Sept. 15, 2003
Phildephia, PA Idaho State kicker Jeremy Hershey was selected as the I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week by the Sports Network, the division's most widely recognized information
service. Hershey was named along with Lehigh running back Jermaine Pugh and San Diego quarterback Eric Rasmussen for offense, and Western Illinois linebacker Lee Russell for defense.
Pugh proved virtually unstoppable in the Mountain Hawks' win over former No. 9 Fordham, Rasmussen threw the Toreros to a blowout of Davidson, Russell helped the Leathernecks play former AP No. 12 LSU close into the fourth quarter, and Hershey's kicking prowess enabled the Bengals' triumph over Northern Colorado.
The San Bernardino, California native was 5-5 on field goal attempts and 3-3 on extra points as Idaho State downed Northern Colorado, 42-33. His five field goals came from distances of 41,
41, 45, 48, and 41 yards and accounted for 18 kicking points in the game, tying the school record first established by James Ferrell against Southern Utah in 1997
His first connection gave ISU a 3-0 lead, his second make extended the lead to 13-0, and the third, fourth, and fifth attempts changed the score from a 21-19 deficit to a 28-19 lead. For Hershey, six of eight kickoffs went for touchbacks, and another was a recovered onside kick. He is a perfect 6-6 on field goals this season, and is one of just two I-AA players with six or more attempts without a miss.
Hershey was also named Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week, and Ernie James was the co-Defensive Player of the Week, sharing the award with Jamal Abdullah of Portland State. James returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give ISU a 35-21 lead. A junior from Long Beach, Calif., James also led the Bengals with eight tackles and had one tackle for a loss. James became just the third player in Big Sky history to return an interception 100 yards for a score.
