FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gagnon Named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week
Xander Gagnon’s big performance on Saturday earned him Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week
By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com
FARMINGTON, Utah – Northern Colorado’s defense was flying all over the place on Saturday in UNC’s 17-10 overtime win over Northern Arizona. One of the main playmakers was linebacker Xander Gagnon, who was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week.
Gagnon finished the day with 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry. The 2.5 tackles for a loss of eight yards were the most for the Bears who had 10 on the day. Gagnon made one of the best defensive plays of the day when he blew up a read option for the Lumberjacks, tackling both the quarterback and the running back.
With Gagnon and the defense’s performance on Saturday, UNC held an opponent under 20 points for the first time since October 20, 2018, also against NAU. It’s the first time the Bears have held a team to 10 points or less since November 18, 2017.
On the year, he is averaging 9.0 tackles a game which ranks 28th in the FCS, and is second on the team with 36 total tackles.
Gagnon is the second Bear to earn Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors. David Hoage won the award after his performance against Houston Baptist.
Northern Colorado hits the road this week to face Montana State on Saturday at 1 pm. The Bears are back at Nottingham Field on October 9 for Homecoming at 1 pm. Tickets for the game can be purchased at UNCBears.com/Tickets.
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Ryan Pfeifer
Director of Strategic Communication
O: 970-351-3645 | C: 720-290-8886
#Bears Strong | @Rpfeifer82
