2019 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE www.BigSkyConf.com Table of Contents Table of Contents Big Sky Conference Football History ......................................... 2 Big Sky-Missouri Valley Football Challenge .............................4 Big Sky and Pro Football ................................................................ 5 2019 Composite Schedule ..............................................................6 Returning All-Conference Performers ....................................... 7 Returning Statistical Leaders ....................................................8-9 2018 Season In Review ..............................................................10-13 Final 2018 Statistics ...................................................................14-20 2018 Week-by-Week Scores .........................................................21 Team Pages (See Below for Breakdown) ........................22-60 Composite All-Time Standings ...................................................62 Year-by-Year Composite Standings ..........................................63 Composite Coaching Records ....................................................64 Year-by-Year Final Standings ................................................ 65-71 Big Sky Conference Year-by-Year All-Conference Teams ..................................72-86 285 South 200 West Multiple First Team All-Big Sky Selections ......................87-88 Farmington, UT 84025 Annual Award Winners .......................................................... 89-90 Website: www.bigskyconf.com All-Academic Teams .................................................................91-97 Academic All-America Selections .............................................98 Website Big Sky Individual Records ..................................................99-102 The official website of the Big Sky Conference is www.Big- Big Sky Team Records......................................................... 102-104 SkyConf.com. Weekly game notes, news releases, statistics Individual Single-Game Highs ..........................................105-106 and standings can be found by accessing the site. Individual Career and Season Bests ............................... 107-124 Defensive Records ..........................................................................125 Players of the Week Team-By-Team Defensive Records ..........................................126 Each week of the 2019 football season the Big Sky Confer- Team Statistical Leaders ......................................................127-128 ence office selects an offensive, defensive and special teams Offensive Football Trends ...................................................129-130 player of the week. Each week’s winners are announced on Defensive Football Trends ....................................................131-132 Monday afternoons. Nominations are made by each institu- Attendance Figures and Records ............................................ 133 tion’s sports information director. Postseason History ................................................................134-136 FCS Playoff Results ................................................................137-139 Weekly Press Release Big Sky in the Final Polls .............................................................140 The Big Sky Conference communications department pro- All-America Selections ..........................................................141-142 duces a weekly football release every Monday during the Big Sky Players In Postseason All-Star Games ...................143 season. Media can receive the releases as a PDF document Past Big Sky Players of the Week ....................................144-148 via email by contacting Denise Thompson at Big Sky Players Drafted by the NFL ................................149-151 [email protected]. Individual Team Pages Social Media Cal Poly ......................................................................................... 22-24 The Big Sky Conference is on social media. Follow the Eastern Washington .................................................................25-27 league office on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat Idaho ..............................................................................................28-30 at @BigSkyConf. You can also follow the Big Sky Football Idaho State ................................................................................... 31-33 account on Twitter at @BigSkyFB. Montana ........................................................................................34-36 Montana State ............................................................................ 37-39 Northern Arizona ..................................................................... 40-42 Big Sky Conference Office Staff Northern Colorado ...................................................................43-45 Commissioner .............................................................. Tom Wistrcill Portland State ............................................................................46-48 Deputy Commissioner ................................................... Dan Satter Sacramento State ......................................................................49-51 Sr. Assoc. Commissioner/Compliance & Governance/SWA .... Southern Utah ............................................................................52-54 ........................................................................................ Jaynee Nadolski UC Davis ....................................................................................... 55-57 Sr. Assoc. Commissioner/Championships..............Jon Kasper Weber State ................................................................................58-60 Asst. Commissioner/Communications and External Affairs . ..................................................................................Denise Thompson Credits Director of Communications ............................Blake Barington The 2019 Big Sky Conference media guide was written and Director of Communications ......................................... Karl Hunt produced by Denise Thompson. Front cover designed by Director of Championships ........................................... Alex Kelly Denise Thompson. Additional edits and contributions by Director of Compliance .............................................Ty Singletary Big Sky current and former media relations school and con- Big Sky Sports Properties .......................................Brett McPhail ference office representatives. Photos courtesy of Big Sky Supervisor of Football Officials .............................. Karl Richins institutional photographers and professional sports teams. Supervisor of Women’s Basketball/Volleyball Officials ......... ........................................................................................ Marla Denham Supervisor of Softball Officials ..................................Jim Adrian Business Manager ...................................................Stacy Freeman Office Coordinator/Acct. Assistant ................ Desiree McPhail BigSkyConf BigSkyFB BigSkyConf BigSkyConf #BigSkyFB 1 Big Sky Football History Eastern Washington receiver Weber State running back/all- Northern Arizona quarterback UC Davis head coach Dan Cooper Kupp, 2015 STATS FCS purpose player Josh Davis, 2018 Case Cookus, 2015 STATS FCS Hawkins, 2018 STATS FCS Coach Offensive Player of the Year STATS FCS Freshman of the Year Freshman of the Year of the Year he Big Sky Conference has a rich history in football dating back 56 years. Since the Big Sky began playing in the Football Championship Subdivision in 1978, the league has won six national titles - Boise State (1980), Idaho State (1981), Montana State (1984), Montana (1995 & 2001) and Eastern Washington (2010). Big Sky teams have appeared T in the championship game 14 times. In 166 total FCS playoff games, the Big Sky has a record of 90-83 with 10 wins and 10 losses coming against fellow league teams. With the Big Sky’s success in the 2018 playoffs, the league has had at least two teams in the FCS playoffs in 32 of the past 34 years. The Big Sky has had three teams in the playoffs 10 times - 1988, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. In 2013, the Big Sky sent four teams to the playoffs for the first time, followed by another four squads in 2016 and 2018. Since 1993, 17 Big Sky teams have made it to at least the semifinals of the playoffs. The Big Sky has had a pair of squads advance to the quarterfinals five times since 2006 and six times since 2004. In 2018, the league had a record three teams competing in the quarterfinals. Big Sky teams played in three straight national championship games, with Montana advancing in 2008 and 2009, followed by Eastern Washington Walter Payton Awards/STATS Offensive Player of the Year Winners in 2010. The Eagles returned to the championship game in 2018. 1989 John Friesz, QB, Idaho Montana has appeared in seven national championship games since 1995. 1991 Jamie Martin, QB, Weber State Since 2000, nine of the 13 Big Sky teams have made at least one playoff ap- 1993 Doug Nussmeier, QB, Idaho 1995 Dave Dickenson, QB, Montana pearance. 1996 Archie Amerson, RB, Northern Arizona 2005 Erik Meyer, QB, Eastern Washington NATIONAL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS 2011 Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Eastern Washington 2015 Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington The Big Sky Conference has a long and distinguished history of receiv- ing national awards, in several different categories.