fr., 6-1, 195, Sandy, Utah
As if kicking the longest field goal of the FCS season to end the first half wasn’t enough, Hintze kicked a 35-yarder as time expired to lift Weber State to a 38-35 victory at UC Davis in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams. The 54-yarder to end the first half was the first field goal of Hintze’s career and the third-longest in program history. He then kicked a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before delivering the Wildcats’ second win at the buzzer. Hintze also had six kickoffs that averaged 62.3 yards with one touchback.
Honorable Mention: Juaquin Davis, KR, Alabama A&M; Alec Finney, PK/P, Sacred Heart; Harry McCollum, P, Georgetown; Kyran Moore, RS/WR, Austin Peay; Henrique Ribeiro, PK/P, Chattanooga
FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jerry Louie-McGee, Montana, WR, R-Fr., 5-9, 168, Coeur d’Alenee, Idaho
With 21 receptions in Montana’s 42-41 loss to Cal Poly, Louie-McGee tied the Big Sky single-game record and smashed the Grizzlies’ school mark by six catches. He caught 61- and 9-yard touchdowns from quarterback Brady Gustafson while totaling 155 receiving yards. His 21 receptions tied Montana State’s David Pandt’s conference record set in 1985. Louie-McGee also returned five kickoffs for 114 yards (with a long of 45 yards) and two punts for six yards.
Honorable Mention: Daniel David, QB, Kennesaw State; Nick Leverett, OL, North Carolina Central; Xavier Goodall, RB, Richmond; Josh Lee, PK/P, Drake; Khalil Moore, CB, Elon; Max Roberts, LB, Fordham; Dontrell Taylor, RB, Nicholls
