Colorado Springs, Colo.----- San Jose State University defensive lineman Cade Hall and head coach Brent Brennan received two of the top four Mountain West football awards for the 2020 season in balloting by the conference's 12 head coaches.
Hall, a junior from Morgan Hill, Calif., and graduate of Bellarmine Prep in San Jose, Calif., was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Completing his fourth season leading the undefeated and #25-ranked Spartans, Brennan was named Coach of the Year.
Hall leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally in quarterback sacks per game with 8.5 and a 1.33 per game average, respectively. He registered at least 1.0 quarterback sacks in four of the six games the Spartans played and also ranks tied for 19th nationally in tackles for loss.
Completing his fourth season as head coach, Brennan leads a San Jose State team that is enjoying its first 6-0 start to a season since 1939. This year's Spartans are one of eight remaining Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams unbeaten in games through December 12, finished a regular season with a perfect record in conference games for the first time since 1990, and is ranked 25th nationally in the Associated Press and Amway coaches' national polls.
In all, 11 San Jose State players were named either a first or second team selection or to a group of honorable mention honorees. Combined with the top honors to Hall and Brennan, the 13 accolades are the most for a Spartan team in one season as a Mountain West member.
Besides being named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Hall is one of three Spartan defensive players named first-team All-Mountain West. Sophomore defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko, the team leader in tackles for loss with 9.5 for the season and linebacker Kyle Harmon are first-team selections on defense. Harmon is the team's leading tackler with 11.2 stops per game, tied for 11th best nationally, and has 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Offensive tackle Jack Snyder and wide receiver Bailey Gaither complete the group of five San Jose State first-team All-Mountain West honorees. Snyder and Gaither were honorable mention honorees in 2019. Snyder anchors an offensive line that yielded only five quarterback sacks and paved the way for consecutive 200-yard plus rushing games for the first time since 2006 to conclude the regular season schedule. Gaither, one of the conference's best deep threats, leads the Spartans in pass receiving with 36 receptions for 627 yards and four touchdowns.
Wide receiver Tre Walker, quarterback Nick Starkel, and sophomore safety Tre Jenkins are second-team All-Mountain West picks. Walker, a 2019 first-team All-Mountain West player for the second consecutive year, has 31 catches for 409 yards and three touchdowns. Starkel is the conference leader in passing efficiency with a 164.3 rating completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 1,453 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jenkins tops the Spartans defense with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries and is third in total tackles with 38.
Tight end Derrick Deese, Jr., safety Tre Webb, and placekicker Matt Mercurio are the Spartans' honorable mention award winners. Deese, Jr.'s four touchdown receptions, all on third-down plays matches Gaither for the team lead. Webb is second on the team with 44 tackles and tops the squad with four pass break-ups. Mercurio, an honorable mention honoree for the second consecutive year, converted all of his 23 extra-point tries and is 5-of-6 kicking field goals.
San Jose State (6-0) continues its preparation for the Mountain West football championship game, Saturday, December 19, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. FOX Sports will provide national over-the-air television coverage. Radio listeners can tune in to KTRB (860 AM, Fremont) or on the TuneIn app.
