Mountain West Announces 2013 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors
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For Immediate Use: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Contact: Javan Hedlund (719) 488-4059 MOUNTAIN WEST ANNOUNCES 2013 FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL HONORS COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West announced its 2013 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners today as selected by the 12 head coaches and select media panel. Fresno State senior quarterback Derek Carr was chosen as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while Colorado State senior linebacker Shaquil Barrett was named MW Defensive Player of the Year. New Mexico sophomore kick returner Carlos Wiggins earned the MW Special Teams Player of the Year award, while San José State wide receiver Tyler Winston was honored as the MW Freshman of the Year. Matt Wells of Utah State was selected as the MW Coach of the Year. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – DEREK CARR, SENIOR, QB, FRESNO STATE Two-time MW Offensive Player of the Year honoree and third player in league history to earn the award in back-to-back seasons (Colorado State QB Bradlee Van Pelt in 2002 and 2003; TCU QB Andy Dalton in 2009 and 2010). Sixth straight quarterback, and 12th overall, to be named MW Offensive Player of the Year. 10th player in Fresno State history to be garner conference offensive player of the year accolades. Leads the nation in total offense yards (4,983), total passing yards (4,866), passing yards per game (405.5), passing touchdowns (48), completions per game (35.33), touchdown responsibility (48), total point responsibility (302) and point responsibility per game (25.2). Set a new MW record with 306 consecutive pass attempts without an interception from Oct. 5-Nov. 29, 2013 and also had 180-straight passes without throwing a pick from Aug. 29-Sept. 28, 2013. Re-set his own league records for total offense yards, total offense plays (645), passing yards, and pass completions (424). Carr’s previous records for those categories were all set in 2012 (4,105 total offense yards, 577 total offense plays, 4,104 passing yards and 344 pass completions). Established new league records for passing touchdowns and pass attempts. Boise State’s Kellen Moore held the previous MW record for most passing TDs in a single season with 43 in 2011, while BYU’s John Beck owned the former mark for pass attempts with 513 in 2005. Named the MW Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2013 (Sept. 3, Nov. 4 and Nov. 25). Topped the 500-yard passing mark twice in 2013, joining San Diego State’s Adam Hall (2002) as the only two quarterbacks in MW history to register back-to-back 500-yard passing games in a single season. His eight games with 400-plus passing yards this season leads all FBS quarterbacks and is a new MW record, more than doubling his own league record of three, set in 2012. Eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark in a league-record 10 contests this season. The previous record of eight 300-yard passing games was set by BYU’s Max Hall in 2009. 2013 Sammy Baugh Award winner (nation’s top passer). DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – SHAQUIL BARRETT, SENIOR, LB, COLORADO STATE Second Colorado State player to win MW Defensive Player of the Year accolades (Rick Crowell in 2000). Third linebacker in four years to earn the award, and seventh overall. Third Ram to capture league defensive player of the year honors, joining Crowell and Brady Smith (1995). Leads the MW and ranks fourth nationally with a league-record 20.5 tackles for loss in 2013. The previous MW single-season record of 20.0 TFL was shared by BYU’s Jan Jorgensen (2007) and San Diego State’s Miles Burris (2010). Leads the MW and is tied for third nationally with 12.0 total sacks. Has 74 tackles (34 solo, 40 assisted). Has blocked three field goals in 2013, including two vs. Cal Poly on Sept. 14. Has forced three fumbles in 2013, including two vs. UTEP on Sept. 28. Also has one fumble recovery, one interception, five quarterback hurries and two pass breakups this season. Named MW Defensive Player of the Week once in 2013 (Sept. 30). -more- 2013 Mountain West Football Honors Release - Page 2 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – CARLOS WIGGINS, SOPHOMORE, KICK RETURNER, NEW MEXICO Second New Mexico player to win MW Special Teams Player of the Year honors, joining placekicker Kenny Byrd (2006). Fifth straight kick returner to be named MW Special Teams Player of the Year. Leads the nation with 1,303 total kick return yards, while ranking fifth with a league-high 29.6 kick return average. Is the only FBS player with three kickoff returns for touchdown in 2013. His three kickoff return TDs tied a MW single-season record, equaling the mark established by Hawai‘i’s Mike Edwards in 2012. Became second player in MW history to record two 100-yard kick returns in a single season (Mike Edwards, Hawai‘i-2012). Wiggins’ 1,303 total kick return yards in 2013 is a new MW single-season record. The previous mark of 1,215 kick return yards was held by Hawai‘i’s Mike Edwards (2012). FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – TYLER WINSTON, WR, SAN JOSÉ STATE Second straight wide receiver, and fourth overall, to garner MW Freshman of the Year honors (Austin Collie, BYU-2004; Ryan Wolfe, UNLV-2006 and Davante Adams, Fresno State-2012). First player in San José State history to earn conference freshman of the year honors. Ranks fifth in the MW in receiving yards per game (85.8) and eighth in yards per catch (14.8). Second on the team with 58 receptions for 858 yards and five touchdowns. Recorded four games with over 100 yards receiving, including a season-high 171-yard performance on nine catches with one touchdown vs. Wyoming on Oct. 26. Ranks first among all freshmen in the country in receiving yards per game, and is third in total receiving yards and receptions per game, while his 14.5 yards per catch average is second-best among FBS freshmen with at least 500 receiving yards. Only FBS freshman with three games of 150 or more receiving yards in 2013. Also caught a touchdown pass in five of 10 games played, including three straight from Oct. 5-Oct. 26. COACH OF THE YEAR – MATT WELLS, UTAH STATE Selected as MW Coach of the Year after leading Utah State to an 8-5 overall record and the Conference’s Mountain Division title with a 7-1 mark. The 2013 season marks Wells’ first year as a head coach. He is the second straight Aggie coach, and fifth overall, to garner conference coach of the year honors (Bruce Snyder, 1978; Chuck Shelton, 1991; John L. Smith, 1997 and Gary Andersen, 2012). He is the fourth individual to earn MW Coach of the Year honors in his first season (Gary Crowton, BYU-2001; Urban Meyer, Utah-2003 and Troy Calhoun, Air Force-2007). Tied the Utah State record for wins by a first year head coach with eight. NOTABLES Five student-athletes were repeat MW first-team All-Conference selections from 2012, including four from Fresno State. Quarterback Derek Carr, wide receiver Davante Adams, offensive lineman Austin Wentworth and defensive back Derron Smith were all first-team selections last year for the Bulldogs, while Boise State defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence makes his second straight appearance on the first team. Fresno State senior QB Derek Carr is just the fourth quarterback in the 15-year history of the Mountain West to earn MW first- team All-Conference honors in consecutive seasons. Carr joins Colorado State’s Bradlee Van Pelt (2002-03), BYU’s John Beck (2005-06) and TCU’s Andy Dalton (2009-10) on the list. Charles Leno, Jr. (Boise State – Offensive Lineman), Jared Roberts (Colorado State – Placekicker), Brock Hekking (Nevada – Defensive Lineman) and Nat Berhe (San Diego State – Defensive Back) are all MW first-team selections in 2013 after being second-team honorees in 2012. Of the 50 MW first- and second-team selections, 28 were seniors, 13 juniors and nine were sophomores. The first team had 16 seniors, including all five offensive lineman and all three linebackers. Five sophomores were selected to the MW first team, tied with the 2011 team for the second-most in MW history. The 2002 All-Conference team featured six sophomores. UNLV’s Devante Davis is the first Rebel WR to be named to the MW All-Conference team since Ryan Wolfe earned first-team honors in 2009. Davis is a second-team honoree. Tim Cornett is the first UNLV RB to be named to the MW All-Conference team since Dominique Dorsey was a first-team selection in 2004. Cornett earned second-team honors. Weston Richburg (offensive lineman), Kapri Bibbs (running back), Crockett Gillmore (tight end) and Jared Roberts (placekicker) are the first Colorado State offensive players since 2008 to land on the MW first team. Jared Roberts is the first placekicker from CSU to earn MW first-team honors. New Mexico running back Kasey Carrier is a second-team honoree for the second consecutive season. This is the fourth straight year San Diego State has had a MW first-team honoree at defensive back. --more-- 2013 Mountain West Football Honors Release - Page 3 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Derek Carr, Sr., QB, Fresno State DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Shaquil Barrett, Sr., LB, Colorado State SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Carlos Wiggins, So., KR, New Mexico FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Tyler Winston, Fr., WR, San José State COACH OF THE YEAR Matt Wells, Utah State 2013 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE DEFENSE Pos.