Coprich named MVFC Offensive Player of Year for second time

Posted on November 25, 2015
Marshawn Coprich
(Photo courtesy goRedbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

NORMAL – Illinois State All-American running back Marshaun Coprich became just the fourth player in the 31-year history of the  Missouri Valley Football Conference to be named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, when the league announced its annual awards Wednesday following a vote by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors, radio play-by-play announcers and beat writers.

He joins Missouri State quarterback DeAndre Smith (1989-90), UNI wide receiver Dedric Ward (1995-96) and Western Illinois quarterback Russ Michna (2002-03) in the select group of players to be honored as the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. An Illinois State player has now been named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year five times: Toby Davis (1992), Laurént Robinson (2005), Matt Brown (2012) and Coprich (2014-15).

Coprich led the MVFC in rushing yards (1,720), touchdowns (20), yards per game (156.4), all-purpose yards per game (169.0) and scoring (11.1) in 2015 and has rushed for over 100 yards in nine of ISU’s 11 games. The Victorville, California, native’s statistics also rank him No. 2 overall in the FCS in rushing yards, yards per game and touchdowns.

A three-time MVFC Offensive Player of the Week selection throughout the season, Coprich posted three games with over 200 yards rushing, six games with over 150 yards rushing and scored multiple touchdowns in seven contests.  He rushed for season-high 254 yards and three touchdowns against Southern Illinois to earn MVFC weekly honors, and followed that performance with 251 yards and a career-high tying four touchdowns in the season finale against South Dakota to also earn the weekly award.

Coprich also helped lead Illinois State to its second-consecutive MVFC regular-season championship and to the No. 2 overall seed in the FCS Playoffs.  The Redbirds (9-2, 7-1 MVFC) will host the winner of Saturday’s first-round game between Dayton and Western Illinois in a second-round contest Saturday, Dec. 5, at Hancock Stadium at 1 p.m.

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