Griz QB Ah Yat honored on offense by Big Sky
UM Communications and Bigskyconf.com | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 2 months, 1 week AGO
Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) picks up yardage on a run in the second quarter against Sacred Heart at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
FARMINGTON, Utah — The awards and helmet stickers are starting to stack up for Montana quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat, who was announced as the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The sophomore had a career day in the No. 4 Grizzlies’ 43-21 win over Sacred Heart, throwing for five touchdowns and running for another while racking up 368 yards of ottal offense.
It’s his second such Big Sky award this season: He shared the award on Sept. 22, and Ah Yat not only was honorable mention for Stats Perform’s FCS national offensive player honors, but ESPN analyst Joey Galloway gave him a helmet sticker during Saturday night’s College Football Final program.
Ah Yat completed 27 of 33 passes for 349 yards against the Pioneers; he had three TD passes in the first quarter.
He was lethally efficient with his arm against the Pioneers, completing a career high 82 percent of his passes (27 of 33) to rack up 349 yards and a personal best five touchdowns over the air to post a 220.7 passer rating. He came out the gates firing as well, surpassing his previous career high mark of two passing TDs by the end of the first quarter.
Ah Yat leads the league and is among the top seven in the FCS in four different passing categories with 2,042 yards, 14 touchdowns, completions per game (22.14) and yards per game (291.7).
Ah Yat and the Grizzlies are on the road for just the second time this season, playing at Sacramento State Friday on ESPN2. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. Mountain.
The other weekly football awards went to Weber State safety Kao Hansen on defense and Sacramento State kicker Grant Meadors on special teams.
Hansen had six tackles and two interceptions, leading directly to 10 points in Weber State’s 43-27 win at Portland State Saturday.
Meadors went 4-for-4 on field goals, hitting two in the final 9:30 as Sac State held off Northern Colorado 40-35 Saturday. He hit from 37, 28, 34 and 42 yards and was also 4-forf-4 on PAT kicks.
Others nominated included the Grizzlies’ Drew Deck on special teams and UM’s Hunter Peck on defense.