Obviously, Big Sky All-Conference Honors will be coming up.
Nationally, several Aggies should be in the mix for All-American status this season and Lan may very well win the Walter Payton Award, but we'll see. No Aggie has ever won the Walter Payton.
Larison's final numbers for the 2024 regular season:
255 rushes for 1366 yards (5.2 yds/carry), 14 Touchdowns, long of 59 (@ Sac State)
58 catches for 755 yards (13 yds/catch), 6 Touchdowns, long of 60
also completed 5/7 passes for 45 yards
1 Time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week
Hastings final numbers for the 2024 regular season:
303/436 (69.5%) for 3745 yards (12.3 yds/completion), 32 Touchdowns, long of 90, 312 yds/game
Season QB rating 162.20, 10-2 record, zero road losses to FCS opponents in 2024
Meyer's final defensive numbers for the 2024 regular season:
101 total tackles (63 solo) and 4 INTs, 6.5 TFLs
2 Time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week
Rex Connors final defensive numbers for the 2024 regular season:
91 total tackles (61 solo) and 2 INTs, 3 TFLs, 5 PBUs
Porter Connors final defensive numbers for the 2024 regular season:
72 total tackles (33 solo) and 3 INTs, 5.5 TFLs
1 Time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week
Kavir Bains final defensive numbers for the 2024 regular season:
66 total tackles (47 solo) and 2 INTs, 8.5 TFLs, 10 PBUs
DE Sam Goligoski led the team with 5.0 sacks
DL Zach Kennedy, DL Princeton Toki and DL Evan Bearden combined for 65 total tackles and 8 TFLs
LB Luka Sarac, DB Lamont Shamburger and LB Jackson Cloyd combined for 100 total tackles and 13 TFLs and 2 Sacks
In the RB group of the finalists --- nobody's even close to Lan in reception production. Hard to ignore Lambson's monster workhorse season, guy's a great back.
Miles tops in passing yardage, and just one TD shy of UIW's Calzada, who had a brilliant year...I'd point out that Hastings did this in the Big Sky, not the Southland.
This ballot is about best players on best teams, I'd argue Lan's performance for the Aggies has been far more valuable to their success than the other nominees.
I think Calzada, Hastings and Chism deserve more recognition.
Walter Payton Award Winners for the Big Sky
2021: QB Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
2015: WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
2011: QB Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington
2005: QB Erik Meyer, Eastern Washington
1996: RB Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona
1995: QB Dave Dickenson, Montana
1993: QB Doug Nussmeier, Idaho
1991: QB Jamie Martin, Weber State
1989: QB John Friesz, Idaho
Didn't realize Nuss had won this award, he went to my high school.
Dickenson is now Head Coach of the Calgary Stampeders with former Aggie Jake Maier at QB.
By the way Montana State Head Coach Brent Vigen and Tim Plough are among the Eddie Robinson Award finalists.
MTBAggie said:
"I heard somewhere (maybe your podcast???) that Jeremy Newberry is his agent. Newberry is a Bay Area kid (growing up in Antioch and playing at Cal) and moved to Idaho a few years ago. How did they get connected, and how is that relationship?"
“ 2024 Walter Payton Award Finalists | Stats Perform Release
The Big Sky had four finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive player in the FCS. The UC Davis duo of Miles Hastings and Lan Larison made the cut, while Montana State's Tommy Mellott and Eastern Washington's Efton Chism rounded out the Big Sky's four finalists.
Miles Hastings and Lan Larison led the Aggies to a 10-2 season, with the only loss coming to undefeated Montana State. Hastings had 3,745 yards passing, with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Larison had 1,321 yards rushing and 755 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns on the ground and six receiving. The versatile back finished the season with 2,000-plus total offensive yards and 20 TDs. ”
UC Davis' Meyer ranks second in the Big Sky with 104 tackles on this season, with 63 solos. The Aggie linebacker has also made an impact on defense with 6.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, four interceptions and one defensive touchdown this year.
The Buck Buchanan Award, which was first presented in 1995, was last won by a Big Sky school in 2019 following Dante Olson winning the honor after his season with Montana. The Big Sky has won the award a total of seven times in the award's 29-year history.
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
Well alum has them up above in those pictures, Bearden, Hastings, Porter Connors and Simonson all made 2nd Team All Big Sky
Kennedy making 1st team just shows you how much teams game plan for him, he is almost always double teamed and forced to role play in Coombs' scheme. Not a ton of room for glory, but he made some big plays this season...and as we saw in Sacramento, they're holding him on every play.
The voting bias in awards like this is ridiculous. Wouldn't it be amazing if Lan led this team to a national championship and the voters end up with egg on their faces...
insane or maybe inane is a better descriptor. Lan is simply the MVP of the FCS. Most voters are lazy and don’t do any research or watch games. One issue is that Lan does so many things and they only look at numbers from the primary position, in this case running back. And even so, Mellot is nowhere near the top of passing stats, or even yards combined. Sure he is an excellent player but not deserving of an MVP type award. Another issue is the bias of anyone outside of the Dakotas or Montanas. At least Lambson cracked that barrier, and the quarterback bias.
Hastings has more than
1,000 yards passing than Mellot has combined passing and running.