Each week, it seems Cooper Kupp breaks another record. As his hard to believe junior year marches on, the awards continue piling up .
On Saturday, Kupp caught 20 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter alone as Eastern Washington notched yet another clutch victory. On Monday, Kupp was named the STATS FCS and Big Sky Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week. He shared the Big Sky award with Montana quarterback Makena Simis.
The Eagles have now won five straight games, including four Big Sky games to sit atop the conference standings tied with Southern Utah at the league schedule’s mid-point. The win streak includes a rally from a 20-7 deficit for a 28-20 win at Sacramento State, a rally from a 35-21 deficit for a 42-41 overtime win over Cal Poly and last week’s back and forth contest with Northern Colorado in which Eastern emerged thanks to a few clutch catches late by Kupp to set up Jordan Dascalo’s 44-yard game-winning field goal to boost EWU to a 43-41 win in Greeley.
Cooper Kupp with family and head coach Beau Baldwin/EWU Athletics
Kupp has claimed two Big Sky Offensive Players of the Week awards and was the league’s special teams honoree last week as well.
Kupp’s catch total was the eight-most in a single game in FCS history and the most by a wide receiver in Big Sky history — Montana State running back David Pandt caught 21 balls against Eastern Washington in 1985. Kupp’s 275 yards were the 20th-most ever in the FCS.
“In the game you know he is getting a lot of touches, but the next thing you know you see 20 for 275,” said EWU head coach Beau Baldwin, whose fifth-ranked Eagles play three of their next four at home, including Saturday versus Weber State. “It’s a number you just never expect to see next to a receiver.
“To him it’s not about how many catches, but it’s what he can do on the next play. He was frustrated about the one he lost in the sun and wasn’t able to come up inside the 10-yard line on our last drive. That’s how he rolls and how he operates, but it’s fun to be around.”
Of Kupp’s seven fourth-quarter catches, six went for first downs and the other was a 17-yard gain that would’ve been a first down if not for a penalty. All told, he caught 15 passes for first downs or touchdowns, including seven that converted either third or fourth down tries.
Kupp now has 281 career receptions. A catch in the second quarter of the UNC win helped break former Idaho star Kasey Dunn’s all-time Big Sky record. Kupp’s performance on Saturday gives him 4,338 receiving yards, breaking Eric Kimble’s EWU and Big Sky all-time marks. He broke Kimble’s receiving touchdowns mark earlier this season and his 52 touchdowns are six away from tying New Hampshire’s David Ball for the all-time FCS record.
“I just haven’t seen anything like this — to see him perform like that for three years game-in and game-out,” Baldwin said in an EWU press release. “You become so numb to it that you don’t realize how special it is. He means so much in how he leads, how he handles things and treats teammates. More than just the receiver he is, he’s just incredible in how he carries himself and the person and teammate he is. That’s Cooper Kupp in a nutshell. He has all the tools as not just a football player, but as a human. We’re just lucky and enjoying every day we get to spend with him. It’s something special.”
EWU wide receiver Cooper Kupp/EWU Athletics
Kupp’s three touchdowns on Saturday helped him pass NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s career mark of 50 TDs. Rice did it in 41 games at Mississippi Valley State from 1981 to 1984. Kupp has played just 35 career games. Kupp needs 20 catches and 355 yards to tie Rice’s career marks; Rice had 301 catches (8th in FCS history) and 4,693 yards (second in FCS history). Former Elon star Terrell Hudgins caught 395 passes for 5,250 yards in his career, both FCS records. Kupp needs 114 catches and 912 yards to break Hudgins’ marks.
“It’s such an honor to be associated with such a huge name as Jerry Rice,” Kupp, who won the Jerry Rice Award in 2013 as the top freshman in FCS, said in an EWU press release. “He’s somebody I’ve looked up to in more than just the way he played on the football field – he’s a class act. To be able to do that is really a great honor.”
Kupp currently has 84 catches for 1,216 yards and 15 touchdowns. Former EWU wide receiver Brandon Kaufman had 1,850 yards in 2013, the all-time FCS single-season record. The all-time mark for catches in a season is 136 by Eastern Illinois’ Eric Lora two seasons ago. Rice caught 27 touchdowns in 1984, the all-time single-season mark.
Kupp is currently averaging 12 catches, 174 yards and more than two touchdowns per game. If he maintains those averages for EWU’s final four games, he would finish with 132 catches for 1,960 yards and 23 touchdowns.
“There have been some great players to come through the Big Sky,” Kupp said. “I got to meet Eric Kimble a few months ago, and he’s a great guy and a great worker. He and others players paved the way for this and our receiver corp. There is great pride in this program and our receiver corp. The past players set that tradition, and it’s carried on by others like Brandon Kaufman right here. He’s passed that on and now we want to continue it.”
SUU defensive end James Cowser/SUU Media Relations
Simis, a third-string sophomore quarterback for the Montana Grizzlies, shared the weekly Big Sky honor with Kupp by tying a record of his own. Simis threw six touchdowns to tie Dave Dickenson (1995), Brian Ah Yat (1998) and Jordan Johnson’s (2011) school record. Simis completed 16-of-23 passes for 327 yards and threw two touchdowns each to Jamaal Jones and Ellis Henderson as each Montana receiver went over 100 yards in UM’s 42-16 win over North Dakota. (see here)
Southern Utah senior defensive end James Cowser earned the Big Sky’s Defensive Player of the Week. He made seven tackles, with four solo tackles, in Southern Utah’s 34-6 road victory over UC Davis. Cowser also contributed two sacks, three tackles for loss and forced a fumble, which Southern Utah scored off of. Cowser’s performance contributed to another stellar defensive showing for the Thunderbirds, who have allowed a total of 12 points in four Big Sky games- without allowing a touchdown. Southern Utah is 4-0 in league, tied with EWU atop the conference standings and the Thunderbirds take a five-game winning streak into Saturday’s matchup with Cal Poly.
PSU kicker Johnathan Gonzalez kicks the game winning field goal over Cal Poly/by Ryan Vance
Portland State senior kicker Jonathan Gonzalez earned the Big Sky’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Gonzales converted 3-of-4 field goals, including a 27-yarder with 33 seconds left to lift the Vikings to a 38-35 win past Cal Poly. Gonzales is 10-of-11 on field goals this year. He is perfect on 33 extra point tries. Gonzales has made a school-record 66 straight extra points over two seasons.
Other players nominated for Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week include: Michael McCauley, Northern Colorado; Kori Garcia, Cal Poly; Jadrian Clark, Weber State; Nate Ketteringham, Sacramento State; John Santiago, North Dakota; Ammon Olsen, Southern Utah; Alex Kuresa, Portland State; Xavier Finney, Idaho State; and Case Cookus, Northern Arizona.
Other players nominated for Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week include: Tyrone Holmes, Montana; Taylor Risner, Northern Colorado; Emmett Tela, Weber State; Darnell Sankey, Sacramento State; Michael Doman, Portland State; Hayden Stout, Idaho State; Jake Gall, Eastern Washington; and Jake Thomas, Northern Arizona.
Other players nominated for Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week include: Chris Lider, Montana; Ellis Onic, Northern Colorado; Tate Lewis, Southern Utah; Brady Stuart, UC Davis; Zak Johnson, Idaho State; Jordan Descalo, Eastern Washington; and Ryan Hawkins, Northern Arizona.
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