News from the FCS
July 25th, 2013, 01:40 PM
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Coastal Carolina senior wide receiver Matt Hazel (North Augusta, S.C.) and Coastal Carolina junior linebacker Quinn Backus (Greenwood, S.C.) have been voted the Big South Conference’s 2013 Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, by the League’s head football coaches and media panel, it was announced today at the Big South Football Media Day Kickoff Luncheon at the Charlotte Plaza Uptown Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
Hazel is just the second wide receiver to receive the Conference’s preseason honor. A two-time All-Big South pick, Hazel was a First-Team honoree in 2012 and a Second-Team selection in 2011. Last season, he tied the Coastal Carolina single-season record with 61 receptions despite having two teammates each with more than 40 catches as well. He finished with 799 receiving yards (second on the CCU all-time list) and eight touchdowns. His eight TD catches were second in the Big South last season, while his total receptions, receiving yards and receiving yards per catch (13.1) ranked third among the League leaders. Hazel excelled in the FCS Playoffs, as he totaled 12 catches for 184 yards and three scores in two postseason games -- including nine receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the second round loss at Old Dominion. He caught at least six passes in a game five times, had two multi-TD catch games and enters the 2013 season as the Big South’s active career leader with 113 receptions (19th in League history), 1,563 receiving yards (21st) and 19 touchdowns (tied for 7th among receivers). Hazel is also among the wide receivers on the 2013 College Football Performance Awards Watch List.
Hazel, who is Coastal’s first Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honoree since former wide receiver Jerome Simpson in 2007, received seven first-place votes and 20 total points in the voting, ahead of Liberty quarterback Josh Woodrum (five first-place votes, 15 points) and Gardner-Webb quarterback Lucas Beatty (three first-place votes and 10 points).
Backus, who has already been named a 2013 preseason All-American by The Sports Network, Phil Steele Magazine and Lindy’s, was a near-unanimous selection with 14 of the 15 first-place votes and 29 points. The reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Year, Backus recorded a school-record 139 total tackles (69 solo, 70 assisted) in his first season as a starter last year -- the second-highest single-season total in Big South history, and finished 16th in FCS and second in the League with 10.69 tackles per games. He also tallied 8.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Backus was the only player in the nation ranked among the NCAA top 30 in tackles with at least 100 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumbles recovered. A Third-Team All-American in 2012 by The Sports Network, Backus was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Week honoree last season and had double digit tackles in eight games last year. In League play, Backus led the Conference with 69 stops with 6.5 tackles-for-loss in helping the Chanticleers clinch a share of the Big South title and secure the League’s automatic playoff berth.
Hazel and Backus were also voted to the preseason All-Conference team. The preseason team is comprised of 12 offensive players, 12 defensive players and five special teams selections, plus any ties. Coastal Carolina placed a League-high 10 players on the preseason squad, followed by Liberty (9), Gardner-Webb (7), Charleston Southern (2) and VMI (1). The 2013 preseason All-Conference team appears on the following page:
2013 Big South Football Preseason All-Conference Team
OFFENSE
QB - Josh Woodrum, Liberty - R-Soph.
RB - Teddy Allen, Charleston Southern - Sr.
RB - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
WR - Matt Hazel, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
WR - Kenny Cook, Gardner-Webb - R-Jr.
WR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
TE - Seth Cranfill, Gardner-Webb - R-Jr.
OL - Chad Hamilton, Coastal Carolina - R-Jr.
OL - Jamey Cheatwood, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
OL - Hunter Steward, Liberty - R-Sr.
OL - Will Lucas, VMI - Sr.
OL - Drew Herring, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
DEFENSE
DL - Preston Pemasa, Gardner-Webb - Sr.
DL - Matt Goods, Gardner-Webb - R-Sr.
DL - Cory Freeman, Liberty - R-Sr.
DL - Francis Bah, Liberty - R-Sr.
LB - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina - Jr.
LB - Tanner Burch, Gardner-Webb - Jr.
LB - Nick Sigmon, Liberty - R-Jr.
LB - Mike McClure, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
DB - Walt Aikens, Liberty - R-Sr.
DB - Elijah Lee, Charleston Southern - Sr.
DB - Kevin Fogg, Liberty - R-Sr.
DB - Johnnie Houston, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - John Lunsford, Liberty - Soph.
P - Grant Bowden, Liberty - Sr.
LS - Hudson Smith, Gardner-Webb - R-Sr. (tie)
LS - Richard Wright, Liberty - R-Sr. (tie)
KR - J.J. Hubbard, Gardner-Webb - Jr.
PR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Hazel, Sr., WR, North Augusta, S.C.
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Quinn Backus, Jr., LB, Greenwood, S.C.
More... (http://www.bigsouthsports.com/blog/big-south-announces-2013-football-preseason-all-conference-team)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Coastal Carolina senior wide receiver Matt Hazel (North Augusta, S.C.) and Coastal Carolina junior linebacker Quinn Backus (Greenwood, S.C.) have been voted the Big South Conference’s 2013 Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, by the League’s head football coaches and media panel, it was announced today at the Big South Football Media Day Kickoff Luncheon at the Charlotte Plaza Uptown Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
Hazel is just the second wide receiver to receive the Conference’s preseason honor. A two-time All-Big South pick, Hazel was a First-Team honoree in 2012 and a Second-Team selection in 2011. Last season, he tied the Coastal Carolina single-season record with 61 receptions despite having two teammates each with more than 40 catches as well. He finished with 799 receiving yards (second on the CCU all-time list) and eight touchdowns. His eight TD catches were second in the Big South last season, while his total receptions, receiving yards and receiving yards per catch (13.1) ranked third among the League leaders. Hazel excelled in the FCS Playoffs, as he totaled 12 catches for 184 yards and three scores in two postseason games -- including nine receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the second round loss at Old Dominion. He caught at least six passes in a game five times, had two multi-TD catch games and enters the 2013 season as the Big South’s active career leader with 113 receptions (19th in League history), 1,563 receiving yards (21st) and 19 touchdowns (tied for 7th among receivers). Hazel is also among the wide receivers on the 2013 College Football Performance Awards Watch List.
Hazel, who is Coastal’s first Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honoree since former wide receiver Jerome Simpson in 2007, received seven first-place votes and 20 total points in the voting, ahead of Liberty quarterback Josh Woodrum (five first-place votes, 15 points) and Gardner-Webb quarterback Lucas Beatty (three first-place votes and 10 points).
Backus, who has already been named a 2013 preseason All-American by The Sports Network, Phil Steele Magazine and Lindy’s, was a near-unanimous selection with 14 of the 15 first-place votes and 29 points. The reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Year, Backus recorded a school-record 139 total tackles (69 solo, 70 assisted) in his first season as a starter last year -- the second-highest single-season total in Big South history, and finished 16th in FCS and second in the League with 10.69 tackles per games. He also tallied 8.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Backus was the only player in the nation ranked among the NCAA top 30 in tackles with at least 100 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 pass break-ups, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumbles recovered. A Third-Team All-American in 2012 by The Sports Network, Backus was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Week honoree last season and had double digit tackles in eight games last year. In League play, Backus led the Conference with 69 stops with 6.5 tackles-for-loss in helping the Chanticleers clinch a share of the Big South title and secure the League’s automatic playoff berth.
Hazel and Backus were also voted to the preseason All-Conference team. The preseason team is comprised of 12 offensive players, 12 defensive players and five special teams selections, plus any ties. Coastal Carolina placed a League-high 10 players on the preseason squad, followed by Liberty (9), Gardner-Webb (7), Charleston Southern (2) and VMI (1). The 2013 preseason All-Conference team appears on the following page:
2013 Big South Football Preseason All-Conference Team
OFFENSE
QB - Josh Woodrum, Liberty - R-Soph.
RB - Teddy Allen, Charleston Southern - Sr.
RB - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
WR - Matt Hazel, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
WR - Kenny Cook, Gardner-Webb - R-Jr.
WR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
TE - Seth Cranfill, Gardner-Webb - R-Jr.
OL - Chad Hamilton, Coastal Carolina - R-Jr.
OL - Jamey Cheatwood, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
OL - Hunter Steward, Liberty - R-Sr.
OL - Will Lucas, VMI - Sr.
OL - Drew Herring, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
DEFENSE
DL - Preston Pemasa, Gardner-Webb - Sr.
DL - Matt Goods, Gardner-Webb - R-Sr.
DL - Cory Freeman, Liberty - R-Sr.
DL - Francis Bah, Liberty - R-Sr.
LB - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina - Jr.
LB - Tanner Burch, Gardner-Webb - Jr.
LB - Nick Sigmon, Liberty - R-Jr.
LB - Mike McClure, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
DB - Walt Aikens, Liberty - R-Sr.
DB - Elijah Lee, Charleston Southern - Sr.
DB - Kevin Fogg, Liberty - R-Sr.
DB - Johnnie Houston, Coastal Carolina - R-Sr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - John Lunsford, Liberty - Soph.
P - Grant Bowden, Liberty - Sr.
LS - Hudson Smith, Gardner-Webb - R-Sr. (tie)
LS - Richard Wright, Liberty - R-Sr. (tie)
KR - J.J. Hubbard, Gardner-Webb - Jr.
PR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina - Sr.
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Hazel, Sr., WR, North Augusta, S.C.
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Quinn Backus, Jr., LB, Greenwood, S.C.
More... (http://www.bigsouthsports.com/blog/big-south-announces-2013-football-preseason-all-conference-team)