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The Sports Network | December 16, 2013

Daly wins Buchanan Award

Montana State's Brad Daly

PHILADELPHIA -- Bo Beck, the defensive line coach and recruiting coach at Montana State, could have a hard time maintaining what the Bobcats have produced the past two years.

On Monday, Brad Daly became the second consecutive Montana State defensive end to win the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the outstanding defensive player in the FCS. A year ago, Daly started on the same line with 2012 recipient Caleb Schreibeis.

Jimmy Garoppolo
Daly, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior from Helena, Mont., received 64 of the 147 first-place votes and 485 points from a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. James Madison linebacker Stephon Robertson finished second with 421 points and Samford linebacker Justin Shade was third with 213 points.

"This is a great honor," Daly said. "I definitely wasn't happy with how the season went for our team [a 7-5 record], but I couldn't have done anything I did without all of the guys on our defense. It was a fun season individually, and it was a fun season with my teammates, hanging out with the guys on the team. Those are my best memories."

Opponents had to account for Daly on every down, and often didn't do it effectively. Using speed and explosion off the line of scrimmage, the Big Sky Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year led the FCS with 14 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss during the regular season. He played with nagging injuries, yet still wrecked opposing offenses with 68 tackles, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and an interception.

Daly became the sixth Buchanan Award winner from the Big Sky in the past 11 seasons.

"I'm really happy for Brad, and really happy for our program," Beck said. "To produce two Buck Buchanan winners in a row is huge. We talked about it one time before the season, and said that no matter who wins an award like this, it's a team accomplishment. It takes everyone in the program and everyone on the defense, and especially every defensive lineman. I know the rest of the guys are extremely proud of Brad, just like Brad and everyone else was extremely proud of Caleb last year."

Georgia Buchanan, whose late husband is the namesake of the award -- the Hall of Famer was the prototype for future NFL defensive linemen -- presented the 19th annual award at The Sports Network's FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation.

2013 BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD VOTING
FinishNameSchool1st2nd3rd4th5thTotal
1.Brad DalyMontana State64261645485
2.Stephon RobertsonJames Madison432821135421
3.Justin ShadeSamford423201413213
4.Joe ThomasSouth Carolina State66141219139
5.Shaquille RiddickGardner-Webb3121378124
6.Terrence FedeMarist21241113105
7.Quinn BackusCoastal Carolina266111387
8.Lynden TrailNorfolk State38312686
9.Tyler StarrSouth Dakota4586682
10.Jordan TrippMontana2675570
11.Marcus WilliamsNorth Dakota St.4465569
12.Ronnie HamlinEastern Washington3378266
13.Davis TullTennessee-Chattanooga2449763
14.Jerome Couplin IIIWilliam & Mary22411961
15.Caleb SchaffitzelMissouri State10591654
16.Zach HodgesHarvard2131631
17.Robert SimpsonMississippi Valley State0122115
18.Caraun ReidPrinceton0021412
T19.Clarence BumpasNorthern Colorado0014011
T19.Colton UnderwoodIllinois State0012411

 

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