UM’s Coyle Named BSC’s Devensive Play of the Week

By DAVE GUFFEY for GoGriz.com

The Big Sky Conference has selected the final ROOT SPORTS football Players of the Week for the 2013 football season, and the University of Montana’s Brock Coyle was  named the league’s “Defensive Player of the Week.”

Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams was named the “Offensive Player of the Week,” while Cal Poly returner Alex Hubbard and Weber State punter Tony Epperson are the Co-Special Teams Players of the Week.

Coyle, a 6-2, 245-pound senior linebacker from Bozeman, Mont., recorded 14 tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack and two tackles for loss in Montana’s 28-14 win over Montana State last Saturday in the 113^th meeting in the storied rivalry.   He registered 13 solo total tackles and had one assisted stop. Both of his forced fumbles were recovered by the Grizzlies, and the second one in the fourth quarter led to a touchdown that put the Grizzlies ahead 21-7. The Grizzlies held the Bobcats to 112 rushing yards and 272 yards of total offense.  This is Coyle’s second career player of the week award.

Brock Coyle (Photo by Todd Goodrich UM)

Coyle leads Montana with 113 tackles so far this season.  He is ranked ninth in the nation in forced fumbles with .33 a game, and is 34^th in the FCS in total tackles with 9.4 a game.

UM’s nominee on offense was junior quarterback Jordan Johnson.  In the win at MSU, Johnson was 23-of-35-0 for 250 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed six times for 18 yards.  In the final three quarters of the game Johnson completed 20-of-29 passes for 253 yards and a TD.

Adams, a 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore from Pasadena, Calif., completed 34-of-56 passes for 457 yards and five touchdowns, leading EWU to a 42-41 win over Portland State.  This is Adams fourth ROOT SPORTS Player of the Week honor.

Hubbard, a 5-9, 185-pound senior from Fairfield, Calif., returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in Cal Poly’s 42-14 win at Northern Colorado.  Epperson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior from Park City, Utah, averaged 49.7 yards per punt in Weber State’s 32-7 win over Idaho State.

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