SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State quarterback Marcel Marquez was named co-Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced today. Marquez shared the honor with Portland State quarterback Sawyer Smith.
Marquez helped lead the Hornets to a 22-14 win over Idaho State this past Saturday. The junior completed 25-of-44 passes for a career-high 396 yards and two touchdowns. His yardage total ranks second in school history and was just 10 yards shy of the school record of 406 set by Tony Corbin in 1995 against Saint Mary’s. In a strange twist, both players performed their feat on Nov. 4.
Against the Bengals, Marquez opened the game completing 7-of-9 passes in the first quarter. He added two touchdowns in the second quarter, first hitting tight end Ray Navar on a 6-yard pass and later finding Andre Taylor for a 38-yard connection. The Sherman Oaks, Calif., native ended the half 16-of-25 for 261 yards.
After not playing in the first game of the season at Boise State, Marquez followed with 550 yards and four touchdowns in the next five games. Since that point, he has amassed 955 yards and six touchdowns in the Hornets’ last three contests. With two games remaining, he needs 510 passing yards to move into the school’s single season top 10.
Smith, a 6-5, 230-pound senior from Chehalis, Wash., completed 14-of-25 passes for a career-high 324 yards and four touchdowns in the Vikings’ 34-26 win at Northern Arizona. The victory kept Portland State’s playoff hopes alive. Smith averaged over 23 yards per completion and 13 yards per attempt. He threw the longest pass of his career, an 89-yard touchdown pass to Kenneth Mackins in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 21-6 lead. He also threw TD passes of 39, 23, and 41 yards. His efficiency rating for the game was 209. 7
Montana’s Mike Murphy was the Defensive Player of the Week. Murphy, a 6-3, 240-pound senior from Great Falls, Mont., tallied seven total tackles and two sacks as No. 2 Montana edged No. 6 Cal Poly 10-9 in Missoula. Montana’s defense held Cal Poly without a touchdown, the first time in 75 games the Mustangs failed to find the end zone. Montana held Cal Poly to three field goals, and 85 passing yards.
The special teams award went to Weber State’s Tim Toone. The 5-10, 170-pound freshman from Peoria, Ariz., stepped into the punt return role against Eastern Washington on Saturday because of an injury to Bryant Eteuati. Toone took his first return 61 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. Weber State won 19-14. Toone finished with six returns for 87 yards.
Sacramento State will close out the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, Nov. 11, against Portland State. The game against the Vikings will kickoff at 4:05 p.m. from Hornet Stadium.
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