Washington State’s Minshew, Leach honored by Pac-12

SAN FRANCISCO — Washington State head coach Mike Leach was named the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year and quarterback Gardner Minshew II was named the 2018 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Pac-12 Conference announced Tuesday.

Leach earns his second Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor after sharing the honor with Stanford’s David Shaw in 2015.

In his seventh season at WSU, Leach guided the Cougars to a 10-2 overall record including a 7-2 mark in conference play and earned a trip to the Valero Alamo Bowl. Washington State’s 10 wins match a program record and is the first 10-win campaign since 2003.

Minshew is the first Cougar to win a conference yearly honor since quarterback Jason Gesser in 2002. Minshew II led the country in passing yards per game (373.1), total offense (381.7), 300-yard games (11), 400-yard games (six), was second in passing yards (4,477) and fifth in touchdown passes (36).

Minshew adds another accolade to already impressive week, winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (top senior or fourth-year junior QB) and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team earlier Tuesday. He is also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s top quarterback) and the Manning Award (nation’s top quarterback after the bowl season).

In other Pac-12 honors announced Tuesday:

• Washington senior linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven received the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year. It marks the second year in a row that a Husky has been named the Conference’s top defensive player. He finished the regular season as the NCAA-FBS leader with 165 tackles and tied for sixth in the nation with four forced fumbles.

• Freshman offensive Player of the Year went to Jermar Jefferson of Oregon State.

• Freshman defensive Player of the Year was Merlin Robertson of Arizona State.

• First team offense also included Washington State offensive lineman Andre Dillard, and Washington linemen Nick Harris and Kaleb McGary.

• First team defense included Washington lineman Greg Gaines, defensive backs Byron Murphy and Taylor Rapp, and Oregon lineman Jalen Jelks.

2019 schedules announced

The Pac-12 Conference announced its 2019 football schedule that pairs a competitive nine-game conference schedule with a non-conference slate that includes six contests against teams ranked in the current College Football Playoff rankings, including three games against CFP semifinalists No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 Oklahoma.

The season is set to open on Saturday, August 24, as Arizona travels to Hawai’i. Three Power 5 opponents highlight week one (Northwestern at Stanford, Oregon vs. Auburn, Oklahoma State at Oregon State), before conference action gets underway with a pair of league contests in week two as Stanford visits USC, and California travels to Washington.

Over the course of the 14-week season, each team will be provided with two byes, with no team playing more than eight consecutive games.

The schedule includes seven Friday night conference games and one Thursday night conference game.

The Pac-12 Conference championship game is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Exact broadcast schedules and game times will be determined at a later date.

WASHINGTON SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 — Eastern Washington

Sept. 7 — California

Sept. 14 — Hawaii

Sept. 21 — at BYU

Sept. 28 — USC

Oct. 5 — at Stanford

Oct. 12 — at Arizona

Oct. 19 — Oregon

Oct. 26 — bye week

Nov. 2 — Utah

Nov. 8 — at Oregon State

Nov. 16 — bye week

Nov. 23 — at Colorado

Nov. 29 (Fri.) — Washington State

WASHINGTON STATE SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 — New Mexico State

Sept. 7 — Northern Colorado

Sept. 13 — at Houston

Sept. 21 — UCLA

Sept. 28 — at Utah

Oct. 5 — bye week

Oct. 12 — at Arizona State

Oct. 19 — Colorado

Oct. 26 — at Oregon

Nov. 2 — bye week

Nov. 9 — at California

Nov. 16 — Stanford

Nov. 23 — Oregon State

Nov. 29 — at Washington

OREGON SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 — Auburn (at Arlington, Texas)

Sept. 7 — Nevada

Sept. 14 — Montana

Sept. 21 — at Stanford

Sept. 28 — bye week

Oct. 5 — California

Oct. 11 — Colorado

Oct. 19 — at Washington

Oct. 26 — Washington State

Nov. 2 — at USC

Nov. 9 — bye week

Nov. 16 — Arizona

Nov. 23 — at Arizona State

Nov. 30 — Oregon State

OREGON STATE SCHEDULE

Aug. 30 — vs. Oklahoma State

Sept. 7 — at Hawai’i

Sept. 14 — vs. Cal Poly

Sept. 21 — bye week

Sept. 28 — vs. Stanford

Oct. 5 — at UCLA

Oct. 12 — vs. Utah

Oct. 19 — at California

Oct. 26 — bye week

Nov. 2 — at Arizona

Nov. 8 — vs. Washington

Nov. 16 — vs. Arizona State

Nov. 23 — at Washington State

Nov. 30 — at Oregon