George Ferguson Column: Big Sky All-Conference team with some weird selections

Below is the 2015 Big Sky Football All-Conference list. It’s packed full of really, really good football players. That’s because, the Big Sky is packed full of really good, and talented football teams.

But, like every All-Conference list, or all-star team, it’s also full of opinions. And because of that, things can get tricky, and many times, things get missed.

In the case of the Big Sky list below, it’s supposed to be voted on by the head coaches of all 13 Big Sky teams. And of course, coaches don’t vote for their own players. And while I usually don’t gripe about All-Conference lists, I think there are a couple of good cases below.

First, a hearty congrats to Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp, the Big Sky Offensive MVP. And to all others who captured Big Sky awards, including Defensive MVP James Cowser of Southern Utah.

However, Cowser is where my problem is with this year’s list start. And it’s by no means his fault. He’s a tremendous football player, and a definite NFL prospect. But, how Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes didn’t win the award is just beyond me. Yes, Cowser played on the league champions and top-rated defense in the Big Sky. But Holmes leads the nation in sacks, had more tackles for loss and more total tackles than Cowser did. As good as Cowser has been, and is, I thought Holmes was a no-brainer for the Defensive MVP. Guess I was wrong.

Then there’s UM’s Kendrick Van Ackeren. He finished the season with 125 tackles, double digits in TFLs and two interceptions in his last two games, yet, he was only Second Team at linebacker? That’s just mind boggling to me.

And to show I’m not being completely biased, who the heck decided that Montana State’s Mac Bignell is only an honorable mention linebacker? Really? The guy that led the Big Sky in TFLs and was one of the top tacklers in the conference, and he’s only honorable mention? I don’t care what MSU’s record was this season, or how much the Cats struggled on defense overall, there is no way Bignell wasn’t at least a Second-Team All-Conference performer this season. And his teammate, Dakota Prukop, sorry, but overall, Dakota is the best quarterback in the Big Sky, and he should have been First-Team All-Conference. No disrespect to NAU’s Case Cookus, who did lead the FCS in touchdowns, but Prukop is the best quarterback in the league right now.

These types of lists are supposed to be an individual honor for each player. They should be based on the talent and achievements of each individual, not whose team played better or who has a better record. That’s what the Big Sky championship trophy does, it honors the entire team’s body of work. That’s what getting in the FCS playoffs does. The playoffs reward the entire team. I mean honestly, if these individual honors aren’t based solely on the individual, then why even have them at all?

It’s disappointing to see some very smart football coaches mess this thing up like they did this year — and, yes, I admit, I’m biased toward the Montana and Montana State guys. But that doesn’t mean, in the case of Holmes, Van Ackeren, Bignell and Prukop, that I’m wrong just because I’m biased.

At any rate, you know how the old saying goes: Opinions, everybody’s got one. I just thought the opinions used to select this year’s All Big Sky Team would have been better than they turned out to be.

ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE

First team

QB – Case Cookus, fr., NAU.; RB – *John Santiago, fr., UND; Casey Jahn, sr., NAU; FB – Joe Protheroe, so., Poly; WR – *Cooper Kupp, jr., EWU; Emmanuel Butler, so., NAU; Jamaal Jones, sr., UM; OT – Clay DeBord, sr., EWU; John Weidenaar, sr., MSU; OG – Sean Meehan, sr., UND; Aaron Neary, sr., EWU; C – Joe Hawkins, sr., WSU; TE – Beau Sandland, sr., MSU; K – Ryan Hawkins, sr., NAU; P – Ryan Hawkins, sr., NAU; STP – Hakeem Deggs, so., UNC; RS – Ellis Onic II, so., UNC; DT – Tyler Kuder, sr., ISU; Caleb Kidder, jr., UM; DE – *James Cowser, sr., SUU; Tyrone Holmes, sr., UM; OLB – Michael Needham, so., SUU; Herbert Gamboa, sr., UM; ILB – Will Ratelle, sr., UND; Darnell Sankey, sr., Sac; CB – Marcus Alford, sr., NAU; LeShaun Sims, sr., SUU; S – Miles Killebrew, sr., SUU; Patrick Onwuasor, sr., PSU.

*Unanimous

Second team

QB – Dakota Prukop, jr., MSU; RB – David Jones, sr., PSU; Xavier Finney, sr., ISU; FB – Zach Adler, sr., UND; WR – Madison Mangum, sr., ISU; Mike Sharp, jr., SUU; Kendrick Bourne, jr., EWU; OT – John Schmaing, sr., UM; Kyle Smith, jr., PSU; OG – Brandon Anderson, sr., UND; Cameron Young, jr., WSU; C – Colton Boas, sr., UND; TE – R.J. Rickert, sr., NAU; K – Daniel Sullivan, sr., UM; P – Mitch Meindel, so., UND; ST – Miles Killebrew, sr., SUU; RS – Eric Wilkes, so., WSU; DT – Taylor Sheridan, sr., MSU; Sadat Sulleyman, sr., PSU; DE – Samson Ebukam, jr., EWU; Davond Dade, PSU; OLB – Brian Labat, jr., UND; Tre'von Johnson, jr., WSU; ILB – Kendrick Van Ackeren, sr., UM; Emmett Tela, so., WSU; CB – Devonte Johnson, sr., WSU; Xavier Coleman, jr., PSU; S – Eddie Horn, sr., NAU; Cole Reyes, so., UND.

Third team

QB – Ammon Olsen, sr., SUU; RB – Chad Newell, jr., MSU; Kori Garcia, jr., Poly; FB – Anthony Norris, sr., SUU; WR – Ellis Henderson, jr., UM; Mitch Herbert, so., MSU; Shane Harrison, sr., Sac; OT – Jacob Julian, jr., NAU; Mike Davis, sr., PSU; OG – JP Flynn, jr., MSU; Cam Keizur, jr., PSU; C – Stephen Sippel, sr., Poly; TE – Steven Wroblewski, sr., SUU; K – Jonathan Gonzales, jr., PSU; P – Tate Lewis, jr., SUU; ST – Connor Strahm, so., UM; RS – Ellis Henderson, jr., UM; DT – Matt Sommer, jr., EWU; Daniel Fusi, sr., PSU; DE – Mikhail Dubose, jr., UNC; Brandon Dranka, so., UND; OLB – Taylor Nelson, so., SUU; Burton De Koning, sr., Poly; ILB – Jeremiah Kose, sr., UM; Matt Holley, sr., SUU; CB – Nate Harris, sr., UM; Aaron Sibley, sr., PSU; S – Todd Raynes, jr., EWU; Taylor Risner, jr., UNC.

Honorable mention

QB – Alex Kuresa, PSU; Chris Brown, Poly; RB – Jordan Robinson, Sac; Trae Riek, UNC; John Nguyen, UM; Malik Brown, SUU; Eric Wilkes, WSU; FB – Derek Baljeu, UCD; Cory Thomson, WSU; WR – KW Williams, ISU; Ben Roberts, UM; Darnell Adams, PSU; Dejzon Walker, NAU; Justin Brown, SUU; Chris Martin, UCD; OT – Calvin Steyn, WSU; Andrew Eide, SUU; Parker Smith, UCD; Lars Hanson, Sac; Weston Walker, Poly; OG – Wesley Wingrove, ISU; Devon Dietrich, UM; Randin Crecelius, PSU; Thomas Gomez, EWU; Evan Ross, SUU; Joey Kuperman, Poly; Eric Rodriguez, NAU; C – Keyan Norman, SUU; Christian Diehm, ISU; Blake Porter, NAU; Joel Horn, MSU; TE – Tui Satuala, WSU; Michael McCauley, UNC; K – Luke Daly, MSU; Brady Stuart, UCD; P – Chris Lider, UM; and Smith Heath, SaC; STP – Logan Jones, MSU; Chris Santini, Poly; RS – Kahlil Dawson, PSU; Josh Kelley, UCD; DT – Shad Ennis, SUU; Sefesi Va’aivaka, SUU; Marcus Paige-Allen, Poly; Chuntony Johnson, UNC; DE – Noah Johnson, UND; Michael Doman, PSU; Zach McDonnell, NAU; Chance Bearnson, SUU; OLB – Kyle Newsom, UNC; Jake Gall, EWU; Delvin Batiste, NAU; Mac Bignell, MSU; ILB – Jeremy Lutali, PSU; Josh Bamrick, NAU; CB – Taron Johnson, WSU; JR Nelson, UM; Karlton Dennis, Poly; S – Yamen Sanders, UM; Walter Santiago, PSU; and B.J. Nard, Poly.

Offensive Player of the Year – WR Cooper Kupp, jr., EWU

Defensive Player of the Year – DE James Cowser, sr., SUU

Co-Freshman of the Year – QB Case Cookus, fr., NAU; RB John Santiago, fr., UND

Newcomer of the Year – QB Alex Kuresa, jr., PSU.