ST. LOUIS Missouri State head football coach Bobby Petrino was named as the Bruce Craddock Missouri Valley Football Conference Coach of the Year, the league announced Thursday with its annual all-conference selections. The Bears also received ten individual All-MVFC honors as part of the announcement.
In his first season at Missouri State, Petrino has led the Bears dramatic resurgence with a 5-1 conference record and MVFC co-championship this spring. MSU was picked to tie for ninth in the leagues preseason poll after Petrino inherited a program that won one game a year ago.
Petrino received 50 total points in the coach of the year voting, edging out South Dakota States John Stiegelmeier (46) and North Dakotas Bubba Schweigert (28).
He is the first Missouri State coach to win MVFC Coach of the Year honors since Jesse Branch won the award in both 1989 and 1990.
The Bears also earned ten individual honors from the league, including All-MVFC first team selection Montrae Braswell (DB, Avon Park, Fla.); second-teamers Landon Bebee (OL, Webb City, Mo.), Kevin Ellis (DE, Fort Worth, Texas), Eric Johnson (DL (Plainfield, Ill.), Kyriq McDonald (DB, Madison, Ala.), Jose Pizano (K, Lehi, Utah), and Tylar Wiltz (LB, Breaux Bridge, La.); and honorable mention selections Grant Burkett (P, Joplin, Mo.), Celdon Manning (RB, Allen, Texas) and Damoriea Vick (WR, Oklahoma City, Okla.).
Braswell, a sophomore cornerback, is the Bears lone representative on the All-MVFC first team after he racked up 36 tackles, 32 solo stops and 7 passes defended this season. He earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after MSUs win at No. 21 South Dakota in which he had 6 solo tackles and scored two touchdowns. He holds a share of the MVFC lead with 3 interceptions, which is tied for fourth nationally. He recorded a “pick six” interception in back-to-back road wins over ranked foes in wins at South Dakota and Northern Iowa this season and also tied a program record with a 100-yard kickoff return at South Dakota. He recorded a season-high 8 tackles in win over No. 10 Southern Illinois and is also the league’s top kick returner (31.0).
Bebee is a sophomore offensive guard who earned a 96 percent assignment grade in six spring games along with an 89 percent effort grade from the coaching staff. He played 401 total snaps against Valley opponents and allowed just one sack and 6 pressures on the season.
Ellis, a junior defensive end, leads the conference in sacks per game (0.90) in league games and is 4th in tackles for loss (6.0). He has 29 total stops in 2020-21, including a team-high 8.0 tackles for loss with 6.0 sacks. He ranks 26th nationally in sacks per game overall (0.75) and earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after the win at Western Illinois in which he had 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a 30-yard interception return to go with his 6 total stops. Ellis has been in on at least one sack in 5-of-8 appearances this season with a tackle for loss in 6-of-8.
Johnson, a senior defensive tackle, has appeared in 42 consecutive games for the Bears and has racked up 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His 5.0 tackles for loss in Valley games ranks 9th in the league. Johnson recorded a key blocked field goal attempt at South Dakota to halt a pivotal drive and help set up MSU’s game-winning drive on the next series. He also brought down a season-high 8 ball carriers in the Bears win over SIU with 7 solo tackles.
McDonald ranks second on the team in total tackles with 48, including 38 solo stops and 4.0 tackles for loss. The senior safety and dynamic pass defender also had a team-high 35 solo tackles in conference play, while his 6.8 stops per game against Valley opponents ranks 15th among all league defenders. He brought down 11 ball carriers with 8 solos in win at No. 21 South Dakota and notched a season-high 9 solo stops vs. North Dakota State. He is also averaging 7.2 yards per punt return, which is 2nd in the league.
Pizano is a sophomore kicker who came to MSU from Snow College in Utah. He currently ranks 15th nationally in field goal accuracy (.846) on 11-of-13 field goal attempts, while his 1.22 field goals per game also ranks 24th in the FCS. In league games, he is 8-for-9 on field goals with the second-most field goals of any MVFC player. Pizano is also 18-for-18 on extra points on the year and earned Valley Special Teams Player of the Week distinction after the win over Southern Illinois in which he booted through the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Wiltz, a junior linebacker, leads the squad with 75 total tackles this season, including 48 solo stops and 6.0 tackles for loss. He is a two-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in Missouri State wins over Youngstown State and its game at No. 6 (FBS) Oklahoma with 12 total tackles in each of those games. He is averaging 7.3 tackles per game in league games, which ranks among the top 10 players in the conference, while his 8.3 tackles per game overall ranks 55th nationally. Wiltz recorded 10 or more tackles four times this season.
Burkett is a redshirt freshman punter who Ranks 12th nationally and 3rd in the MVFC in punting average (42.3). In league games, he has averaged 43.3 yards per punt with 8 punts of 50 yards or more, which is second-best in the conference, and 10 punts inside the 20. Burkett has averaged 40.0 yards per punt or better in 8-of-9 games this season with a season-long 75-yard punt vs. UCA.
Manning, a freshman running back is averaging 3.8 yards per carry in 6 appearances and 64 carries for 240 total yards. He earned Valley Offensive Player of the Week honors after the win over No. 10 Southern Illinois in which he scored four touchdowns and racked up 182 all-purpose yards, including a 75-yard TD reception on the opening play of the game. He also earned STATS National Freshman of the Week honors after the SIU win. Manning also posted 99 rushing yards on 22 carries in win over Youngstown State.
Vick, a junior wide receiver and Preseason All-MVFC pick, leads the Bears with 40 receptions for 544 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. He ranks 12th nationally in total receiving yards and is third in the MVFC in receiving yards per game in league games (74.8). He also ranks 6th in the conference in receptions per game (5.2) and is coming off his first career multiple-TD game in the win over Youngstown State. He also caught 6 passes in three different league games with season-high 138 yards in the Bears win over Western Illinois.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski of South Dakota State was named the 2020-21 MVFC Offensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Jared Brinkman of UNI was tabbed MVFC Defensive Player of the Year.
The league will announce its All-Newcomer Team on Friday in advance of Missouri States NCAA playoff game at North Dakota, which is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. (ESPN3) from the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
Fans may also watch Saturdays FCS first-round playoff game at UND at the Bears official playoff watch party location at JQH Arena. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and basic concession items will be available at the free event.
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