Nine Mustangs Named All-C-USA

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IRVING, Texas (C-USA/SMU) – Nine Mustangs have been named All-Conference USA, as selected by the league’s 12 head football coaches, the conference office announced today. Six Mustangs were tabbed first-team picks, tying Houston for the league lead.

SMU has four first-teamers from its offense and two from its defense. Junior running back Zach Line earned a place after leading the league in rushing for the second straight season (1,224 yards) and scoring a league-best 17 touchdowns in just 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Senior lineman Kelvin Beachum, who helped pave the way for Line to gain those yards, was listed along with a pair of wide receivers in senior Cole Beasley (79 catches for 954 yards, a league-high 7.2 receptions per game) and junior Darius Johnson (72 receptions for 998 yards and seven TDs). Defensive end Taylor Thompson (41 stops, 7.5 for loss, six forced fumbles and a team-high seven sacks) and defensive back Richard Crawford (42 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble) were also first-team picks.

Three Mustang defenders, linebackers Ja’Gared Davis and Taylor Reed and lineman Torlan Pittman, were named second-teamers, while offensive linemen Bryce Tennison and Kelly Turner, defensive linemen Margus Hunt and Torlan Pittman and defensive back Chris Banjo were named honorable mention.