SMU Players Receive C-USA Honors
IRVING, Texas (C-USA/SMU) – Thirteen Mustangs have earned All-Conference USA honors, as selected by the league’s 12 head football coaches, the conference office announced today. Zach Line, Margus Hunt and Ja’Gared Davis were named First-Team All-C-USA.
Line, a senior running back, leads C-USA with 108 yards per game in league contests and is second in C-USA in rushing (100.6 ypg) in all games. He has 1,207 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 2012, adding 32 receptions for 231 yards. He has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark three times and is just the second Mustang and the fourth player in C-USA history to reach that plateau in at least three seasons. Line has totaled 4,114 yards rushing and 46 TDs on the ground in his career, ranking sixth and third, respectively, among active players, and both marks are second-best in school history. His 4,715 career all-purpose yards are second all-time at SMU and his 276 career points are third.
Hunt, a senior defensive end, broke the NCAA career record for blocked field goals when he blocked his ninth career FGA against SFA and added another FGA block at UTEP. Hunt also blocked a PAT versus Texas A&M and is now second all-time in career blocked kicks with 17 (10 FGA, 7 PAT). He leads SMU with six sacks in 2012 and
is second on the team in tackles for loss (8.5). Hunt has totaled 14.5 career sacks and 25 career TFL. He also notched his first career interception in the win over Southern Miss.
Davis, a senior linebacker, is third on the team in tackles (71) and solo tackles (45), and ranks second with nine TFL, including two sacks. He has notched two interceptions, forced three fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Davis was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance in the win over Tulsa when he forced and recovered a fumble, and made an interception. He was huge in SMU’s win over SFA, recording nine tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFL and a 34-yard fumble return for a TD. Davis also returned an interception for a TD at UTEP, his fifth career score (three fumble returns, a blocked FGA return and an interception return).
Bryan Collins, Darius Johnson, Kenneth Acker and Taylor Reed were named to the All-Conference USA second team.
Collins, a senior offensive lineman, started every game for the Mustangs, blocking for C-USA’s second-leading back, Line. This year, the team has posted top-10 school efforts in scoring, scoring average, total offense, passing yards, passing TDs, completions, attempts, completion percentage and first downs among others.
Johnson, a senior wide receiver, ranks fifth in catches per game (6.0) and in yardage (84.9) in C-USA games, and has posted three 100-yard efforts. He has 61 grabs for 747 yards and four scores in 2012. Johnson has 13 100-yard games in his career, third-best at SMU, and ranks in the top five on the Hilltop in career TDs, catches and yards. With 229 career catches, he’s tied for fifth among active players and his 2,814 yards are 14th-best.
Acker, a junior defensive back, leads the team with eight pass breakups and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 10 after recording two interceptions and scoring two touchdowns – one on an interception return and one on a blocked field goal try. He notched an interception in the win against Houston and has also returned six punts for a total of 84 yards.
Reed, a senior linebacker, leads the team and ranks ninth in C-USA with 11.5 tackles for loss, and is second on the squad with 88 tackles (19th C-USA) and 5.5 sacks (t-12th C-USA). He has 391 career tackles, ranking fifth among active players and his 249 solo tackles are second among actives. Reed had two interceptions on the season, returning one for a TD in the win over Houston.
Jordan Free, Jeremy Johnson, Torlan Pittman and Mike Loftus all received All-Conference USA honorable mention nods.
Free, a senior offensive lineman, appeared in all 12 games, making 11 starts. Free blocked for Line and was a member of the record-setting Mustang offense.
Johnson, a junior wide receiver, leads the Mustangs with 67 grabs in 2012 for 679 yards and three TDs. He ranks fourth in the league in catches per game (6.1) in C-USA contests. Johnson had 11 catches for 106 yards and a TD at Tulane, had a co-team-high of eight receptions and team-high 97 receiving yards against Southern Miss, and notched nine catches for 94 yards and a score against Houston.
Pittman, a senior defensive lineman, saw time in all 12 games, making 10 starts. He has 31 tackles, including 2.5 TFL, and has notched two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. Pittman recovered a fumble at Tulane.
Loftus, a sophomore kicker and punter, ranks fourth in C-USA in punting average in league games with a 43.9-yard average and has just two touchbacks on 47 punts overall. On 37 punts in C-USA games, nine of his punts have been of 50+ yards, including two 62-yard bombs.
Taylor Lasecki and Shakiel Randolph were named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team. Lasecki has started all 12 games at center this season, blocking for Line. Randolph has played in eight games, making six starts after the injury to Ryan Smith. Randolph has 17 tackles, four pass breakups and recovered fumbles in the win over Memphis and at UCF.
SMU faces Fresno State in the 2012 SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL on Christmas Eve (Monday, December 24) at 8 p.m. EST/3 p.m. HST. The game will be telecast by ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
