Vandals Coffey earns Player of the Week honor

NEW ORLEANS — University of Idaho freshman kicker and punter Cade Coffey was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Coffey scored 10 points Saturday, against Louisiana, including a career-long 46-yard field goal. This is his second weekly award in the last three weeks.

The Rathdrum native and former Lakeland soccer and football standout was 3-for-3 on field goals. Coffey connected from 26, 37 and 46 yards. The 46 yarder was the longest in the conference last week and the second longest this season. He also converted his lone extra point attempt.

The freshman averaged 52.3 yards on seven punts, the highest single-game punt average in the Sun Belt this season and 14th best nationally. It is the second best single-game punt average in the country this season among players with at least five punts. Coffey booted a career-long 64-yard punt in the fourth quarter, the longest punt in the Sun Belt this week and sixth longest in the country.

Coffey is the 21st Vandal football student-athlete to earn multiple conference player of the week awards in one season. He and Austin Rehkow are the only Vandals to do so since 2000. Rehkow, a four-year starter at kicker and punter, was a two-time Sun Belt honoree last season and in 2013 was named FBS Independent Special Teams Player of the Week three times.

Coffey and the Vandals return to action Saturday, at home against Appalachian State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT, at the Kibbie Dome.