By DAVE GUFFEY For GoGriz.com
For the second time in the past three weeks the University of Montana’s Zack Wagenmann has been chosen the Big Sky Conference’s ROOT SPORTS football Player of the Week on defense for his play in the Grizzlies’ 18-15 win at North Dakota last Saturday.
The other two recipients for the Big Sky’s ROOT SPORTS football Players of the Week for games played on Saturday, Oct. 4, were Montana State quarterback Dakota Prukop on offense and MSU returner Gunnar Brekke for special teams.
A 6-3 ½, 255-pound senior defensive end from Missoula, Wagenmann registered a team-high eight tackles at UND – three for loss – with two sacks, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.
Zack Wagenmann. Photo Courtesy of UM Athletics.
Wagenmann, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, got the Grizzlies on the board when he sacked the North Dakota QB in the end zone after a bad snap. In the second quarter, he also sacked the UND quarterback, causing a fumble that he recovered at the North Dakota 6-yard line.
He led a Montana defense that kept North Dakota scoreless until 6:37 remained in the game. UM allowed 45 rush yards and 241 yards of total offense. Wagenmann leads the Big Sky and ranks third in the nation with nine sacks (1.50 a game). He’s ranked second in the league and 13th in the FCS averaging 1.9 tackles for loss. This is Wagenmann’s third Player of the Week honor of his career.
Prukop, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore from Austin, Texas, accounted for eight touchdowns and had 488 yards of total offense to lead the Bobcats to a 59-56 last-second victory at Sacramento State. He completed 23-of-34 passes for a career-high 348 yards and tied a school record with five TD passes. This is Prukop’s second career player of the week honor.
Brekke, a 5-11, 195-pound sophomore from Helena, Mont., tallied 244 kick return yards and set up MSU’s game-winning score win over the Hornets, and he became the third player in MSU history to amass 300 all-purpose yards in a game. This is his first career player of the week honor.
Zach Waggenman. Photo by Todd Goodrich, UM.
Montana’s other nominees were Jamaal Jones on offense and Robert Luke on special teams. Jones, a 6-1, 191-pound junior from Spanaway, Wash., had 7 catches for 114 yards, including a 46-yard grab which led to UM’s winning field goal. Luke, a 6-4, 310-pound true freshman center from Tacoma, Wash., blocked a UND fourth quarter field goal attempt.
ROOT SPORTS, the official television partner of the Big Sky, continues its coverage this Saturday as No. 11 Montana State travels to UC Davis. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
