(Editor's note: University of Montana media release)
MISSOULA -- Montana quarterback Dalton Sneed added to his award collection on Monday with his biggest weekly honor to date, being named the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career following UM's 59-20 win.
The honor comes just hours after Sneed earned his third-straight ROOT Sports Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week recognition following a career-best day in Montana's come-from-behind win over Idaho State.
With Montana trailing ISU 17-0 early in the second quarter, Sneed put the Grizzlies on his back and proceeded to pass for 397 yards and rush for 67 more while adding a pair of passing and a pair of rushing touchdowns to his total to set a new personal best with 464 yards of total offense.
The senior QB's total offense blitz was the most of any player in the Big Sky Conference on week six, and the second-most of any player in the league so far this season. He also helped set a new school record, leading the Griz to 35 first downs. The previous school record was 34, set in 2012 against South Dakota.
Sneed now becomes the first Grizzly to ever win three consecutive Big Sky Player of the Week honors and is the first player to earn three weekly honors from the league since Dante Olson did it in 2018. Sneed is also the first UM quarterback to win three weekly honors in a single season since John Edwards in 2002.
With just 39 passing yards in the first quarter and his team trailing 17-0 early in the second, Sneed turned the game around for the Griz, helping outscore ISU 59-3 to finish the game. He responded to the early deficit by throwing for 358 yards over the course of the next three quarters, completing 21 of his last 28 passes (.750), including a pair of TDs and 12 first downs.
In the last three games, Sneed has thrown for a total of 999 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 169 yards and two TDs to bring his total offensive output 1,168 yards and thirteen scores. In that three-game span, he's also completed nearly 70-percent of his passes.
With 4,602 career passing yards, Sneed has now passed Andrew Selle on UM's all-time passing leaders list at No. 12.
Sneed also earned an honorable mention for the College Football Performance Awards' "Performer of the Week," a title he's already won once this season.
Weber State defensive end George Tarlas earned ROOT SPORTS Defensive Player of the Week accolades, while Northern Arizona kicker Luis Aguilar was named the ROOT SPORTS Special Teams honoree.
