Smith Named MWC Offensive Player Of The Week

University of Wyoming release -- Wyoming junior quarterback Brett Smith was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after setting a new Mountain West and University of Wyoming single-game record for total offense, with 640 yards versus Hawai’i. It is Smith’s second such honor this year and the seventh of his career. He shares this week’s honor with Fresno State senior quarterback Derek Carr, who set a Mountain West record for passing yards, with 527 versus New Mexico.

Smith accounted for 640 yards of total offense (498 passing and 142 rushing), threw seven TD passes and rushed for one touchdown in a 59-56 win over Hawai’i. Smith’s 640 yards marked the most yards by a single player in the NCAA this season, and set a new Mountain West Conference and Wyoming single-game record. The previous NCAA high this season was 635 yards by Garrett Gilbert of SMU versus Temple. The previous MW record was 570 yards by Carr vs. San Diego State in 2012.

Smith’s seven passing TDs are also the most in the NCAA in a single game the season, tying with Carr’s seven vs. New Mexico. The previous high was six passing touchdowns by three players. Smith’s seven passing touchdowns ties him for the Mountain West single-game record (with Max Hall of BYU vs. UCLA in 2008 and Carr vs. New Mexico last week) and set a Wyoming single-game record. Smith’s eight touchdowns responsible for set a Mountain West single-game record, passing BYU’s Hall (seven in 2008) and Fresno State’s Carr (seven this past week).

It extended Smith’s Mountain West record of 34-straight games with at least one touchdown responsible for. The junior led Wyoming to 793 yards of total offense, which ranks No. 3 in the NCAA this season. Only Baylor’s 872 yards versus West Virginia and Fresno State’s 820 vs. New Mexico last Saturday rank ahead of Wyoming. The 793 yards of total offense ranks as the second best single-game in Mountain West history. Smith’s 498 passing yards broke the Wyoming single-game record, passing Josh Wallwork’s 485 yards against Idaho in 1996. His seven TD passes went for 72, 71, 47, 23, 20, 7 and 5 yards, and his rushing touchdown came from 51 yards out.

The junior also became the Wyoming career leader in total offense on Saturday. He now has accounted for 10,209 yards of total offense during his career – 8,672 passing and 1,537 rushing yards. He becomes the only player in Wyoming history to exceed 10,000 yards in total offense. Smith was previously named the MW Player of the Week twice as a freshman in 2011, three times as a sophomore in 2012 and this is his second honor this season. The Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week was junior defensive back J.J. Whittaker of San Diego State. The MW Special Teams Player of the Week honor went to senior punt returner Tim Vizzi of San Diego State.

Wyoming’s other nominees for MW Player of the Week this past week included Devyn Harris, who was nominated for Defensive Player of the Week. Harris recorded a team high nine tackles, including eight solo tackles and one assist. He made the key defensive play of the game for Wyoming in overtime. With Hawai’i facing a fourth and one on the Wyoming four-yard line, Harris tackled Hawai’i running back Joey Iosefa for a one-yard loss to end the Rainbow Warriors’ possession. That defensive stop led to Wyoming winning on its first possession of overtime on a field goal. Harris also made a key third down stop in the fourth quarter with Wyoming leading by only one point, 49-48.

He tackled a Hawai’i receiver for a two-yard gain on a third and four to force a Hawai’i punt. Wyoming scored on its next possession to take a 56-48 lead. Harris added 2.0 tackles for loss for nine yards, 1.0 sack for eight yards and one pass breakup. Senior place-kicker Stuart Williams was the Cowboys’ nominee for Special Teams Player of the Week. Williams kicked a 36-yard, game-winning field goal in overtime, as Wyoming defeated Hawai’i 59-56. He also was a perfect 6 for 6 in extra points. Williams scored nine points on the day, and also punted once for 34 yards on a quick kick, placing the ball out of bounds at the Hawai’i three-yard line.