Hall & Rich Named MWC Players of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU senior quarterback Max Hall and junior free safety Andrew Rich have been named Mountain West Conference Players of the Week for the first week of the 2009 season. Hall was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Rich garnered the Defensive Player award. For Hall it’s his fifth career MWC player of the week award, while Rich receives his first career honor.

Hall of Mesa, Ariz., completed 26-of-38 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 20 BYU to a 14-13 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma. Down 13-7 with 11:41 left to play, Hall led the Cougars on a 16-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in a 7-yard touchdown pass to McKay Jacobson to tie the game with just 3:03 remaining. Mitch Payne’s extra point put BYU on top, 14-13. During the game-winning drive, Hall completed 9-of-11 passes for 74 yards, including a 23-yard strike to tight end Dennis Pitta on 4th-and-4 from the Oklahoma 29-yard line.

Rich recorded five tackles, including four solo stops, one tackle for loss and two forced fumbles to aid the BYU upset victory. With Oklahoma holding a 7-0 lead at the 2:15 mark of the first quarter and a 1st-and-10 on the BYU 16-yardline, Rich caused a Sooner fumble that was recovered by Cougar linebacker Shawn Doman on the BYU 5-yard line. The Odgen, Utah, native forced his second fumble of the game with 4:12 left to play in the second quarter and Oklahoma driving. Cougar defensive lineman Brett Denney recovered the ball on the BYU 37. Five plays later, Max Hall connected with Andrew George on a 5-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.

Wyoming sophomore placekicker Austin McCoy was named MWC Special Teams Player of the Week.