Brad Roberts named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year

Air Force senior fullback Brad Roberts was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, leading five all-conference selections for the program, according to an announcement today by the league office. Senior offensive lineman Isaac Cochran joins Roberts on the first team, while junior offensive lineman Everett Smalley, senior outside linebacker Vince Sanford and junior defensive back Trey Taylor were second-team selections. Cochran's selection marks the fourth straight year the Falcons have had a first-team offensive lineman selection.

Roberts is just the third Falcon to earn MW offensive player of the year honors and first since Chad Hall in 2007. He joins Hall and Air Force offensive coordinator Mike Thiessen (2000) as offensive player of the year selections for the program. Roberts is the first offensive skill position player to earn first-team all-MW honors twice for Air Force, as he is one of three repeat honorees on this year's first team.

Air Force had five players named honorable mention all-MW, as senior quarterback Haaziq Daniels, senior inside linebacker TD Blackmon, junior safety Camby Goff, sophomore kicker Matthew Dapore and senior receiver David Cormier earned the honor.

Air Force All-Conference Honorees bios follow.

First-Team Selections
#20 - Brad Roberts, FB, 5-11, 215, Sr., Arvada, CO (Ralston Valley)
• Mountain West Offensive Player of the year, just the third Falcon to win it and first since 2007
• First-team all-Mountain West for the second straight year, first offensive skill position player to do it in the MW-era at AFA and first overall since Beau Morgan in 1995-96
• Leads the MW and is fifth nationally in rushing with a 134.3 average, leads the MW in all-purpose yards with a 135.1 norm, leads the MW and is third nationally with 1,612 rushing yards
• Set new single-season rushing records at Air Force with 1,612 yards and 308 carries
• Leads the MW in 100-yard rushing games with a school-record 10 which is four more than any other player in the league
• Three-time MW Offensive player of the week
• 35 carries for a career-high 187 yards and a touchdown vs. San Diego State…carried five times for 75 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, accounting for all of the team's yards on a scoring drive for the second time this season.
• Career-high 37 carries for 184 yards with a touchdown vs. Colorado State...37 carries are the fourth-most in program history and most by a fullback...184 yards are fourth-most by a fullback in AF history
• Rushed for 163 yards on 29 carries vs. New Mexico...caught the first pass of his career, good for nine yards
• Rushed for a game-high 135 yards on 33 carries vs. Army and went over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season
• Rushed for 144 yards on 29 carries and scored a career-high four touchdowns at UNLV, four rushing touchdowns ties as the sixth most in program history and ties as the most by a fullback
• Carried 11 straight times for 75 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half vs. UNLV, accounting for every play of the drive
• Rushed for a game-high 136 yards and a TD on a season-high 29 carries at Utah State
• Rushed for a game-high 123 yards and matched his career high with three touchdowns on 20 carries vs. Nevada...named MW offensive player of the week for the second time this season for his efforts
• Rushed for 174 yards and matched his career high with three touchdowns on 24 carries vs. Colorado while averaging 7.2 yards per carry and had a long run of 46 yards

#73 – Isaac Cochran, OG, 6-5, 325, Sr., Concord, NC (Concord)
• Mid-season All-American
• Offensive line is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, the only Group of 5 school honored
• Offensive line has helped Air Force lead the nation in rushing with a 330.9 average
• Air Force has led the nation each week this season, a school record
• Air Force leads the nation in time of possession with a 36:16 mark

Second-Team Selections
#63 – Everett Smalley, OT, 6-3, 260, Jr., Tampa, FL (Plant)
• Preseason watch list for Outland Trophy
• Offensive line is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, the only Group of 5 school honored
• Offensive line has helped Air Force lead the nation in rushing with a 330.9 average
• Air Force has led the nation each week this season, a school record
• Air Force leads the nation in time of possession with a 36:16 mark

#7 - Trey Taylor, FS, 6-0, 205, Jr., Frisco, TX (Frisco Long Star)
• Second on the team in tackles with 66...leads the team in solo stops with 39
• Eight or more tackles in a game three times
• Four tackles vs. Colorado State
• Five tackles and a sack for 15 yards vs. Army...also had a pass breakup
• Eight tackles vs. Boise State
• Five tackles at UNLV...went over the 100-tackle mark for his career
• Season-high nine tackles and a tackle for loss at Utah State
• Six tackles and a TFL vs. Navy
• Six tackles, a tackle for loss and second INT of his career at Wyoming
• Team-best eight tackles vs. UNI, including six unassisted...also had a pass breakup

#26 - Vince Sanford, OLB, 6-1, 225, Sr., Hamilton, OH (Hamilton)
• Leads the team in TFLs with 9.5 for 38, sacks with 5.5 for 32 yards and QB hurries with seven
• Seven tackles, a career-high 5.0 tackles for loss for 30 yards and 4.0 sacks for 29 yards vs. Colorado State...his 5.0 tackles for loss are tied for fourth in program history in a single-game and most since John Steed had six in 1986...the 30 yards in losses ranks 10th in program history and are the most since J.T. Tokish had 32 in 1989
• Three tackles and 1.5 sacks vs. New Mexico
• Three tackles and two QB hurries vs. Boise State
• Nine tackles and a QB hurry at Utah State
• Career-high 10 tackles, 2.0 TFLs vs. Navy
• Seven tackles and a tackle for loss at Wyoming

Honorable Mention Selections
#4 - Haaziq Daniels, QB, 6-1, 205, Sr., Franklin, NJ (Saint John Vianney)
• Third on the team in rushing with 614 yards and second with seven touchdowns
• Leads the MW in yards per attempt (9.6) and yards per completion (20.4), fifth in the MW in yards per carry (5.0), 11th in passing (61.1) and 11th in total offense (112.2)
• Threw 59 consecutive passes without an interception, dating back to the Colorado State game last season, until his first INT of the season at Utah State...the streak covered seven games
• Rushed for 113 yards and two TDs vs. New Mexico, scoring one TD on a season-long 65-yard run...hit 2-2 passes for 42 yards and a TD
• Rushed for 89 yards and the go-ahead TD vs. Army while hitting 6-13 passes for 98 yards and was named Commanders' Classic most valuable player
• Rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries vs. Navy, recorded long run of 18 yards on third-and-six for a first down to allow AF to run out the clock, while hitting 6-8 passes for a season-high 156 yards and a TD
• Hit 7-14 passes for 101 yards and matched his career high with two touchdowns at Wyoming
• Recorded second-career 100-100 game, rushing for 107 yards and a TD and hitting 3-6 passes for 109 yards and a TD vs. Northern Iowa

#27 - TD Blackmon, ILB, 6-1, 230, Sr., Maryville, TN (Maryville)
• Leads the team lead in tackles with 67, second in TFL with 9.0 for 54 yards and sacks with 3.5 for 32
• Seven straight games with a TFL earlier this season
• Team-high eight tackles vs. Colorado State
• Team-high six tackles and a TFL vs. Army
• Eight tackles and a sack vs. Boise State
• Three tackles, 1.0 sacks for 12 yards, 2.0 TFL for 13 yards, FF, FR and PBU at UNLV...recorded a QB sack and forced and recovered a fumble on the same play
• Career highs of 12 tackles and 3.0 TFL for 20 yards at Utah State
• Seven tackles, a sack and a QB hurry vs. Navy
• Five tackles vs. Colorado

#11 - Camby Goff, SS, 6-1, 205, Jr., Reynoldsburg, OH (Reynoldsburg)
• Tied for second in the MW in passes defended with a 1.0 mark
• Ninth in the MW in interceptions with a .20 average
• Two tackles and 0.5 sacks vs. New Mexico
• One tackle, an INT and a PBU vs. Army...INT clinched the game on Army's final drive
• Six tackles at Utah State
• Two tackles and a pass breakup vs. Navy...PBU was on third down in fourth quarter on Navy's last drive, forcing a punt...Navy didn't get the ball back
• Season-high eight tackles and career-best two pass breakups at Wyoming...career-best six unassisted tackles
• Four tackles, INT and two PBU vs. Colorado
• Recorded three tackles and first-career INT vs. UNI, returning it 14 yards...also had a pass breakup

#43 - Matthew Dapore, PK, 6-0, 195, So., Springboro, OH (Springboro)
• Ranks seventh in the MW in FG pct (.750), fifth in field goals (1.25), seventh in the MW in scoring (6.6)
• Semifinalist for the Lou Groza National Placekicker Award
• Has hit 15-20 field goals and 34-34 PATs
• Has hit two field goals in seven games
• Kicked two FGs vs. Colorado, including a career-long 54 yarder which ties as the 13th longest in program history...also hit from 47 yards, third-longest of his career
• Kicked two field goals, hitting from 30 and 33 yards and kicked five PATs vs. UNI...also kicked off seven times with three touchbacks

#7 - David Cormier, WR, 6-3, 225, Sr., Albuquerque, NM (Volcano)
• Fourth in the MW with four TD catches
• Leads team in receiving with 13 catches for 384 yards and four TDs
• Averaging 29.5 yards per catch, which is second in AF history for a single season
• Has a catch in eight of the last 10 games
• One catch for 33 yards and a TD vs. New Mexico
• Career-high four catches for 89 yards with a long of 30 vs. Army
• Three catches, 120 yards and a TD vs. Navy...first-career 100-yard game
• Career-long 80-yard reception for a touchdown vs. Nevada
• Senior Bowl watch list

Brad Roberts named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

TD Blackmon

Vince Sanford

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