(Editor's note: Big Sky Conference news release)
FARMINGTON, Utah — The Big Sky Conference announced its weekly honors for the past week of competition, with football officially entering the fold for the fall sports season after Montana State’s Week 0 victory at New Mexico.
Big Sky Football Players of the Week (Aug. 26, 2024)
Offensive Player of the Week: Adam Jones, Montana State (RB, R-Fr., Missoula)
Montana State's Adam Jones won offensive honors after a big performance for the Bobcats at New Mexico. The redshirt freshman rushed for 167 yards on the day, including a 93-yard touchdown run that set the stage for Montana State's 35-31 come-from-behind win at New Mexico. Jones gained 152 yards after halftime, caught two passes for 10 yards, and also helped spring Tommy Mellott on a 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that started the team’s run of 21 straight points to wipe out a 31-14 New Mexico lead.
Defensive Player of the Week: McCade O'Reilly (LB, Sr., Bozeman)
Senior linebacker McCade O’Reilly led Montana State’s defense in Saturday’s win against New Mexico, logging 10 tackles that included 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage. He also broke up one pass and hurried the quarterback once. His hurry helped force a UNM punt on the game’s first drive, and his solo TFL was key to forcing a Lobos punt on their second possession.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Brendan Hall (P/K, Sr., Springtown, Texas)
In spite of second-half wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, punter and kickoff specialist Brendan Hall’s performance helped Montana State wipe out a 17-0 deficit and beat the Mountain West New Mexico Lobos 35-31 in Albuquerque. Hall averaged 45.5 yards on two punts, with each kick pinning UNM inside its own 20-yard line. His effectiveness on kickoffs was even more pronounced, as he boomed the ball through the end zone on all six kicks.
