Montana's Jabin Sambrano returned a kick 96 yards for a touchdown on Saturday, earning him Special Teams Player of the Week.
Kirk, McSurdy, Sambrano Honored
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The Big Sky Conference has selected its football Players of the Week for games played on Saturday, Sept. 10. Montana State running back Cody Kirk is the offensive Player of the Week. Montana linebacker Caleb McSurdy is the defensive Player of the Week. Montana return man Jabin Sambrano is the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Kirk, a 5-foot-10, 214-pound sophomore from Frenchtown, Mont., rushed 22 times for a career-high 155 yards and scored two touchdowns in Montana State’s 38-14 victory over UC Davis. Kirk scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7, and scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to put the Bobcats ahead 35-14. Kirk also caught two passes for 54 yards, including a 52-yard reception in the third quarter. Kirk finished the game with 209 all-purpose yards, and averaged 7.0 yards per carry. This is Kirk’s first career Player of the Week award.
McSurdy, a 6-1, 242-pound senior from Boise, Idaho, tallied a career-high 17 tackles with a forced fumble in Montana’s 37-23 victory over Cal Poly. McSurdy registered five solo stops and 12 assisted tackles. Led by McSurdy, Montana’s defense stifled Cal Poly’s offense in the second half, limiting the Mustangs to two field goals. McSurdy is averaging 15 tackles per game through two games, ranking second in the nation. This is McSurdy’s first career Player of the Week honor.
Sambrano, a 5-11, 175-pound senior from Temecula, Calif., returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in Montana’s 37-23 win over Cal Poly. It was the fifth-longest return in school history. Sambrano finished the game with five kick returns for 165 yards, one punt return for 9 yards, and also caught five passes for 70 yards to finish with 244 all-purpose yards. Sambrano hauled in a 58-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to give UM a 21-20 lead. This is Sambrano’s first career Player of the Week award.
Others Nominated for Weekly Awards
OFFENSE - Nicholas Edwards, WR, Eastern Washington; Rodrick Rumble, WR, Idaho State; Jordan Johnson, QB, Montana; Ify Umodu, WR, Northern Arizona; Quintin Hildreth, RB, Northern Colorado; Bryan Hilliard, RB, Sacramento State
DEFENSE - Matt Johnson, S, Eastern Washington; Basim Hudeen, LB, Idaho State; Darius Jones, CB, Montana State; Isaac Bond, DE, Northern Arizona; Elliott Dorsey, FS, Northern Colorado; Ryan McMahon, LB, Sacramento State; Anthony Morales, LB, Weber State
SPECIAL TEAMS - Jake Miller, P, Eastern Washington; Jamaal Perkins, Ret., Northern Arizona; Josh Kealamakia, P, Weber State