Nov. 19, 2007

Ogden, UT --- Senior running back Josh Barnett, who became Idaho State's all-time leading rusher with 3,412 yards, and junior receiver Eddie Thompson, who had 83 catches and 906 yards receiving, were both named First Team All-Big Sky Conference on Monday after a vote of the league's nine head coaches. Along with Barnett and Thompson, Idaho State had two players named to the second team in punter Dan Zeidman and returner JD Ponciano.

The Bengals also had 14 players earn Honorable Mention honors. On offense, Jaron Taylor (WR), Clyde Logan (WR), Evan Dietrich-Smith (T), Bryce Metcalf (G), George Yarno (C), and Trevor Messersmith (TE) were all named, while Viliami Akoteu (DT), Geo Simmons (DE), Sterling Mennear (OLB), Brad Rife (OLB), Ryan Phipps (MLB), D.J. Clark (CB), and Terrance Calloway (S) all made it for defense. Clint Knickrehm was a special teams Honorable Mention selection as well.

The conference also announced the individual major awards, with Eastern Washington sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols earning Offensive Player of the Year honors, and Montana Buck Buchana candidate Kroy Biermann earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins was the Newcomer of the Year. The conference coaches will vote on coach of the year after the season ends.

Josh Barnett also earned First Team honors

Barnett finished the regular season second in the Big Sky Conference in yards rushing with 1,022, becoming just the second Bengal to record two 1,000 yard seasons, and the first to ever do so back-to-back. His 3,412 yards rushing topped the previous school record of 3,370 yards by Alfredo Anderson. Barnett owns the Idaho State career records for carries (677), yards (3,412), and 100-yard rushing games (15).

Thompson bounced back from a torn ACL to finish second in the conference in receptions with 83, which doubled as the second-most in school history. Thompson also picked up 907 yards on the season, the 6th-most in school history. He scored six touchdown via the air on the year, and added two others, one on the ground, and one on a punt return.

Zeidman earned second-team honors after averaging 42.7 yards per punt, and helping ISU to stand currently sixth nationally in net punting. Zeidman punted 59 times with a long of 71 yards, a kick that was downed at the 1-yard line. He also forced 14 fair catches and had 18 punts pinned inside the 20, a career-best.

Ponciano led the Bengals with a 27.9 kickoff return average on 20 returns, but the highlights were kickoff return touchdowns on back-to-back touches. His first was a 95-yarder against Weber State, and then next week on his very next kickoff return, he took a ball five yards deep and went untouched through Montana for a school-record tying 100-yard touchdown. Ponciano's two touchdowns tied a single season record for ISU.