Barriere heads all-Big Sky Conference football team

From news services

FARMINGTON, Utah — Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere was a unanimous selection for Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons as the Big Sky announced its 2021 football players of the year and all-conference teams on Tuesday, as selected by the league's head football coaches.

Tuesday's All-Conference release consisted of a first team, second team, third team and honorable mention selections. Big Sky Champion Sacramento State produced a league-high 16 selections, followed by Montana with 14 overall picks. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players in the selection process.

Eastern Washington had 13 players selected, Idaho eight, including first-team picks Logan Kendall (fullback) and Tre Walker (linebacker).

Barriere became the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons since fellow Eagle Cooper Kupp achieved the feat in 2015 and 2016. Barriere became the Big Sky's all-time leader in career passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense this season, as the senior threw for 4,242 yards and 40 touchdowns this year to add to his record totals. Barriere, who was named the preseason favorite to win the award, earns his second career Big Sky Football Offensive Player of the Year honor after winning this past spring.

Montana State's Troy Andersen was honored as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Bobcat to win the award since Brad Daly in 2013. The versatile linebacker is the leader of a stout Bobcat defense that has allowed just 13.2 points per game and a Big Sky-best 280.6 yards of total offense per game. Andersen averages 10.4 tackles per contest, which is tied for seventh in the nation this season. Andersen, who is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, was an All-Big Sky offense player before making the move to defense in 2019.

Newcomer of the Year was awarded to Montana's Justin Ford, who has been a nuisance in the secondary all season long for the Griz. Ford leads the FCS in interceptions, after snagging eight in eight-straight games for Montana. The defensive back also helped the Griz hold foes to just 13.0 points per game, which ranked second in the nation. Ford, who transferred to Montana from the University of Louisville, is the first Griz player since Dalton Sneed in 2018 to win Newcomer of the Year.

NAU's RJ Martinez was selected as the league's Freshman of the Year, as the Lumberjack quarterback capped a successful first year in Flagstaff. Martinez made his first appearance for NAU in its upset at Pac-12 foe Arizona and played a total of eight games for the Lumberjacks in 2021. Martinez threw for 1,713 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for nearly 200 yards and five scores on the ground. Martinez is NAU's first Freshman of the Year since Case Cookus won the award in 2015.

The league's Big Sky football coach of the year award will be announced today. Five Big Sky teams will continue play in 2021, as a league-record was selected for the 2021 FCS Playoffs. Eastern Washington and UC Davis will be in action this Saturday, while national seeds Sacramento State, Montana and Montana State await their opponents in the second round that starts next weekend.

2021 Big Sky Football Individual Award Winners

Offensive Player of the Year: Eric Barriere*, QB, EWU

Defensive Player of the Year: Troy Andersen, LB, MSU

Newcomer of the Year: Justin Ford, DB, Montana

Freshman of the Year: RJ Martinez, QB, NAU

• • Unanimous selection

First Team All-Big Sky Offense

QB: Eric Barriere, EWU. RB: Isaiah Ifanse, MSU; Ulonzo Gilliam, UC Davis. FB: Logan Kendall, Idaho. WR: Talolo Limu-Jones, EWU; Lance McCutcheon, MSU; Pierre Williams, Sac State. TE: Marshel Martin, Sac State. OL: Lewis Kidd, MSU; Braxton Jones, SUU; Tristen Taylor, EWU; Thomas Parker, Sac State; Noah Atagi, Weber State; Jake Parks, UC Davis.

First Team All-Big Sky Defense

DT: Jared Schiess, Weber State; Chase Benson, MSU. DE: Daniel Hardy, MSU; Josiah Erickson, Sac State. OLB: Patrick O’Connell, Montana; Conner Mortensen, Weber State. MLB: Troy Andersen, MSU; Tre Walker, Idaho. DB: Justin Ford, Montana; Eddie Heckard, Weber State; Robby Hauck, Montana; Anthony Adams, Portland State; Jordan Perryman, UC Davis.

First Team All-Big Sky Special Teams

K: Kyle Sentkowski, Sac State. P: Brian Buschini, Montana. KR: Rashid Shaheed, Weber State; Malik Flowers, Montana. PR: Rashid Shaheed, Weber State. ST: Trevin Gradney - Montana. AP: Asher O’Hara*, Sac State.

Second Team All-Big Sky Offense

QB: Davis Alexander, Portland State. RB: Kevin Daniels, NAU; Dennis Merritt, EWU. FB: Ryan Rivera, Cal Poly. WR: Andrew Boston, EWU; Beau Kelly, Portland State; Tanner Conner, Idaho State; Rashid Shaheed, Weber State. TE: McCallan Castles, UC Davis. OL: Connor Pettek, UC Davis; Kooper Richardson, Sac State; Grant Stephens, UNC; Taylor Tuiasosopo, MSU; Brandon Weldon, Sac State; Conlan Beaver, Montana

Second Team All-Big Sky Defense

DT: Alex Gubner, Montana; Bryce Rodgers, UC Davis. DE: George Tarlas, Weber State; VJ Malo, Portland State. OLB: David Hoage, UNC; La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, SUU; Marte Mapu, Sac State; Callahan O’Reilley, MSU. MLB: Jace Lewis, Montana; Marcus Hawkins, Sac State. DB: Greg Filer III, Sac State; Ty Okada, MSU; Preston Smith, Weber State; Morgan Vest, NAU; Jaylin White, UC Davis

Second Team All-Big Sky Special Teams

K: Isaiah Gomez, UC Davis. P: Daniel Whelan, UC Davis. KR: Lan Larison, UC Davis. PR: Isaiah Thomas, UC Davis. AP: Trent Tompkins, UC Davis

Third Team All-Big Sky Offense

QB: Jake Dunniway, Sac State. RB: Cameron Skattebo, Sac State; Roshaun Johnson, Idaho. WR: Efton Chism III, EWU; Freddie Roberson, EWU; Terez Traynor, Idaho. TE: Hayden Meacham, Weber State. OL: Hunter Mayginnes, Montana; Logan Floyd, Idaho; Jonas Leader, NAU; Wyatt Musser, EWU; Terren Carey, Idaho State.

Third Team All-Big Sky Defense

DT: Josh Jerome, EWU; Myles Cecil, Cal Poly. DE: Mitchell Johnson, EWU; Francis Bemiy, SUU; Charles Akanno, Idaho. MLB: Matt Shotwell, Cal Poly; Jack Sendelbach, EWU. DB: Calin Criner, EWU; Jerone Jackson, UNC; Kobe Singleton, SUU; Tre Webb, MSU; Malik Jeter, Sac State.

Third Team All-Big Sky Special Teams

K: Blake Glessner, MSU. P: Sam Clark, Sac State

Big Sky Honorable Mention Team

WR: Kassidy Woods, UNC; Mitch Roberts, Montana; Nate Bennett, Portland State; Coleman Owen, NAU; Hendrix Johnson, NAU. TE: Cole Grossman, Montana; Jared Scott, Idaho State. DT: Semise Kofe, Portland State; Noah Ellis, Idaho; Doug Schiess, Weber State; Jett Stanley, Sac State. DE: Carson Taylor, NAU; Joe Babros, Montana; Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly; Joe Golden, UNC; Justin Belknap, Montana; Amandre Williams, MSU. MLB: Sherwin Lavaka, Weber State; Jace Bobo, UNC; Ty Graham, EWU; Tristen Vance, NAU; Harrison Beemiller, NAU. DB: Marque Collins, Weber State; Jeffrey Manning Jr., MSU; Jayden Dawson, Idaho State; Tyrese Dedmon, Idaho. P: Kevin Ryan, Idaho State; DJ Arnson, NAU