University of Massachusets Athletics
Eleven Minutemen Crack CAA All-Conference Team
November 24, 2008 | Football
Nov. 24, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. - The CAA announced its all-conference team on Monday afternoon, highlighted by a league-high seven UMass players (Tony Nelson, Victor Cruz, Vladimir Ducasse, Josh Jennings, Courtney Robinson, Jeromy Miles, and Brett Arnold) on the first team, one (Liam Coen) on the second, and three more (Jeremy Horne, Sean Calicchio, Kyle Harrington) on the third. The Minutemen had the most first-team all-conference performers for the second-consecutive season.
Below is the complete CAA Release:
RICHMOND, Va. (November 24, 2008) -- CAA Football Champion James Madison earned a total of 18 all-conference honors, including four major award winners, as the league announced its 2008 All-Conference teams Monday.
The awards, voted on by the 12 CAA Football head coaches, were handed out after the league advanced a record-tying five squads into postseason play for the second-straight season and had seven programs log seven or more wins.
James Madison senior quarterback Rodney Landers was chosen as the 2008 CAA Football Offensive Player of the Year, while Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Maine defensive lineman Jovan Belcher. James Madison head coach Mickey Matthews was named the league's Coach of the Year, after guiding the Dukes to the nation's No. 1 ranking over the final 10 weeks of the regular season.
The Dukes also logged two other major awards as junior return man Scotty McGee was named Special Teams Player of the Year and freshman defensive back Pat Williams was named one of two Defensive Rookies of the Year. William and Mary's freshman running back Jonathan Grimes was the overwhelming choice for CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year, while New Hampshire defensive lineman Brian McNally shared the Defensive Rookie of the Year honor with Williams.
As it did in 2007, Massachusetts led the way with seven selections to the All-CAA Football First Team. Richmond was not far behind with six on the First Team, while Madison logged five. Maine, Villanova and William and Mary picked up three First Team selections. New Hampshire had two and Delaware and Hofstra each had one apiece on the league's First Team.
Landers led the league in per-game rushing and pass efficiency in 2008. The Virginia Beach, Va., native rushed for 1,377 yards and 14 touchdowns on 201 carries for a mark of 125.2 yards a game during the regular season. The senior was also impressive in the pass game carrying a 171.2 efficiency rating after completing 89-of-138 attempts for 1,236 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the season Landers went over the 100-yard rushing mark eight times while breaking his own JMU single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,273 set last season. Landers, who led his squad to the No. 1-overall seed in the 2008 NCAA Division I National Championships, is 10 yards shy of becoming just the fourth FCS quarterback to throw and run for 3,000 yards in a career.
Belcher received Defensive Player of the Year honors after being recognized as the league's preseason favorite for the honor. The West Babylon, N.Y., native ranked 11th in the league, and first among defensive linemen, with an average of 7.8 tackles a game totalling 93 on the season. The senior, who also led his team to its first playoff berth since 2002, ranked second in the conference with 7.5 sacks for an average of 0.62 per game. Belcher, who was tops in the conference with 15.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, led a defense which ranked fourth in the league and currently 27th in the country in total defense, allowing 315.4 yards a game.
Matthews, in his 10th season at James Madison, garnered his first Coach of the Year honor since being given the award in 1999. He guided the Dukes to an undefeated 8-0 mark and JMU's first 10-win season (10-1) in school history. Matthews and the Dukes, who finished the regular season with the nation's longest active-win streak of 10 games, gained the league's first No. 1 overall seed in the Championships since New Hampshire in 2005.
McGee was arguably the biggest game-changer in CAA Football this season. The Virginia Beach, Va., native led the Dukes with 518 kick return yards on 15 attempts. The junior took one of those 15 returns back 99 yards for a touchdown in James Madison's 35-32 come-from-behind win over No. 1 Appalachian State in late September. McGee made his biggest contributions on the Madison punt return unit where he led the league with a 13.6 yard per return average, and equalled a CAA Football single-season and career record of three punt return touchdowns in 2008.
Grimes led the league with an average of 162.0 all-purpose yards in 2008, the best-ever single-season mark by a freshman in conference history. The Palmyra, N.J., native garnered 929 rushing yards and 314 receiving yards inside an offense which ranked second in the league and No. 25 in the country in total offense. The true freshman also contributed 539 yards (league-best 24.5 yards/attempt) and one touchdown to the Tribe's kick return unit in 2008. One of the most decorated freshmen in league-history, Grimes earned First Team All-CAA Football kick returner and Second Team All-Conference running back honors in addition to the Offensive Rookie of the Year notation.
Both McNally and Williams will share Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2008. McNally totalled 7.5 tackles for loss in his first year of action for UNH, ranking among the league leaders in the category. The Cornwall, N.Y., native also ranked among the league's Top-15 in tackles among defensive lineman with a mark of 4.1 per game. Williams was part of a JMU defensive unit which ranked second in the league and 15th in the country in total defense allowing 296.4 yards a game. The Virginia Beach, Va., native was tops among the league with three fumble recoveries on the year and finished his freshman regular season with 43 total tackles.
2008 CAA Football Major Awards
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Rodney Landers, James Madison, Sr., QB, Virginia Beach, Va.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jovan Belcher, Maine, Sr., DL, West Babylon, N.Y.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Scotty McGee, James Madison, Jr., KR/PR, Virginia Beach, Va.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Grimes, William and Mary, Fr., RB/KR, Palmyra, N.J.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Brian McNally, New Hampshire, Fr., DL, Cornwall, N.Y.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Pat Williams, James Madison, Fr., DB, Virginia Beach, Va.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mickey Matthews, James Madison, 10th Season
2008 All-CAA Football First Team (as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB Rodney Landers James Madison Senior RB Tony Nelson Massachusetts Junior RB Josh Vaughan Richmond Senior FB/HB Jared Turcotte Maine Freshman WR Mike Boyle New Hampshire Senior WR Victor Cruz Massachusetts Junior WR Kevin Grayson Richmond Sophomore TE Scott Sicko New Hampshire Junior OL Ryan Canary Maine Senior OL Vladimir Ducasse Massachusetts Junior OL Ben Ijalana Villanova Sophomore OL Scott Lemn James Madison Senior OL Matthew McCracken Richmond Junior PK Brian Pate William and Mary Junior KR Jonathan Grimes William and Mary Freshman PR Scotty McGee James Madison Junior
DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Jovan Belcher Maine Senior DL Greg Miller Villanova Senior DL Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. Richmond Senior DL Adrian Tracy William and Mary Junior LB Luke Bonus Hofstra Junior LB Josh Jennings Massachusetts Junior LB Eric McBride Richmond Sophomore LB Osayi Osunde Villanova Junior CB Evan McCollough James Madison Senior CB Courtney Robinson Massachusetts Senior CB Justin Rogers Richmond Sophomore S Charles Graves Delaware Junior S Marcus Haywood James Madison Senior S Jeromy Miles Massachusetts Junior P Brett Arnold Massachusetts Senior
2008 All-CAA Football Second Team (as voted on by the head coaches) OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB Liam Coen Massachusetts Senior QB R.J. Toman New Hampshire Sophomore RB Aaron Ball Villanova Sophomore RB Jonathan Grimes William and Mary Freshman RB Eugene Holloman James Madison Senior FB/HB John Crone Richmond Senior WR Marcus Lee Towson Senior WR Matt Szczur Villanova Sophomore WR Aaron Weaver Hofstra Sophomore TE Brian Mandeville Northeastern Senior TE Rob Varno William and Mary Junior OL Terrence Apted James Madison Senior OL Izzy Bauta Villanova Senior OL Dorian Brooks James Madison Junior OL Josh Droesch New Hampshire Senior OL Kheon Hendricks Delaware Senior OL Michael Silva Richmond Junior PK Andrew Howard Richmond Junior KR Scotty McGee James Madison Junior PR Derek Hatcher Richmond Junior
DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Hassan Abdul-Wahid James Madison Senior DL Tim Kukucka Villanova Junior DL Sherman Logan Richmond Senior DL Matt Marcorelle Delaware Junior LB Andrew Downey Maine Senior LB Matt Hansen Rhode Island Sophomore LB Marquis Kirkland Villanova Sophomore LB Matt Parent New Hampshire Senior CB Derek Cox William and Mary Senior CB Dino Vasso New Hampshire Sophomore S John Clements New Hampshire Senior S Drew Mack Towson Senior P Tom Bishop New Hampshire Senior
2008 All-CAA Football Third Team (as voted on by the head coaches) OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB Jake Phillips William and Mary Senior QB Sean Schaefer Towson Senior RB Alex Broomfield Northeastern Senior RB Jhamal Fluellen Maine Senior FB/HB Griff Yancey James Madison Sophomore WR Phil Atkinson Villanova Senior WR Jeremy Horne Massachusetts Junior WR D.J. McAulay William and Mary Junior TE Robbie Agnone Delaware Senior OL Christopher Arnao Maine Senior OL Brian Brannigan Villanova Junior OL Sean Calicchio Massachusetts Senior OL Kevin Newhall Northeastern Junior OL Theo Sherman James Madison Sophomore PK Joe Marcoux Villanova Senior KR Angelo Babbaro Villanova Sophomore PR Brandon Johnson-Farrell Rhode Island Freshman
DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Dave Dalessandro Villanova Senior DL Sam Daniels James Madison Junior DL Kyle Harrington Massachusetts Junior DL Arthur Moats James Madison Junior LB Phil Higgins Northeastern Junior LB Jordan Manning Towson Senior LB Collin McConaghy Richmond Junior LB Josh Rutter William and Mary Senior CB Salim Koroma Villanova Senior CB Lionel Nixon, Jr. Maine Senior S Nate Thellen Northeastern Sophomore S Darrel Young Villanova Senior P David Miller William and Mary Sophomore
