Ten Earn All-Big East Accolades
December 09, 2009 03:52 PM | General
December 9, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A total of 10 West Virginia football players were named to the all-Big East first and second teams, announced today by the conference.
Five players highlight the list with all-Big East first team honors. On offense, tailback Noel Devine and place kicker Tyler Bitancurt earned first-team honors, while linebacker J.T. Thomas, cornerback Brandon Hogan and safety Robert Sands were all named to the all-conference first team defense.
Making the all-Big East second team offense were quarterback Jarrett Brown and offensive tackle Selvish Capers. Defensive lineman Chris Neild, linebacker Reed Williams and punter Scott Kozlowski made the all-conference second team defense.
Devine, a junior from Fort Myers, Fla., is on his way to his most productive season as a Mountaineer. He is 20th in the nation with 108.1 rushing yards per game, second in the conference with a career-high 1,297 yards rushing, and has 13 touchdowns this year. Devine was a unanimous selection for the conference's first team, joining Pitt's Dion Lewis.
 |
|
| Noel Devine joins Pitt's Dion Lewis as the conference's two unanimous picks on offense.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
Bitancurt finished the regular season 13 of 14 with a long of 45 yards, including his game-winning 43-yard kick to defeat Pitt, 19-16, on Nov. 27. The redshirt freshman from Springfield, Va., has made 92.9 percent of his field-goal attempts, and is 10th in the Big East in scoring with 6.4 points per game.
Thomas, known as one of the more skilled linebackers in the Big East, has been reliable yet again in his redshirt junior season. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident is third on the team with 71 tackles, tied for second with two interceptions, has seven tackles for loss and also two pass breakups.
Hogan, in just his second season as a cornerback and third overall with WVU, earned first team honors after leading the team with 10 pass breakups while garnering 71 tackles. The Manassas, Va., native is tied for third in the conference with 11 passes defended, and has one interception.
Sands, a sophomore from Miami, Fla., leads the Big East with five interceptions as well as 13 passes defended. He is seventh on the team with 57 tackles, has eight pass breakups and shows 1.5 TFL's this season.
Capers is one of two players on the all-conference second team offense. The standout right tackle has helped WVU pile up 2,202 yards on the ground while limiting opponents to just 19 sacks this season, an average of just over one per game.
Brown also headlines the second team offense after trying to replace All-American Pat White. Brown, a redshirt senior, has thrown for 2,129 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native has passed for an average of 177.4 yards per game, and also has 423 yards rushing.
Neild has been West Virginia's primary run-stuffer in 2009, often commanding double-teams from opposing offensive lines. The Stroudsburg, Pa., resident has 32 tackles, two TFLs and sealed WVU's 28-24 victory over Connecticut on Oct. 24 with his last-minute interception.
Williams came back from double-shoulder surgery to contribute mightily this season. The Moorefield, W.Va., native has 57 wrap-ups, five TFL's, seven pass breakups and tacked on two sacks in WVU's 24-21 victory over Rutgers. Williams was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Kozlowski replaced former standout Pat McAfee by averaging 44.8 yards per punt, the best mark in the conference. The West Palm Beach, Fla., resident has a long of 63 yards and routinely pins the opposition deep into its own territory, showing a 39.1 net average that is seventh in the country.
Pitt tailback Lewis was named both the conference offensive player of the year and rookie of the year, while Pitt's Greg Romeus and Mick Williams were named co-defensive players of the year. Cincinnati's Brian Kelly earned coach of the year honors, and Bearcat wide receiver/punt and kick returner Mardy Gilyard was named special teams player of the year.
The conference's eight teams also named former UConn player Jasper Howard as this season's honorary captain.
West Virginia closes the 2009 season with a matchup against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on Jan. 1. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., with the game televised on CBS.
