smallcollegefbfan
November 20th, 2007, 11:07 AM
2007 All-Southland Conference Football Teams Released
McNeese State’s Bryan Smith Voted Player of the Year.
FRISCO, Texas — After leading McNeese State to a perfect 11-0 record in regular-season play, senior defensive lineman Bryan Smith has been voted Southland Conference Player of the Year while Cowboy head coach Matt Viator is the Coach of the Year.
Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown is the 2007 Offensive Player of the Year while Nicholls State’s Kareem Moore has been named Defensive Player of the Year. The Newcomer of the Year honor goes to Ladarius Webb of Nicholls State while Karrington Bush of Texas State is the Freshman of the Year.
Smith (6-3, 206) , who missed the final game of the regular season with an injury, ranks third nationally with 1.05 quarterback sacks per game. He has 10.5 sacks among his 51 total tackles on the year. On his way to being name the SLC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, Smith finished with a league record 13.5 sacks as a junior. Included was an SLC record five sacks in one game. Smith was also voted first-team All-SLC as a defensive lineman in 2006 and again this year.
Smith is one of five players named first-team All-SLC two years in a row. Teammate Carlese Franklin (wide receiver) and Sam Houston State’s Blake Martin (tight end) and Brandon Hale (lineman) repeat on the offensive first unit. Joining Smith again on the first-team defensive unit is punter Chris MacDonald of Texas State, the nation’s leader in average at 45.9 yards per punt.
Viator guided McNeese to its second consecutive SLC regular-season title and an all-time SLC best 12th in school history. The Cowboys enter this week’s NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs as the No. 2 seed. After taking over midseason in 2006, Viator has guided McNeese to a 17-2 record. Included in the Cowboys’ 11-0 record this season was a 7-0 mark in SLC games. Viator is now 12-1 in SLC games during his tenure, including 12 wins in a row. McNeese’s 12 regular-season SLC titles is eight more than any other active league member and at least four more than all former members. In addition, the seven other current SLC members have combined for 11 all-time regular-season crowns.
Brown, a junior who helped UCA (7-4 overall, 5-2 in SLC) to a second-place finish in the SLC standings in the Bears first season of play in the league, led the SLC in passing at 280.4 yards per game. He was also the total offense leader with 292.4 yards. The Russellville, Ark., native completed 256 of his 377 pass attempts (67.9 percent) with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on his way to being named first-team All-SLC at quarterback.
Moore, a 6-0, 210-pound defensive back from Okolona, Miss., finished the regular season fourth in the SLC in tackles with 73 and second with four interceptions in 10 games played. He returned two of his picks for touchdowns in helping Nicholls to a 6-5 record on the season. Moore also finds himself on the All-SLC first team at defensive back.
Webb, who became the first Southland player ever to be named player of the week on offense, defense and special teams, led the SLC in interceptions with five, three of which he returned for touchdowns. The junior from Opelika, Ala., also led the Southland in kickoff return average (26.7) and was second in punt returns (17.1). Webb was also first in the SLC after the regular season with 13 passes defended. Webb was voted first-team All-SLC at defensive back and second-team at return specialist.
Bush, who was also voted second-team All-SLC, finished the regular season ranked third in the SLC with 94.5 yards rushing per game. He ran for 1,039 yards and was the lone freshman among the top 10 in the league in rushing average. The Whitewright, Texas, product was fourth in the SLC in kickoff return average at 22.2 yards per attempt.
McNeese State leads all teams with 14 student-athletes named to the 2007 All-SLC first and second teams. Included are seven (two offense, five defense) spots on the first unit and seven (five offense, two defense) on the second.
UCA landed nine on the two teams with five (two offense, three defense) being on the first team. Nicholls State and Sam Houston State each have seven All-SLC team members while Northwestern State has six, Southeastern Louisiana five and Texas State four.
McNeese State’s Bryan Smith Voted Player of the Year.
FRISCO, Texas — After leading McNeese State to a perfect 11-0 record in regular-season play, senior defensive lineman Bryan Smith has been voted Southland Conference Player of the Year while Cowboy head coach Matt Viator is the Coach of the Year.
Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown is the 2007 Offensive Player of the Year while Nicholls State’s Kareem Moore has been named Defensive Player of the Year. The Newcomer of the Year honor goes to Ladarius Webb of Nicholls State while Karrington Bush of Texas State is the Freshman of the Year.
Smith (6-3, 206) , who missed the final game of the regular season with an injury, ranks third nationally with 1.05 quarterback sacks per game. He has 10.5 sacks among his 51 total tackles on the year. On his way to being name the SLC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, Smith finished with a league record 13.5 sacks as a junior. Included was an SLC record five sacks in one game. Smith was also voted first-team All-SLC as a defensive lineman in 2006 and again this year.
Smith is one of five players named first-team All-SLC two years in a row. Teammate Carlese Franklin (wide receiver) and Sam Houston State’s Blake Martin (tight end) and Brandon Hale (lineman) repeat on the offensive first unit. Joining Smith again on the first-team defensive unit is punter Chris MacDonald of Texas State, the nation’s leader in average at 45.9 yards per punt.
Viator guided McNeese to its second consecutive SLC regular-season title and an all-time SLC best 12th in school history. The Cowboys enter this week’s NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs as the No. 2 seed. After taking over midseason in 2006, Viator has guided McNeese to a 17-2 record. Included in the Cowboys’ 11-0 record this season was a 7-0 mark in SLC games. Viator is now 12-1 in SLC games during his tenure, including 12 wins in a row. McNeese’s 12 regular-season SLC titles is eight more than any other active league member and at least four more than all former members. In addition, the seven other current SLC members have combined for 11 all-time regular-season crowns.
Brown, a junior who helped UCA (7-4 overall, 5-2 in SLC) to a second-place finish in the SLC standings in the Bears first season of play in the league, led the SLC in passing at 280.4 yards per game. He was also the total offense leader with 292.4 yards. The Russellville, Ark., native completed 256 of his 377 pass attempts (67.9 percent) with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on his way to being named first-team All-SLC at quarterback.
Moore, a 6-0, 210-pound defensive back from Okolona, Miss., finished the regular season fourth in the SLC in tackles with 73 and second with four interceptions in 10 games played. He returned two of his picks for touchdowns in helping Nicholls to a 6-5 record on the season. Moore also finds himself on the All-SLC first team at defensive back.
Webb, who became the first Southland player ever to be named player of the week on offense, defense and special teams, led the SLC in interceptions with five, three of which he returned for touchdowns. The junior from Opelika, Ala., also led the Southland in kickoff return average (26.7) and was second in punt returns (17.1). Webb was also first in the SLC after the regular season with 13 passes defended. Webb was voted first-team All-SLC at defensive back and second-team at return specialist.
Bush, who was also voted second-team All-SLC, finished the regular season ranked third in the SLC with 94.5 yards rushing per game. He ran for 1,039 yards and was the lone freshman among the top 10 in the league in rushing average. The Whitewright, Texas, product was fourth in the SLC in kickoff return average at 22.2 yards per attempt.
McNeese State leads all teams with 14 student-athletes named to the 2007 All-SLC first and second teams. Included are seven (two offense, five defense) spots on the first unit and seven (five offense, two defense) on the second.
UCA landed nine on the two teams with five (two offense, three defense) being on the first team. Nicholls State and Sam Houston State each have seven All-SLC team members while Northwestern State has six, Southeastern Louisiana five and Texas State four.