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Two Boise State standouts earn Pac-12 honors
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- Two Boise State standouts earn Pac-12 honors
Boise State Broncos wide receiver Cam Bates. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Boise State has its first two individual awards in the Pac-12 .
Junior running back Dylan Riley was voted Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week while wide receiver Cam Bates earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors, the conference announced on Monday.
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Riley ran for a career-high 206 yards on 19 carries-including a 71-yard burst-last weekend in Boise State's 38-20 home victory over Memphis. He also had two receptions for 11 yards.
Riley led the Broncos last season with 1,125 rushing yards and improved his strength during the offseason.
"Dylan broke tackles a year ago, but more times than not it was space tackles where he's so explosive, he makes a cut and (a tackler misses)," Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said during Monday's press conference . "Now, he's breaking arm tackles consistently. He's running through arm tackles, he's making the hard runs. He made a lot of guys miss, and then we know he's got that top gear and can take it the distance."
Riley received two Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors last year with an MWC Freshman of the Week nod in 2024.
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On his first career punt return against Memphis, Bates outran the defense for a 72-yard third-quarter touchdown.
"It was awesome," Danielson said of Bates' punt return touchdown. "Man, he caught that thing on the run and he took off, there were great blocks in front him. ... He made one cut and it was out. Huge play for our team."
Bates also caught a touchdown during Boise State's Week 1 loss to Oregon . For the season, Bates has five receptions for 39 yards.
Danielson said Bates has become a team leader for the Broncos as a junior.
"(I see) how the receivers, the offense, the defense looks to him because of how he practices, how he works," Danielson added. "And whenever you do that consistently, you earn the trust of your team, but it also grows your craft. He's a much improved receiver, much improved special teams player from a year ago."
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Washington State 's Jaylen Thomas earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording the first two interceptions of his career against Kansas State , including a 50-yard pick-six.
Oregon State wide receiver Jessie Legree had eight receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns against Texas State to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Legree is the nation's leading receiver with 13 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns.
The Broncos (1-1) will be back in action on Saturday with an 8 p.m. home game against FCS South Dakota (3-0).
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/boise-state as Two Boise State standouts earn Pac-12 honors .
