QB Josh Love 1st San Jose Spartan to Earn MW Offensive Player of the Year Honors

Sponsored by Tyrrell Chevrolet

From the desk of Stuart Buchannan/Mountain West Offices

COLORADO SPRINGS – The Mountain West announced its 2019 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners, as chosen by the 12 head coaches and a select media panel.

San José State senior quarterback Josh Love has been honored as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while Boise State junior defensive end Curtis Weaver was named the MW Defensive Player of the Year. Broncos junior return specialist Avery Williams earned the MW Special Teams Player of the Year and teammate George Holani has been selected as the MW Freshman of the Year. Nick Rolovich of Hawai‘i is the MW Coach of the Year.

• Josh Love
• First San José State player to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
• Becomes the 15 quarterback to win the award.
• Finished the regular season ranked top 10 nationally in total passing yards (3; 3,923), passing yards per game (3; 326.9), completions per game (5th; 24.42) and total offense (6; 319.6). Ranks 28 nationally with 22 passing touchdowns.
• The 3,923 passing yards are the sixth-most in Mountain West single-season history.
• Recorded five 400-yard passing performances, tied for the second-most in Mountain West single-season history.
• One of just five Mountain West signal-callers to record back-to-back 400-yard passing games in Conference history.
• Led the league with seven 300-yard passing games.
• Orchestrated the Mountain West’s top passing offense, averaging 338.0 yards per game. The Spartans air attack ranks fourth nationally.
• Named MW Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23 and Oct. 7.
• Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist, an award given annually to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.

• Curtis Weaver
• Is the second Boise State player to earn the MW Defensive Player of the Year honor and first since Leighton Vander Esch in 2017.
• Helped lead the Broncos to their third-consecutive MW Football Championship Game appearance and fourth overall.
• Finished the regular season leading the Mountain West in sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (17.0).
• Nationally, ranks fifth in sacks and tied for 15 in tackles for loss.
• The 13.5 total sacks are tied for the second-most in Mountain West single-season history.
• Ranks sixth on the team with 47 total tackles, while also forcing one fumble and intercepting one pass.
• Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist.
• Tied a single-game program record with 4.0 sacks against Portland State. This is tied as the second-most sacks in a single game in Mountain West history.
• In 2019, became the Mountain West’s all-time sack leader (34.0).

• Avery Williams
• Becomes the first Boise State player in MW history to garner Special Teams Player of the Year accolades.
• Is the ninth return specialist to earn the honor.
• As the Broncos’ primary punt returner, leads the Mountain West with 12.8 yards per return.
• Is one of just two FBS players with multiple punt return touchdowns in 2019, recording a 66-yard score at San José State on Nov. 2 and a 74-yard touchdown at Utah State on Nov. 23.
• At UNLV on Oct. 5, returned an onside kick 39 yards for a touchdown.
• Has blocked two kicks on the year (a PAT and a punt), tied for the most in the nation.
• Named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 4.

• George Holani
• Is the second Boise State player to earn the MW Freshman of the Year honor and first since Brett Rypien in 2015.
• Becomes the ninth running back to earn the honor.
• Ranks third in the Mountain West with 912 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The 912 rushing yards are fifth-most by a freshman in Conference single-season history.
• Nationally, the 912 rushing yards are fourth-most among freshmen.
• Top freshman in the league in combined rushing/receiving yardage (1,078).
• Seventh in the Mountain West with nine total touchdowns.
• Set the Mountain West single-game record for rushing touchdowns by a freshman with four at San José State on Nov. 2.
• Named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4.
• Helped lead Boise State to an 11-1 regular-season record and its third-consecutive appearance in the Mountain West Football Championship Game.

• Nick Rolovich
• Selected as Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading Hawai‘i to a 9-4 overall record, including 5-3 in Conference play.
• Led the Rainbow Warriors to their first MW West Division championship and first appearance in the MW Football Championship Game.
• Guided one of the most dangerous offenses in the FBS, ranking sixth nationally in passing yards per game (332.5) and 19 in scoring offense (35.4).
• The Rainbow Warriors have won nine games for the first time since 2010.
• Is the first Hawai‘i head coach to earn the honor.

1. Eight student-athletes were repeat MW First Team All-Conference selections from 2018.
2. Boise State has had at least one first team All-Conference offensive lineman in each of its nine seasons in the MW.
3. Boise State leads the MW with 14 first and second team selections, while San Diego State is second with nine.
4. After winning the 2019 MW Offensive Player of the Year honor, Josh Love (San José State – Quarterback) is the first major award winner from SJSU since 2013 (Tyler Winston – Freshman of the Year).
5. Tariq Thompson (San Diego State – Defensive Back) and Tipa Galeai (Utah State – Defensive Line) are repeat honorees on the second team.
6. Saturday’s MW Championship Game between Hawai‘i and Boise State will feature six first-team selections and 12 second-team honorees.

First Team

Offense

QB Josh Love Sr. San José State

WR Warren Jackson Jr. Colorado State

WR Cedric Byrd II Sr. Hawai‘i

WR Tre Walker Jr. San José State

RB Charles Williams Jr. UNLV

RB Xazavian Valladay So. Wyoming

TE Trey McBride So. Colorado State

OL Scott Hattok Sr. Air Force

OL Nolan Laufenberg Jr. Air Force

OL Ezra Cleveland* Jr. Boise State

OL John Molchon* Sr. Boise State

OL Keith Ismael* Jr. San Diego State

PK Dominik Eberle Sr. Utah State

KR Savon Scarver* Jr. Utah State

DEFENSE

DL Mosese Fifita Sr. Air Force

DL Curtis Weaver** Jr. Boise State

DL Myles Cheatum Sr. San Diego State

DL Cameron Thomas Fr. San Diego State

LB Justin Rice Jr. Fresno State

LB Mykal Walker* Sr. Fresno State

LB Kyahva Tezino* Sr. San Diego State

LB David Woodward Jr. Utah State

LB Logan Wilson Sr. Wyoming

DB Kekaula Kaniho Jr. Boise State

DB Jamal Hicks Sr. Colorado State

DB Luq Barcoo Sr. San Diego State

DB Alijah Halliburton Sr. Wyoming

P Ryan Stonehouse* Jr. Colorado State

PR Avery Williams Jr. Boise State

*Two-Time First-Team Selection | **Three-Time First-Team Selection

2nd Team

Offense

QB Cole McDonald Jr. Hawai'i

WR John Hightower Sr. Boise State

WR JoJo Ward Sr. Hawai‘i

WR Siaosi Mariner Sr. Utah State

RB George Holani Fr. Boise State

RB Ronnie Rivers Jr. Fresno State

TE Parker Houston Sr. San Diego State

OL Connor Vikupitz Sr. Air Force

OL Garrett Larson Sr. Boise State

OL Ilm Manning So. Hawai‘i

OL Daishawn Dixon Sr. San Diego State

OL Keegan Cryder So. Wyoming

PK Brandon Talton Fr. Nevada

KR John Hightower Sr. Boise State

Defense

DL David Moa Sr. Boise State

DL Keshawn Banks So. San Diego State

DL Tipa Galeai* Sr. Utah State

LB Kyle Johnson Sr. Air Force

LB Demonte Meeks Jr. Air Force

LB Riley Whimpey Jr. Boise State

LB Ethan Aguayo Sr. San José State

DB Kekoa Nawahine Sr. Boise State

DB Jalen Walker Jr. Boise State

DB Tariq Thompson** Jr. San Diego State

DB Jericho Flowers Sr. UNLV

P Tyson Dyer Jr. New Mexico

PR Austin Conway Sr. Wyoming

*Two-Time Second-Team Selection | ** Three-Time Second-Team Selection

Honorable Mention

AIR FORCE: Milton Bugg III, Jr., DB; Jeremy Fejedelem, Sr., DB; Jordan Jackson, Jr., DL; Timothy Jackson, So., FB;

Jake Koehnke, Sr., PK; Zane Lewis, Sr., DB; Geraud Sanders, Sr., WR; Kadin Remsberg, Jr., RB;

BOISE STATE: John Bates, Jr., TE; Sonatane Lui, Sr., DL; Eric Quevedo, Sr., OL; Khalil Shakir, So., WR;

Avery Williams, Jr., DB;

COLORADO STATE: Anthony Hawkins, Sr., KR; Manny Jones, Jr., DL;

FRESNO STATE: Kevin Atkins, Jr., DL; Blake Cusick, Sr., P; Juju Hughes, Sr., DB;

HAWAI'I: Cortez Davis, Jr., DB; Rojesterman Farris II, Sr., DB; Solomon Matautia, Sr., LB; Kaimana Padello, Sr., DL;

Gene Pryor, OL; Taaga Tuulima, Jr., OL; Blessman Ta‘ala, So., DL;

NEVADA: Daniel Brown, Sr., DB; Romeo Doubs, WR, PR; Gabriel Sewell, Sr., LB; Toa Taua, So., RB;

NEW MEXICO: Ahmari Davis, Sr., RB; Alex Hart, Sr., LB; Teton Saltes, Jr., OL; Kyle Stapley, Jr., OL;

SAN DIEGO STATE: Matt Araiza, Fr., PK; William Dunkle, Fr., OL; Darren Hall, So., DB; Brandon Heicklen, Sr., P;

Dwayne Johnson Jr., Jr., DB;

SAN JOSE STATE: Bailey Gaither, Sr., WR; Troy Kowalski, Sr., OL; Matt Mercurio, Fr., PK; Jack Snyder, Jr., OL;

UNLV: Julio Garcia, Jr., OL; Rayshad Jackson, Sr., LB; Justin Polu, Sr., OL; Javin White, Sr., LB;

UTAH STATE: Shaq Bond, Jr., DB; Gerold Bright, Sr., RB; Jordan Love, Jr., QB; Caleb Repp, Sr., TE;

Christopher Unga, Sr., DL;

WYOMING: Tyler Hall, Sr., DB; Logan Harris, Jr., OL; Cassh Maluia, Sr., LB.