Mountain West Conference Names Football Players of the Week

Utah's Johnson, Kruger and Sakoda and San Diego State's Laolagi honored

Nov. 24, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -

Brian Johnson, Paul Kruger and Louie Sakoda (Utah) and Luke Laolagi (San Diego State) are Mountain West Conference Players of the Week for games through Nov. 23. Johnson claims Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Kruger and Laolagi share the Defensive Player award and Sakoda receives Special Teams recognition. Sakoda collects his league-record 12th career weekly accolade, while Johnson receives his fourth and Laolagi claims his second. This marks the first weekly award for Kruger.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRIAN JOHNSON
Senior, Quarterback, Baytown, Texas/Robert E. Lee HS
Brian Johnson completed 30-of-36 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns in leading No. 7 Utah to an undefeated Mountain West football title with a 48-24 victory over No. 14 BYU. The senior quarterback from Baytown, Texas, averaged 10.1 yards per completion without an interception in the contest. Johnson completed 15-of-18 passes for 143 yards in the first quarter to help Utah jump out to a 10-3 lead that it never relinquished. His 83.3 percent completion rate is the third-best single-game effort in school history, while his 303 yards moved him into third place all-time at Utah for 200-yard games (20). Johnson also rushed for 28 yards to finish with 331 yards of total offense in the game.

CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
LUKE LAOLAGI, SAN DIEGO STATE
Junior, Linebacker, Reseda, Calif./ Birmingham HS
Luke Laolagi registered a game-high 12 tackles, including nine solo stops, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, an interception, and a pass breakup in San Diego State's 42-21 upset of UNLV. After the Van Nuys, Calif., native forced a Rebel fumble midway through the third quarter, the Aztecs scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 21-7 lead with 3:46 remaining in the period. The junior linebacker also recorded his first career interception with just over two minutes left in the game. Laolagi was part of an Aztec defense that surrendered a season-low 33 rushing yards to the Rebels after entering the game with a 247.5 average on rushing defense.

PAUL KRUGER, UTAH
Sophomore, Defensive End, Orem, Utah/Timpanogos HS
Defensive end Paul Kruger finished with six tackles, including three solo stops, a fumble recovery, an interception and two pass breakups in Utah's 48-24 win over BYU. The sophomore from Orem, Utah, recorded his fumble recovery with Utah holding a 27-24 edge late in the third quarter, and the Utes scored on the offensive series that followed to take a 34-24 lead. Kruger then intercepted a pass on the Cougars' next possession, returning it 30 yards to the BYU 4-yard line to set up another Utah touchdown and give the Utes a 41-24 advantage with 12 minutes left to play in the game.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
LOUIE SAKODA, UTAH
Senior, Punter/Placekicker, San Jose, Calif./Branham HS
Louie Sakoda made both of his field goal attempts from 37 and 35 yards and was also a perfect 6-of-6 in PATs in Utah's 48-24 win over BYU. His two field goals gave him 21 this season, breaking his school record of 19 set last year, while his six PATs gave the San Jose, Calif., native the school single-season PAT record (52), breaking the old mark of 48 set in 1994. Sakoda also averaged 44.2 yards on four punts (177 yards), with one inside the 20, a 51-yarder and a 50-yarder.