Sullivan Named Special Teams Player of the Week

By ERIC TABER

After taking a personal haul of 18 points in Montana’s dominant 54-35 win over cross-state rivals Montana State, senior kicker Daniel Sullivan has been named the ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

Sullivan (5-10, 165, Mill Creek, Wash.) was perfect against the Cats, going 4/4 on field goal attempts, one of which was a season-long 44-yard attempt that put the Griz on the board for the first time in the game. “Sully” was also perfect on PATs, slotting all six attempts.

Sullivan is 19-24 on field goals, and 36-39 on PATs for a total of 93 points this season, good enough to put him third in the conference in overall scoring behind running back John Santiago of North Dakota, and Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington.

He leads all Big Sky kickers in field goals per game, and is carrying a 79.2 field goal percentage, the fourth best in the Big Sky.

Nationally, Sullivan’s average of 1.73 field goals per game is tied for third-best in all of FCS football, and his .792 percentage ranks him 17th nation wide as well.

During his two years at Montana, Sullivan has amassed 159 total points, ranking him No. 20 on Montana’s all-time career scoring list. “Sully” is currently one point behind Kelly Stensrud, a running back for the Griz from 1992-1995, and just eight points from passing Eby Dobson, a Griz kicker from ’83-’86.

Sullivan is the sixth ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the Grizzlies this season, and the third in as many weeks.

Big Sky Player of the Week Nominations

DATE………..OPPONENT…….…………………………………………NOMINEE
8/29…………North Dakota State…………………….……Brady Gustafson*

9/5  …………Cal Poly……………………..…………………………….(O) Jamaal Jones
……………………………………………………………………(D) Kendrick Van Ackeren
………………………………………………………………………………(S) Daniel Sullivan

9/19…………@Liberty……………………………………………….(O) Jamaal Jones
……………………………………………………………………………..(D) Tyrone Holmes
……………………………………………………………………………………(S) Chris Lider

9/26………..Northern Arizona *………………………..……………(O) Chad Chalich
………………………………………………………………………………..(D) Tyrone Holmes!$
………………………………………………………………………………………(S) Daniel Sullivan

10/3…………@UC Davis *………………………..…………………..(O) Chad Chalich
………………………………………………………………………………………(D) Caleb Kidder!
……………………………………………………………………………………………(S) Chris Lider

10/10…………Weber State *………………………..………………….(O) Ben Roberts
……………………………………………………………………………………(D) Herbert Gamboa
………………………………………………………………………………………………(S) Chris Lider

10/24…………North Dakota *………………………..……………(O) Makena Simis!
………………………………………………………………………………………(D) Tyrone Holmes
………………………………………………………………………………………………(S) Chris Lider

10/31……….@Portland State *………………………..………..(O) Jeremy Calhoun
……………………………………………………………………………………..(D) Herbert Gamboa
……………………………………………………………………………………………..(S) Dan Sullivan

11/7…………@Idaho State *………………………..…………………(O) Makena Simis
……………………………………………………………………………………………….(D) JR Nelson!
……………………………………………………………………………………………(S) Eric Johnson

11/14…………E. Washington*……………….…………………..(O) Brady Gustafson
……………………………………………………………………………………….(D) Tyrone Holmes!
……………………………………………………………………………………………..(S) Dan Sullivan

11/14…………Montana State*……………………………………(O) Brady Gustafson
…………………………………………………………………………….(D) Kendrick Van Ackeren
……………………………………………………………………………………………..(S) Dan Sullivan!

! = BSC Player of the Week – $ = STATS F