Coug Pair Receive Accolades

Kicker Rian Lindell and punter Jeff Banks earned national honors Monday for their performances in Washington State’s 58-0 victory over Boise State.

Lindell earned the AT&T Long Distance award for making the week’s longest field goal, a 57-yarder, that was the fourth-longest in WSU history. Lindell made 3 of 3 field goals overall and was perfect on seven extra points.

Banks earned the company’s award for the week’s best punting average. Banks, who averaged 53 yards a punt, had a long of 59 yards.

In honor of both players, AT&T has donated $800 to the NCAA’s Degree-Completion Scholarship Program, bringing the company’s total contribution to $353,600. Both players will also receive engraved plaques.

Lindell also was honored as the Pac-10 Conference special teams player of the week.

Chad Hutchinson, who threw for 340 yards to lead Stanford’s 58-49 win over Oregon, is the Pac-10 offensive player of the week and Southern Cal strong safety Rashard Cook is the defensive player after two interceptions and seven tackles in a 27-17 win over California.

Eagles’ punter honored

A national ranking of 14th and a Big Sky player-of-the-week honor for punter Tom Zurfluh are among the spoils of Eastern Washington’s 35-11 win over Weber State.

The Eagles (4-0, 2-0 Big Sky) are ranked 14th this week in NCAA Division I-AA according to the ESPN/USA Today media poll and 20th according to the Sports Network poll of sports information directors. Off to their best start since 5-0 in 1985, the Eagles put their unbeaten record on the line Saturday at Montana State.

Zurfluh, a senior, was special teams player of the week. He punted six times for a 46.2 average, including a school-record 69-yarder.

Montana’s Josh Branen, a senior from Moscow, Idaho, who ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-10 win over Cal State Sacramento, and Gibbons St. Paul, who set a Northern Arizona record with 13 receptions, for 176 yards and three TDS in a 56-21 win over Portland State, shared Big Sky offensive honors.

Montana State’s Neal Smith was the defensive player. He had seven tackles, including three quarterback sacks for a minus 15 yards, a pass interception, caused a fumble and recovered one in a 14-13 win over Idaho State.

Referee downgraded to critical

College football referee James Knight, 51, was listed in critical condition Monday after he suffered a massive heart attack during the Virginia-North Carolina game Saturday. Knight’s heart stopped four times.

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