Nichols selected Big Sky’s top offensive player
Matt Nichols’ remarkable turnaround season reached a new level late Monday afternoon when Big Sky Conference football coaches named Eastern Washington’s sophomore quarterback the league’s 2007 Offensive Player of the Year.
Nichols, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder from Cottonwood, Calif., completed 62.7 percent of his passes and threw for 3,125 yards and 30 touchdowns during the regular season, leading the Eagles (8-3 overall, 6-2 in the Big Sky) to a second-place finish in the league and a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs that start this week.
“It’s been an amazing turnaround,” said EWU coach Paul Wulff, preparing his team for Saturday’s first-round FCS playoff matchup against No. 2-seeded McNeese State (11-0) in Lake Charles, La. “Matt has helped us improve a great deal, but so have our coaches and other players.”
Nichols bounced back from a shaky redshirt freshman season in which he tied a single-season school record with 17 interceptions, to lead the Big Sky in passing efficiency (161.4) as well as passing yards (284.1 per game) and total offense (312.5 yards per game). His total offense numbers rank fifth nationally among FCS players, while his efficiency rating is the ninth-highest in the country.
Nichols’ award marks the fifth time since 2001 an Eastern player has been named the league’s top offensive player. Quarterback Erik Meyer won the award in 2004 and 2005, quarterback Josh Blankenship shared it in 2002 and running back Jesse Chatman topped the coaches’ voting in 2001.
“That’s very impressive,” Wulff said. “We’ve had some very talented players and have tremendous success on offense as a program.”
Heading into Saturday night’s playoff game, Nichols is just one touchdown pass shy of equaling the single-season school record of 31 set by Meyer in 2005.
Nichols connected for four TDs in a 38-16 win over Weber State on Saturday, passing for 256 yards and running for 103, to earn Big Sky Player of the Week.
Kroy Biermann, a senior defensive end for regular-season champion and unbeaten Montana, was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, while Northern Arizona’s freshman quarterback Cameron Higgins was selected the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
The Big Sky also announced its all-conference teams Monday.
Joining Nichols on the first-team offense were sophomore wide receiver Aaron Boyce, who has caught 75 passes for 1,230 yards and leads the league with an average of 111.8 receiving yards per game, and senior guard Matt Alfred. Senior tackle Zach Wasielewski was selected to the second-team offense.
The first-team defense includes Greg Peach, a junior end, while junior tackle Lance Witherspoon and senior safety Brian Jarrett are on the second team.
In addition, the Eagles had 12 players named to the honorable mention list.