Weber State quarterback Jamie Martin has moved within striking distance of the Big Sky Conference career records for total offense and passing offense with a record-setting weekend to close out his junior year.
And teammates Alfred Pupunu and Geoff Mitchell were the league's leading receiver and rusher, reinforcing the Wildcats claim as the top offensive team in NCAA Division I-AA.The Wildcats led the nation in total offense with over 578 yards a game, but the Nevada Wolf Pack, the conference winner and the top-ranked team heading into the playoffs, was a close second at nearly 510 yards a game.
And the Idaho Vandals, despite a disappointing 6-5 season, were third in the nation in total offense, averaging over 482 yards a game.
Martin's completion of 47 passes for 624 yards to defeat Idaho State 60-41 broke NCAA Division I-AA records, and the victory catapulted the Wildcats into only their second ever post-season appearance.
It solidified his position as the nation's leader in total offense, averaging just over 394 yards a game.
But it also pulled him within 2,325 yards of the Big Sky career record for total offense, set by Idaho's Ken Hobart at 11,126 yards, and within less than 1,700 yards of the league's career passing record of 10,697 yards held by Idaho's John Friesz and Northern Arizona's Greg Wyatt.
Martin piled up a record 4,337 yards in total offense and 4,125 yards in passing offense during the 1991 11-game schedule, both Big Sky single season records.
If he stays healthy through the 1992 schedule, he would need to average just 211 yards in total offense to break Hobart's career mark and just 155 yards passing to eclipse Friesz and Wyatt.
Pupunu, Martin's favorite target, completed the year as the nation's number-one receiver with 93 catches for 1,204 yards and a dozen touchdowns. But Idaho's Kasey Dunn finished his senior season as the league record-holding receiver, setting the standard for career receptions at 268 and reception yardage at 3,847.
Mitchell claimed the conference rushing title with an average of just over 106 yards a game, more than 20 yards a game more than the runner-up.
But possibly overshadowed by Martin's performance against Idaho State were the two additional touchdowns Mitchell scored to pad his single season scoring record. Mitchell average over two touchdowns a game this fall to amass 170 points, breaking the previous single-season mark of 130 points set by Idaho State's Ed Bell in 1969.
Nevada and Weber State were one-two in the nation in scoring. Nevada took the honors with an average of 45.1 points a game while the Wildcats finished second at 45 points even.
Boise State, which won all seven of its home games while dropping all four games on the road, finished as the undisputed defensive king of the Big Sky.
The Broncos allowed less than 18 points a game, holding opponents to less than 84 yards a game on the ground and 227 yards in the air. Boise State allowed only 23 touchdowns while intercepting 28 passes and recovering 14 fumbles.