STATS Awards

[Silenoz]

I didn't see anything but the (formerly known as the Payton and Buck) awards went to Tyrone Holmes and Cooper Kupp. So... at least we got something going for us!



Two very deserving guys

[dudeitsaid]

I didn't see anything but the (formerly known as the Payton and Buck) awards went to Tyrone Holmes and Cooper Kupp. So... at least we got something going for us!



Two very deserving guys

And I believe the Freshman of the Year was Case Cookus from NAU, and Coach of the Year Bruce Barnum from PSU.

BSC sweeps the awards, but can't get a team deep into the playoffs this year. I can't say each individual award wasn't earned, the performances by each winner were incredible this year. Just amazing how standout individual performance doesn't translate strongly to post season success.

[Mr. C]

No conference is as organized in its voting block as the Big Sky Conference is. That has always had an impact on the individual awards. As far as the nameless awards, from what I heard, STATS bought out The Sports Network, but for some reason the former owner didn't sell the rights to the names. Kind of silly to hold on to those, but such is the world of Charles Tucker.

Cooper Kupp had a great year and is the first wide receiver to win the major award since Brian Finneran in 1997 at Villanova (the only other WR winner). But I have a hard time thinking that Kupp would have won if QBs John Robertson of Villanova, Vad Lee of James Madison and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State had suffered injuries that ended their regular seasons. Not sure I would have picked Tyrone Holmes on defense. Unfortunately, these awards have largely become statistical honors over the past few years rather than ones that honor the best players.

[dudeitsaid]

No conference is as organized in its voting block as the Big Sky Conference is. That has always had an impact on the individual awards. As far as the nameless awards, from what I heard, STATS bought out The Sports Network, but for some reason the former owner didn't sell the rights to the names. Kind of silly to hold on to those, but such is the world of Charles Tucker.

Cooper Kupp had a great year and is the first wide receiver to win the major award since Brian Finneran in 1997 at Villanova (the only other WR winner). But I have a hard time thinking that Kupp would have won if QBs John Robertson of Villanova, Vad Lee of James Madison and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State had suffered injuries that ended their regular seasons. Not sure I would have picked Tyrone Holmes on defense. Unfortunately, these awards have largely become statistical honors over the past few years rather than ones that honor the best players.

I agree...it seems to have really become a QB of the year award, as well as a stats based award. That being said, I don't think that QB's are always the best offensive player in football. The nature of their position in many offenses will allow them to put up great stats (for example, Case Cookus, who is on a great start to break a lot of records if he stays healthy throughout his career). I thought it was cool to see a scenario where a QB wasn't even in the top 3. Of course, QB's, RB's, and WR's really have the most stats tracking them. It would be really cool for a offensive lineman to be recognized, but that is so much harder to quantify. For that award, it will never happen. Seems like the defensive award is a lot more wide open.

[CrunchGriz]

No conference is as organized in its voting block as the Big Sky Conference is. That has always had an impact on the individual awards. As far as the nameless awards, from what I heard, STATS bought out The Sports Network, but for some reason the former owner didn't sell the rights to the names. Kind of silly to hold on to those, but such is the world of Charles Tucker.

Cooper Kupp had a great year and is the first wide receiver to win the major award since Brian Finneran in 1997 at Villanova (the only other WR winner). But I have a hard time thinking that Kupp would have won if QBs John Robertson of Villanova, Vad Lee of James Madison and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State had suffered injuries that ended their regular seasons. Not sure I would have picked Tyrone Holmes on defense. Unfortunately, these awards have largely become statistical honors over the past few years rather than ones that honor the best players.

Wondering whom you would have picked instead. If you watched all of Montana's games, you would have seen that Ty was in most games virtually unblockable, absent either (a) holding him, or (b) double-teaming him. He put an exclamation point on his worthiness by getting four more (uncounted in the voting) sacks in two playoff games. Four more sacks for the season than anyone else in the country. And he was no slouch in the run game, either. Close vote, three great players, the right one won.