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Here are my awards/denouncements for the Big Sky Conference this season. My preseason picks are in italics…

• Best Rushing Offense (preseason) - Montana
  Best Rushing Offense (reality) - Montana
  
  Worst Rushing Offense (preseason) - Idaho St.
  Worst Rushing Offense (reality) - Idaho St.
  
  
  Best Passing Offense (preseason) - Weber St.
  Best Passing Offense (reality) - Eastern Washington
  
  Worst Passing Offense (preseason) - Montana St.
  Worst Passing Offense (reality) - Idaho St.
  
  
  Best Overall Offense (preseason) - Weber St.
  Best Overall Offense (reality) - Eastern Washington
  
  Worst Overall Offense (preseason) - Idaho St.
  Worst Overall Offense (reality) - Idaho St.
  
  
  Best Run Defense (preseason) - Eastern Washington
  Best Run Defense (reality) - Montana St.
  
  Worst Run Defense (preseason) - Idaho St.
  Worst Run Defense (reality) - Idaho St.
  
  
  Best Pass Defense (preseason) - Montana
  Best Pass Defense (reality) - Montana
  
  Worst Pass Defense (preseason) - Eastern Washington
  Worst Pass Defense (reality) - Portland St.
  
  
  Best Overall Defense (preseason) - Montana St.
  Best Overall Defense (reality) - Montana
  
  Worst Overall Defense (preseason) - Idaho St.
  Worst Overall Defense (reality) - Idaho St.
  
  
  Best Special Teams (preseason) - Montana
  Best Special Teams (reality) - Weber St.
  
  Worst Special Teams (preseason) - Sacramento St.
  Worst Special Teams (reality) - Eastern Washington
  
  
  
  Best Quarterback (preseason) - Cameron Higgins (WEB)
  Best Quarterback (reality) - Matt Nichols (EWU)
  
  Best Running Back (preseason) - Trevyn Smith (WEB)
  Best Running Back (reality) - Taiwan Jones (EWU)
  
  Best Wide Receiver (preseason) - Tim Toone (WEB)
  Best Wide Receiver (reality) - Tim Toone (WEB)
  
  Best Tight End (preseason) - Nate Overbay (EWU)
  Best Tight End (reality) - Nate Overbay (EWU)
  
  Best WR/TE Corps (preseason) - Eastern Washington
  Best WR/TE Corps (reality) - Northern Arizona
  
  Best Offensive Lineman (preseason) - Kyle Mutcher (WEB)
  Best Offensive Lineman (reality) - Kyle Mutcher (WEB)
  
  Best Offensive Line (preseason) - Montana
  Best Offensive Line (reality) - Montana
  
  
  Best Defensive Lineman (preseason) - Kevin Linehan (WEB)
  Best Defensive Lineman (reality) - Dane Fletcher (MSU)
  
  Best Defensive Line (preseason) - Montana St.
  Best Defensive Line (reality) - Montana St.
  
  Best Linebacker (preseason) - Zach Johnson (EWU)
  Best Linebacker (reality) - J.C. Sherritt (EWU)
  
  Best LB Corps (preseason) - Montana St.
  Best LB Corps (reality) - Montana
  
  Best Defensive Back (preseason) - Beau Hadley (WEB)
  Best Defensive Back (reality) - Trumaine Johnson (UMT)
  
  Best Secondary (preseason) - Montana
  Best Secondary (reality) - Montana
  
  
  Best Kicker (preseason) - Jason Cunningham (MSU)
  Best Kicker (reality) - Jarrett Huk (ISU)
  
  Best Punter (preseason) - Eric Fisher (MSU)
  Best Punter (reality) - Jon Vanderwielen (ISU)
  
  Best Ret. Specialist (preseason) - Marc Mariani (UMT)
  Best Ret. Specialist (reality) - Marc Mariani (UMT)
  
  Best Return Teams (preseason) - Montana
  Best Return Teams (reality) - Weber St.
  
  Best Coverage Teams (preseason) - (none)
  Best Coverage Teams (reality) - Montana/Weber St.
  
  
  Best Coaching Job (preseason) - (none)
  Best Coaching Job (reality) - Marshall Sperbeck (SAC)
  
  Worst Coaching Job (preseason) - (none)
  Worst Coaching Job (reality) - Jerry Glanville (PSU)

Damn, no love for Eastern in the pre-season......

I do NOT get your love for Montana's pass defense/secondary. Maybe we have the best "talent", but the scheme absolutely SUCKED all year. They got lit up like your gramma's Christmas tree most of the year.

AZGrizFan wrote:I do NOT get your love for Montana's pass defense/secondary. Maybe we have the best "talent", but the scheme absolutely SUCKED all year. They got lit up like your gramma's Christmas tree most of the year.

Meh, it's not without it's charm.

Not much love or hate for Portland State.

I would have thought the best kicker would have been Zach Brown (PSU). Perfect on his PAT's all season, 2 field goals over 50+ yards (only done five other times in PSU football history). Don't really know what Huk did in comparison, but I would put our true freshman up against anyone in the conference.

You could have probably given out an award for best coaching job and worst coaching job. I'd say the best coaching job was to the EWU coaching staff, keeping that team focused early on when the ban was active and, when it was lifted, keeping them perfect, all the way to the playoffs. Included in the run were their final two wins on the road. Worst coaching job, PSU definitely this year.

AZGrizFan wrote:I do NOT get your love for Montana's pass defense/secondary. Maybe we have the best "talent", but the scheme absolutely SUCKED all year. They got lit up like your gramma's Christmas tree most of the year.

You're joking, right? Montana led the Big Sky in passing efficiency defense & yards-per-attempt defense. The only reason Montana gave up that many passing yards is that teams threw the ball more than 40 times-per-game against them. Even with that many attempts allowed, the Griz still ended up in the top half in passing yardage D.

JALMOND wrote:Not much love or hate for Portland State.

I would have thought the best kicker would have been Zach Brown (PSU). Perfect on his PAT's all season, 2 field goals over 50+ yards (only done five other times in PSU football history). Don't really know what Huk did in comparison, but I would put our true freshman up against anyone in the conference.

Huk went 2/2 from 50+ and made all of his XPs as well.

I thought Chris Diniz (SAC) was actually the best field goal kicker by a slight bit (12/13; 3/3 40+ incl. a 52 yarder), but Huk's kickoffs were the clincher: he led the league in kickoff distance (67.8 avg.) and tied for the lead in touchbacks (17).

JALMOND wrote: You could have probably given out an award for best coaching job and worst coaching job. I'd say the best coaching job was to the EWU coaching staff, keeping that team focused early on when the ban was active and, when it was lifted, keeping them perfect, all the way to the playoffs. Included in the run were their final two wins on the road. Worst coaching job, PSU definitely this year.

Thanks for the suggestion. I added my coach picks to the above list.

I agree with PSU on the "worst" side. I would give Sac (Sperbeck) the best coaching award. The Hornets lost key players to injury & played like it early, but they were as dangerous as most any other Big Sky team the second half of the season. Sac managed to get roughly the same record as last year (& a better BSC record) despite a clearly tougher schedule (I picked them to go just 2-9).

EWU did a good job, but we all knew they were talented enough to potentially be 8-3 (I picked them 7-4). I didn't think the ban would affect them as much as others did because their appeal was still upcoming & an overturn seemed plausible. I figured EWU would play as if they had a shot at the postseason.

Mvemjsunpx wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:I do NOT get your love for Montana's pass defense/secondary. Maybe we have the best "talent", but the scheme absolutely SUCKED all year. They got lit up like your gramma's Christmas tree most of the year.

You're joking, right? Montana led the Big Sky in passing efficiency defense & yards-per-attempt defense. The only reason Montana gave up that many passing yards is that teams threw the ball more than 40 times-per-game against them. Even with that many attempts allowed, the Griz still ended up in the top half in passing yardage D.

Forget it mvem, I've been arguing that fucking point with him since the UC Davis game but all he wants to look at is the yds. so he's a little thick when it comes to all of this football stuff.

Nice job, mx.

native wrote:Nice job, mx.

Thanks… for here & bigskyfans

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

Mvemjsunpx wrote:
You're joking, right? Montana led the Big Sky in passing efficiency defense & yards-per-attempt defense. The only reason Montana gave up that many passing yards is that teams threw the ball more than 40 times-per-game against them. Even with that many attempts allowed, the Griz still ended up in the top half in passing yardage D.

Forget it mvem, I've been arguing that fucking point with him since the UC Davis game but all he wants to look at is the yds. so he's a little thick when it comes to all of this football stuff.

Well, after all, cs.com IS, first and foremost, a politics message board, is it not?