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Montana State’s Tristan Bailey earns national honors for performance against Western Illinois

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(Editor’s note: Montana State media release)

BOZEMAN – Tristan Bailey made history for Montana State on Thursday night, and he did so again Monday.

After scoring 14 points in the Bobcats’ 26-23 win over Western Illinois, Bailey was named STATS/FCS and ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Player of the Week Monday. Bailey hit all four of his field goals and made both of his extra points, while five of his six kickoffs pinned the Leathernecks at or inside their own 25-yard line to begin drives.

“I thought he was a big difference in that (Western Illinois) game,” said Bobcat coach Jeff Choate. “He performed very well and is deserving of Big Sky and national honors.”

Bailey began the first Bobcat since 2011 to kick four field goals in a game, and the first since 2015 to hit a 50-yarder. Is 50-yard kick tied the game 23-23 with 8:26 remaining, and was the longest by any Bobcat in history making his team debut. He added the game-winner four minutes later.

The junior from Colorado Springs becomes Montana State’s first national player of the week since Luke Daly in 2015.