OGDEN, Utah (September 19, 2016) – The Big Sky Conference had an impressive showing in the final weekend of non-conference play, with a 3-0 record against the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Cal Poly upset South Dakota State, Eastern Washington beat Northern Iowa and North Dakota earned a late win over South Dakota. While there were several outstanding plays, four players stood a cut above the rest, in the critical wins.
For their efforts, Cal Poly fullback Joe Protheroe was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week; Eastern Washington linebacker Miquiyah Zamora and North Dakota cornerback Deion Harris shared Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week; and Eastern Washington kick returner Antoine Custer is the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week.
The Cal Poly Mustangs earned a 38-31 road win over South Dakota State, and Protheroe played a large role in the win. Protheroe rushed for 217 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter, including on a 76-yard dash.
The senior fullback has three 100-yard games in as many chances this season and seven for his Mustang career. He carried the ball a career-high 31 times, his 76-yard run was the longest of his career and Protheroe averaged 7.0 yards per carry.
The Eastern Washington Eagles played a true, 60-minute battle against the Northern Iowa Panthers, with the game coming down to the final seconds. However, there were plenty of plays made before the final Eagles score that turned the tide in favor of EWU.
First, with Eastern Washington trailing by 17 points at halftime, Custer, a true freshman, took the kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, jumpstarting a EWU comeback. It was the true freshman’s first special teams touchdown, in his first-ever return for Eastern Washington.
While Northern Iowa was able to score 30 points in the game, several Eagles kept the Panthers’ offense consistently out-of-sync. For instance, Zamora made 14 tackles, while adding a sack, a tackle-for-loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Additionally, seven of Zamora’s tackles came in the second half when Eastern Washington held Northern Iowa to a pair of field goals, 96 total yards (only nine in the third quarter) and forced five three-and-outs (including one ending with a missed field goal).
North Dakota was locked in a battle with South Dakota, trailing 34-27 late. However, that was until Harris stepping in front of a ball for the second consecutive week, taking the interception to the house for the second consecutive week. The Fighting Hawks would go on to win in double overtime, 47-44.
Nominees for Offensive Player of the Week included: Case Cookus, Northern Arizona; Jadrian Clark, Weber State; Reilly Hennessey, Eastern Washington; Keelan Doss, UC Davis; Mitchell Herbert, Montana State; Stephen Miller, Northern Colorado; Jakori Ford, Idaho State; and John Santiago, North Dakota.
The nominees for Defensive Player of the Week included: Landon Stice, Weber State; Jessie Clark, Montana State; Manoah Pearson, Sacramento State; Tyler Bloyer, Northern Colorado; Mario Jenkins, Idaho State; and Zak Pettit, UC Davis.
Top candidates for Special Teams Player of the Week included: William Morehand, Northern Arizona; Keifer Glau, Northern Colorado; and Joshua Kelley, UC Davis.
This press release courtesy of Jon Oglesby – Big Sky Conference. All Rights Reserved.
