Big Sky Players Of The Week

Josh Barnett, ISU, RB, offensive player of the week:

Barnett, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior from Riverside, Calif., rushed for 173 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown in Idaho State’s 41-13 Big Sky Conference victory at Northern Colorado. Barnett carried 21 times, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. He scored on a 5-yard run in the second quarter to give Idaho State a 20-0 lead. Barnett also had a 58-yard non-scoring run. Barnett leads the Big Sky and ranks eighth in the nation with an average of 126.2 rushing yards per game. This is Barnett’s first Player of the Week Award.

Jimmy Wilson, UM, CB, defensive player of the week:

Wilson, a 5-11, 184-pound junior from San Diego, Calif., intercepted three passes and tallied six tackles in No. 4 Montana’s 33-17 victory at Eastern Washington. Wilson had two interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter. His first interception occurred at the Eastern Washington 36-yard line, and led to a Montana touchdown two plays later. On EWU’s next possession, Wilson picked off a pass at the UM 5-yard line, stopping an EWU drive. His third interception came in the second quarter and led to a Grizzly field goal. Montana had five interceptions, and six total forced turnovers. This is Wilson’s first Player of the Week.

Tuff Harris, UM, CB, special teams player of the week:

Harris, a 6-0, 197-pound senior from Colstrip, Mont., tied a Big Sky Conference record and set a Montana record with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown. Harris took a Ryan Donckers punt at his own 6-yard line, and raced 94 yards for the score. The return tied a mark set in 1971 by Weber State’s Randle Anderson. Harris ranks fourth in the nation and leads the Big Sky with a punt return average of 20.9 yards. The 94-yard return is the longest in I-AA football this season. This is Harris’ second Special Teams Player of the Week Award.