1 2 Welcome to the 2015 FCS Awards Banquet! TABLE OF CONTENTS This college football season has been a particularly special one for STATS. Back in June, senior writer Craig Haley and I attended the Page annual CoSIDA convention in Orlando and told a group representing Welcome Letter – Frisco Mayor Maher Maso 4 the FCS that STATS was considering shining a national light on Welcome Letter – Texas Governor Greg Abbott 5 the subdivision. The reaction was overwhelming. From that point FCS Awards Finalists 7 on we kicked the project into high gear, soon after announcing a Marshaun Coprich – Offensive Finalist 8 preseason All-America team, organizing the weekly media poll and Kade Harrington – Offensive Finalist 10 creating a dedicated website to house all of our original content just in time for the regular season. Four months of one-of-a-kind Cooper Kupp – Offensive Finalist 12 coverage and 1.5 million page views later, we find ourselves in James Cowser – Defensive Finalist 14 Frisco, surrounded by the game's best and brightest the night before Tyrone Holmes – Defensive Finalist 16 the end of an incredible journey. Football is a game of passion and Patrick Onwuasor – Defensive Finalist 18 commitment, and STATS has brought those same qualities to the Dalton Screws – Robinson Scholar-Athlete Recipient 20 table in undertaking this unprecedented initiative. Of course, many Case Cookus – Freshman Recipient 22 of you have directly helped make that job a lot easier. Conferences, teams, coaches and players have uniformly opened their arms to us Bruce Barnum – Coach Recipient 24 with accessibility and communication, allowing us to better relay 2015 FCS Season in Review 26 your stories to a rabid fan base around the country. So let tonight 2015 FCS Playoff Bracket 27 be not only a celebration of the stars that make the FCS great, but Past NCAA Division I FCS Championship Game Results 28 a thank you to all those who have helped us cover them and the STATS FCS All-America Teams 29 countless other student-athletes who would no doubt make Doris Awards Presenters 31 and Eddie Robinson proud. Master of Ceremonies – Gary Reasons 32 Sincerely, FCS Awards Voters 32 Brian Orefice Director, News & Editorial Operations 2015 FCS AWARDS BANQUET FCS SUPPORTERS Page Banquet Coordinators: Brian Orefice, Philip Sokol and Craig Haley Southwestern Athletic Conference Front Inside Graphic Designer: Jeffrey Reitzes Colonial Athletic Association 2 Awards Program Writers: Craig Haley, Philip Sokol, Jeff Bartl, Big South Conference 6 Matt Becker, Tom Castro and Jeff Mezydlo Illinois State University 9 Video Coordinator: Caleb Thomas Lamar University 11 STATS FCS Website: Eastern Washington University 13 www.fcs.football University of Montana 13 Southern Utah University 15 For future FCS business and advertising inquiries, please Southland Conference 17 contact Brian Orefice at [email protected]. Big Sky Conference 19 STATS LLC Global Headquarters Patriot League 21 2775 Shermer Road Pioneer Football League 21 Northbrook, IL 60062 Northern Arizona University 23 1-847-583-2100 Portland State University 25 Ohio Valley Conference 27 www.stats.com Northeast Conference 30 Missouri Valley Football Conference 30 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Back Inside STATS Back Cover 3 4 5 6 2015 FCS AWARDS FINALISTS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS Kendell Anderson RB William & Mary Kourtney Berry LB Alabama State Tarik Cohen RB North Carolina A&T Don Cherry LB Villanova Case Cookus QB Northern Arizona James Cowser DE Southern Utah Marshaun Coprich RB Illinois State Keionta Davis DE Chattanooga Tyler Dube WR Sacred Heart Dee Delaney CB The Citadel Chase Edmonds RB Fordham Tyler Drake LB Penn Austin Gahafer QB Morehead State Deiondre’ Hall CB Northern Iowa Jacobi Green RB Richmond P.J. Hall DE Sam Houston State Joe Haeg LT North Dakota State Javon Hargrave DT South Carolina State Kade Harrington RB Lamar Stephen Hodge LB Fordham Johnta’ Hebert RB Prairie View A&M Tyrone Holmes DE Montana De’Angelo Henderson RB Coastal Carolina Jermaine Hough CB Jacksonville State Scott Hosch QB Harvard DeAndre Houston-Carson FS William & Mary Jacob Huesman QB Chattanooga John Hugunin LB Drake KD Humphries QB Murray State Deon King LB Norfolk State Mark Iannotti QB Southern Illinois Christian Kuntz LB Duquesne Eli Jenkins QB Jacksonville State O.J. Mau NT Gardner-Webb Cooper Kupp WR Eastern Washington Harlan Miller CB Southeastern Louisiana Troy Mitchell QB Western Carolina Victor Ochi DE Stony Brook Dakota Prukop QB Montana State Patrick Onwuasor S Portland State Alex Ross QB Coastal Carolina Derek Rivers DE Youngstown State Daniel Sams QB McNeese State Darnell Sankey LB Sacramento State Jake Wieneke WR South Dakota State Noah Spence DE Eastern Kentucky Dalyn Williams QB Dartmouth Myke Tavarres LB Incarnate Word Johnathan Williams QB Grambling State Chima Uzowihe DE Liberty FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS Ian Berryman P Western Carolina Bruce Barnum Portland State (Big Sky) Dominick Bragalone RB Lehigh Jamey Chadwell Charleston Southern (Big South) Solomon Brown LB Charleston Southern Rick Chamberlin Dayton (Pioneer) Kyle Buss WR Robert Morris Broderick Fobbs Grambling State (SWAC) Jabari Butler CB Abilene Christian John Grass Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley) Taryn Christion QB South Dakota State Mike Houston The Citadel (Southern) Case Cookus QB Northern Arizona Dan Hunt Colgate (Patriot) Julian Cox LB Albany Ed Lamb Southern Utah (Big Sky) Marquis Green S Mississippi Valley State Jerry Mack North Carolina Central (MEAC) Derrick Griffin WR Texas Southern Ray Priore Penn (Ivy) Thomas Jefferson RB Delaware Danny Rocco Richmond (CAA) Alex Jeske QB Dayton Jerry Schmidt Duquense (Northeast) Zak Kennedy PK Youngstown State John Stiegelmeier South Dakota State (Missouri Valley) Anthony Lawrence QB San Diego Matt Viator McNeese State (Southland) Dorrel McClain RB North Carolina Central Chris Villarrial Saint Francis (Northeast) John Santiago RB North Dakota Justice Shelton-Mosley WR/RS Harvard Andrew Van Ginkel DE South Dakota Dylan Weigel LB East Tennessee State Micah Wright WR Maine DORIS & EDDIE ROBINSON SCHOLAR-ATHLETE FINALISTS Christopher Beaschler LB Dayton Jake Prus OT Villanova Derek Crittenden DE Montana Alex Ross QB Coastal Carolina Matt DelMauro RB Bucknell John Russ QB Mercer Nick Faraci C Robert Morris Dalton Screws WR Jacksonville State Padyn Giebler LB Incarnate Word Matt Shiltz QB Butler Mark Iannotti QB Southern Illinois Cole Toner OT Harvard Carl Jones C North Carolina Central Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State Javancy Jones DE Jackson State 7 • OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST • Before a game, running back Marshaun Coprich will walk around and shake hands with every other starter on the Illinois State football team. He believes it shows leadership, plus it gives him an opportunity to share some motivating words. “I’m showing them that I’m watching ‘em and I’m here for them every play,” he said. “I’ve got their back.” In actuality, it’s those same Redbirds who have been known to climb on Coprich’s back. One year ago, he was the nation’s leading rusher and scorer while helping them reach the FCS championship game. This season, he remained at that same elite level in becoming a finalist for STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year. During the regular season, Coprich ranked second nationally in rushing yards (1,720) and rushing yards per game (156.4), and tied for third in touchdowns (20) and points per game (11.1) all while competing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference – considered the strongest in the FCS. The Redbirds earned a share of the league title for the second straight year. Appropriately, Coprich earned the nickname of “Young Bull” from former Illinois State safety Tevin Allen for his hard-charging running style. A touchdown machine, the 5-foot-9, 205-pounder often explodes between the tackles and to the edge of a defense – a true bull on the loose. The FCS’ active career rushing leader, he surpassed 5,000 yards during the playoffs. “I go into each game with what I’m taught from my (running backs) coach Lamar Conard, just being fundamentally sound,” Coprich said. “Your fundamentals will place you in the right spot and then your talent will just take over. And that’s what I’ve been doing, week in and week out.” – Craig Haley 8 9 • OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST • There’s a port near Lamar University where Kade Harrington and a teammate like to disappear for a little saltwater fishing. “I like the fact that you can just kind of get away. It’s relaxing,” said Harrington, whose biggest catch was a 35-pound drum fish last summer. During the 2015 season, the FCS All-America running back represented the fish that kept getting away. And chasing him around was anything but relaxing for those trying to catch him. Harrington averaged 7.9 yards per carry while leading the FCS in rushing yards (2,092), rushing yards per game (190.2) and rushing touchdowns (21) during the regular season. The finalist for STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year also was No. 1 in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (213.4) and points per game (12.5). He surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in his first 10 contests, marking just the seventh time that has happened in Division I history. So was Harrington the biggest fish that got away? Not really. He stands about 5-feet-8, 190 pounds. But don’t be fooled. “I’m a lot more physical of a runner than people would think just when they would look at me,” he said. “I would say I’m a one-cut kind of person. I tend not to dance as much as other running backs do, I just kind of hit the hole and go.