SB Nation Denver - 2012 FCS Preseason Awards Watch: A Big Sky Conference Breakdownhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48907/denver-fave.png2012-07-19T13:36:40-06:00http://denver.sbnation.com/rss/stream/29186672012-07-19T13:36:40-06:002012-07-19T13:36:40-06:002012 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List: Northern Colorado's Clarence Bumpas Receives Preseason Honor
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<p>The 2012 preseason <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2%2Fwriters%2Finfcshuddle%2Findex.htm">Buck Buchanan Watch List</a> came out on Thursday and Northern Colorado Bears linebacker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/87300/clarence-bumpas">Clarence Bumpas</a> is an early candidate for this award. This award is given out to the most outstanding defensive player at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.</p>
<p>Here is the write-up on Bumpas, a junior this fall:</p>
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<p><font size="2"><font class="tsnpayton11names4">The physical Bumpas led the Big Sky Conference with 145 tackles as a sophomore and ranked fourth in the FCS with 13.2 tackles per game. His breakout season included 19 tackles against Weber State, 18 versus Northern Arizona and nine games with at least 10 tackles. A Colorado native who transferred home from Kansas State last year, Bumpas combines big size (6-foot-2, 244 pounds) and long arms with terrific pursuit of ball carriers. The inside linebacker was named to the All-Big Sky second team a year ago.</font></font></p>
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<p>Montana St. Bobcats defensive tackle <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Zach Minter</a> is the other Big Sky player to make this list. Entering his senior season, Minter had 7.5 sacks as a junior.</p>
<p>New Hampshire linebacker Matt Evans won the award in 2011 and is the favorite to win the award again. Dexter Coakley won the award the first two years the honor was given out in 1995 and 1996. The Appalachian St. alum is the only player to capture the award twice.</p>
<p>The Big Sky Conference has four Buchanan award winners. Jared Allen of Idaho State won the award in 2003 while Montana DE Kroy Biermann and Eastern Washington DE Greg Peach and LB J.C. Sherritt won the award in 2007, 2008 and 2010, respectively.</p>
<p>New Big West member Cal Poly had three winners in a row in 2004-2005 (Jordan Beck, Chris Gocong, Kyle Shotwell) while a member of the now defunct Great West.</p>
<p><i>For more, stick with <a href="http://www.denver.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Denver</a>. </i><i>For more news, notes and analysis from around the country, head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">college football news hub</a>.</i></p>
https://denver.sbnation.com/2012/7/19/3169673/buck-buchanan-award-watch-list-2012Russ Oates2012-07-17T09:53:44-06:002012-07-17T09:53:44-06:002012 Big Sky Football: Preseason Polls Show Montana State At No. 1 For Both Media And Coaches
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<p>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.uncbears.com/sports/fball/2012-13/releases/071712bscpolls">2012 Big Sky preseason polls</a> have been released for the upcoming college football season, and both the coaches and the media are in agreement that the Montana State Bobcats belong at No. 1 heading into the 2012 campaign. The Northern Colorado Bears unfortunately clock in at No. 13 (last place) in both polls, while Montana is ranked as third-best team in the conference.</p>
<p>Here is a look at the preaseason polls heading into the upcoming season:</p>
<h4><u>2012 Big Sky Conference Preseason Football Polls</u></h4>
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<th>Media Poll</th>
<th> </th>
<th>Coaches’ Poll</th>
<th> </th>
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<td>1. Montana State (30)</td>
<td>502</td>
<td>1. Montana State (7)</td>
<td>136</td>
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<td>2. Eastern Washington (3)</td>
<td>453</td>
<td>2. Eastern Washington (4)</td>
<td>131</td>
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<td>3. Montana (5)</td>
<td>442</td>
<td>3. Montana (1)</td>
<td>126</td>
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<td>4. Portland State</td>
<td>334</td>
<td>4. Portland State</td>
<td>90</td>
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<td>5. Cal Poly (1)</td>
<td>323</td>
<td>5. Cal Poly</td>
<td>86</td>
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<td>6. North Dakota</td>
<td>295</td>
<td>6. Weber State</td>
<td>81</td>
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<td>7. Weber State (1)</td>
<td>284</td>
<td>7. Northern Arizona</td>
<td>75</td>
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<td>8. Southern Utah</td>
<td>258</td>
<td>8. Southern Utah (1)</td>
<td>74</td>
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<td>9. Northern Arizona</td>
<td>242</td>
<td>9. Sacramento State</td>
<td>71</td>
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<td>10. Sacramento State</td>
<td>191</td>
<td>10. North Dakota</td>
<td>68</td>
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<td>11. UC Davis</td>
<td>135</td>
<td>11. Idaho State</td>
<td>31</td>
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<td>12. Idaho State</td>
<td>115</td>
<td>12. UC Davis</td>
<td>30</td>
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<td>13. Northern Colorado</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>13. Northern Colorado</td>
<td>14</td>
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https://denver.sbnation.com/2012/7/17/3164824/2012-big-sky-football-preseason-polls-media-coaches-pollSteve von Horn2012-07-15T11:55:02-06:002012-07-15T11:55:02-06:002012 Big Sky Football: Preseason All-Conference Team Released
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<p>On Sunday, <a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/7/10/fb_0710124637.aspx">the 2012 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team was announced</a>, and it has a couple of Northern Colorado Bears adorning its roster.</p>
<p>Senior kick returner Dominic Gunn was one of the members from the Bears. The Aurora, CO native had a touchdown on a kickoff return last year to compliment his 25.9 yards per return average.</p>
<p>More than just a return man, Gunn made 25 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns last year.</p>
<p>The other man who recieved recognition for Northern Colorado is junior linebacker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/87300/clarence-bumpas">Clarence Bumpas</a>. Also a native of CO - this time from Colorado Springs - Bumpas is a transfer from Kansas State ready to start his second season in the Big Sky.</p>
<p>In 2011, Bumpas recorded 145 tackles which ranked fourth in the entire nation at the FCS level.In one game against Weber State, Bumpas made an incredible 19 stops.</p>
<p>For a view of the rest of the team, <a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/7/10/fb_0710124637.aspx">please follow this link.</a></p>
<p><i>For more on Big Sky Football, please be sure to check out <a href="http://denver.sbnation.com">SB Nation Denver</a> for all the latest news and updates.</i></p>
https://denver.sbnation.com/2012/7/15/3160865/2012-big-sky-football-preseason-all-conference-teamMatt Verderame2012-07-12T08:41:16-06:002012-07-12T08:41:16-06:002012 FCS Walter Payton Award Nominees: DeNarius McGhee, Rodrick Rumble And Brad Sorensen Named To List
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<p>The Sports Network has released its list of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/index.htm">2012 FCS Walter Payton Award Nominees</a>, an award given to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision each year, and four big-name players from the Big Sky Conference are list. Of the 20 initial nominees, quarterbacks DeNarius McGhee of Montana State and Brad Sorensen of Southern Utah join wide receiver Rodrick Rumble of Idaho State and running back <a href="#" class="sbn-auto-link">Zach Bauman</a> of Northern Arizona as hopefuls from the Big Sky.</p>
<p>As noted in the Sports Network story, McGhee is the only two-time finalist nominated this season -- he finished seventh in 2010 and 13th in 2011 -- while Sorensen has thrown for more than 3,100 yards each of the past two seasons and could make a run at the award this year.</p>
<p><i>For more, stick with <a href="http://www.denver.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Denver</a>. </i><i>For more news, notes and analysis from around the country, head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">college football news hub</a>.</i></p>
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https://denver.sbnation.com/2012/7/12/3154644/walter-payton-award-2012-nominees-denarius-mcghee-rodrick-rumble-brad-sorensenSteve von Horn2012-07-09T09:39:13-06:002012-07-09T09:39:13-06:002012 FCS Preseason All-America Teams Released: Big Sky Conference Well Represented
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<p>The 2012 FCS Preseason All-America teams have been released. Northern Colorado linebacker Clarence Bumpas made the second team.</p> <p>The 2012 college football is roughly two months away, and while FCS football gets most of the attention, let's not forget about the FBS level. The Sports Network just released its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2%2Fstat%2FIAA-pre-12-team.htm">2012 Preseason All-America Teams</a> on Monday. The Northern Colorado Bears, which went 0-11 under first-year coach Earnest Collins Jr., have one player represented: redshirt junior linebacker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/87300/clarence-bumpas">Clarence Bumpas</a>. The 6-foot-2, 244 pound linebacker compiled 145 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss, to make an appearance on the second team.</p>
<p>Bumpas is just one of many players from the Big Sky Conference to make a preseason All-America team. Here are the others:</p>
<p><b>First team</b></p>
<p>Brad Sorensen, QB, Southern Utah<br><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Nicholas Edwards</a>, WR, Eastern Washington<br>Gavin Farr, C, Southern Utah<br>Zach Brown, K, Portland State<br>Zach Minter, DT, Montana State</p>
<p><b>Second team</b></p>
<p>Rodrick Rumble, WR, Idaho State<br>Danny Kistler, G, Montana<br>Cody Larsen, DT, Southern Utah<br>Jody Owens, LB, Montana State</p>
<p><b>Third team</b></p>
<p>Denarius McGhee, QB, Montana State<br>Brandon Kaufman, WR, Eastern Washington<br>Zach Brackus, G, Southern Utah<br>Ray Wilburn, C, UC Davis</p>
<p><i>For more on the 2012 college football season, head over to <a target="_blank" href="http://sbnation.com/ncaa-football">SB Nation NCAA Football</a>.</i></p>
https://denver.sbnation.com/2012/7/9/3146721/fcs-football-2012-preseason-all-america-teamsRuss Oates