Boise State Broncos running back Jeremy McNichols (13) find running lane in the first half during Poinsettia Bowl - Bosie State vs Northern Illinois Wednesday Dec 23rd, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Boise State Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien (4) back to pass in the second half during the Poinsettia Bowl – Bosie State vs Northern Illinois Wednesday Dec 23rd, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
San Diego, Ca – The San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl saw many records being broken this year as Boise State handily defeated the University of Northern Illinois 55-7 Wednesday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium.
With more than 30 student-athletes from Southern California returning home, the Broncos left their family members and the rest of the spectators with no doubt on who was the superior team.
“As a team, we didn’t use being in Southern California as motivation but I’m sure it was in the back of their (players) minds as individuals,” said head coach Bryan Harsin. “ When you play that’s exciting, when you go out and have the performance they did tonight its even more fun.”
Boise State Broncos running back Jeremy McNichols (13) tip toe down the line in the first half game action during Poinsettia Bowl – Bosie State vs Northern Illinois Wednesday Dec 23rd, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
The Broncos rumbled out to a 21-point lead in the first quarter, as their three touchdowns were the most scored in a first quarter in Poinsettia bowl history.
RB Jeremy McNichols stole the show early with all three visits to the end zone coming from the 5 foot 9 sophomore.
Boise State wasted no time putting points on the board. After receiving the ball first, in less than a minute the Broncos went up 7-0 on a 29-yard burst up the middle from McNichols.
The three-play 75-yard drive was the fastest a team has ever scored in the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
On NIU’s first possession of the game, what seemed to be a promising drive for the Huskies ended in a Ryan Graham fumble that was recovered by Boise State’s Tyler Gray on their own 33-yard line.
The Broncos quickly took advantage of the Huskies giveaway and capped a 67-yard drive with a 4-yard pass from Brett Rypian to McNichols for his second score.
The Boise State defense dominated the matchup up front constantly causing havoc having no issues getting to Graham.
The Huskies only managed to squeeze out 36-yards of offense in the first half as their only score of the contest was a 96-yard kick return by Agrego Turner also setting a record for the longest kick return for a touchdown in Poinsettia Bowl history.
Boise State took a 31-7 lead into the locker room with a 317-yard advantage over NIU and another record for most points scored in the first half by one team.
The script in the second half for both teams was not much different.
Boise State didn’t come out red hot like in the first half but by the end of the third quarter they tacked on 10 more points for a 41-7 score.
The 55 points scored by the Broncos set a new Poinsettia Bowl record and finished their night of wrecking the records books.
The Poinsettia Bowl Offensive & Defensive MVP Brett Rypien (4), Kamalei Correa (8) – Bosie State vs Northern Illinois Wednesday Dec 23rd, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Rypian showed his poise, strong arm and the bright future he has ahead, he threw for 377 yards 3 touchdowns 1 interception on 29 of 39 passing and was awarded the offensive MVP of the match. McNichols ended the night with 3 total touchdowns (2 on the ground) 93 yards rushing on 19 carries.
The Broncos held NIU to 33 yards offensively while forcing 3 turnovers. They took down the opposing quarterback 5 times for a loss led by senior Kamelei Correa who contributed 2 of his own.
Boise State improves to an 11-5 record in College Bowl games and 8-5 in Bowl games not played on Saturday.
After tonight’s defeat the Huskies drop to 4-7 in major College Bowl games and remain without a victory in their third trip all time to the Poinsettia Bowl.
“It wasn’t a good performance by us. Boise is a great team and you have to give them a ton of credit,” said head coach Rod Carey. “We live one week lives in college football and this one is done with.”
San Diego Chargers vs MIami Dolphins At Qualcomm stadium 12/20/15
Chargers running back Danny Woodhead (39) breaking tackles during the San Diego Chargers vs MIami Dolphins At Qualcomm Stadium on Dec 20, 2015 (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
San Diego, Ca – Winning cures a multiples of hurts, with San Diego defeating Miami 30-14. Running Back Danny Woodhead was a scoring machine with 4 touchdowns (3 Receiving, 1 Rushing) for the Chargers giving the fans a great show for what possibly could be their last at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Chargers defensive was able to shut down the running game and never let Dolphins offense get into any rhythm. Dolphins just couldn’t figure out how to stop the Chargers exotic blitz. They kept them out of the end zone till second half only allowing 14 points. The Chargers had not scored a touchdown for three weeks until today when quarterback Phillip Rivers connected on 20 yard pass to Woodhead for 0-6 1st quarter lead.
Dolphins Brice McCain (24) preventing a touchdown catch during the San Diego Chargers vs MIami Dolphins At Qualcomm Stadium on Dec 20, 2015 (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
“Today effort was not the problem, it was the details lack of discipline…” Said Dolphins Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell about today’s loss. The Dolphins allowed Rivers to throw for 311 yards with 3 touchdowns. He hit 8 different receivers, with his main target being tight end Antonio Gates 6 catches for 88 yards.
Chargers reserve running back Donald Brown made the most of his 12 carries for 90 yards in relief of Melvin Gordon who left game knee injury. They backs combined for 140 net rushing yards with a rushing touchdown. The Chargers had not had a rushing touchdown since week one against Detroit.
Even with win today at Qualcomm it was still an uneasy feeling among most fans. You could see some fans who are not happy about the undecided decision. The NFL will have their next set of meetings to see who will get green light to relocate to Los Angeles, the pivotal vote is set for Jan. 12-13 in Houston.
Phi Beta Sigma Frat. Inc Toys for Watts at Jordan Downs on Dec. 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Inc Toys for Watts at Jordan Downs on Dec. 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Watts, Ca – It’s the Christmas season all over the world and here at Jordan Downs there was a little more cheer. The kids in there area have been blessed for the last 12 years by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated with their annual “Toys for Watts”.
Every kid who came to the park at the Jordan Downs Recreation Center was given a wristband and lined up to gain entrance to pick out a some special toys. The Sigmas made it a point to also supply each kid with a book to promote child literacy and encourage the kids. Most of kids were also able to pick out a pair of Crocs shoes or rain boots but most importantly they left with a smile.
The Sigma host chapter for this great event is Theta Alpha Sigma (Carson, Long Beach) who has been a great coordinator and organizer. The Brothers from all over Southern California come to donate their time and donations. Their sister organization Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. is always right beside them to lend a hand. We asked (TAS) Chapter president Chris Manigault about how special this event is, “We served well in 2015, feels great to bring joy to the children of Jordan Downs.” Most years like today they have extra toys left over that the LAPD along with Community Parks & Recs take them to other housing projects to extend the love to other toy giveaways.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc Toys for Watts at Jordan Downs on Dec. 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
For one of the Sigmas Brother Monte Fields the director of Big Better Business (TAS) this event always extra special coming back to his old stomping grounds, “Peace & Blessings for the Jordan Downs Projects, where I grew up and now I’m a proud Sigma Man.”
Sigma Beta Club from Morningside High School which is their youth auxiliary group came to lend a hand and show at any age you can make a difference. The Sigma Beta Clubs’ four major principles of focus are on Culture, Athletics, Social and Educational needs. The Sigma Beta Club offers a unique opportunity to develop values, leadership skills and social/cultural awareness in our youth during their developmental years.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc Toys for Watts at Jordan Downs on Dec. 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Phi Beta Sigma graduate chapter (Los Angeles) came with a large truck again this year filled with toys to show brotherhood and support. The other Sigma chapters serving at the event was Kappa Alpha Sigma, Zeta Tau, Delta Gamma, to name a few.
“The impact on the community that we provide, we can’t quantify how much that one toy can brighten the life of a child who otherwise would go without.” says Brother Jeffrey Sneed (Western Regional Director, of Phi Beta Sigma)
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc Toys for Watts at Jordan Downs on Dec. 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/fi360 News)
Jacksonville State Gamecocks guard Malcolm Drumwright (21)getting doubled teamed during Jacksonville State vs Loyola Marymount Men's Basketball in the first half at the Gersten Pavilion on Dec. 18th, 2015. (Photo by Michael Ewing/fi360 News)
Loyola Marymount Lions forward Adom Jacko (4) on moster dunk in the Jacksonville State vs Loyola Marymount Men’s Basketball in the Second half at the Gersten Pavilion on Dec. 18th, 2015. (Photo by Michael Ewing/fi360 News)
Los Angeles, Ca – The LMU Lions have a powerful one two punch behind Steven Hanley and Adom Jacko in their impressive 77-60 victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The pair both scored 21 points each in their own fashion from in the paint or from the perimeter.
The Lions shot 45% from the field for the game and just kept the right pressure on the Gamecocks to keep a safe lead. The Gamecocks kept fighting till the end by starting to pick up their defense full court once the game was under 4 minutes of play. The Lions would not let them scratch into their double digit lead. The Lions game plan to contest every shot and limit Malcolm Drumwright from having good looks at the basket worked limiting him to 16 points that still lead his team.
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks traveled over 2,000 miles to try and get their first road win in early part of their non conference schedule. Head coach James Green now in his 8th season as leader of the Gamecocks. The School football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ohio Valley Conference as well and is currently the #1 seed facing Sam Houston State in semi-final match-up this Saturday Dec 19th.
Loyola Marymount Lions forward Adom Jacko (4) on the tight defense on Jacksonville State Gamecocks guard Jared Hamilton (13) during Jacksonville State vs Loyola Marymount Men’s Basketball in the first half at the Gersten Pavilion on Dec. 18th, 2015. (Photo by Michael Ewing/fi360 News)
Adom Jacko looked to ignite the home fans with a dunk that shook the rim and gave the Loins the lead back 4-3 with 16:11 on clock in first half. Jacko was able to take advantage down in the paint most of night against Gamecocks 3 guards 2 forwards set. The only thing that slowed Jacko down after having 6 points and 4 rebounds was a second touch foul that sent him to the bench with 12 minutes left in the first half.
The Lions as a whole finally began to break loose in first half with a 13 point lead with 5:46 left in half after a huge three pointer by Steven Haney Jr. The offense began to make key shots late in the shot clock behind smart guard play and facilitating the ball movement.
To end the half both teams exchanged three point baskets starting with Steven Haney with :43, then Gamecocks answered right back with DelFincko Bogan three pointer at :34. LMU took a 35-22 lead in at halftime with a lot of confidence after shooting 43% from the field and 40% from downtown.
Jacko and Haney were subbed out for the final time with just under two minutes of play left and the game securely in hand. The Lion moved on with the victory and their record to 7-4 on the season.
Next up the LMU Lions will travel to play Portland on Monday Dec 21st. Jacksonville State will return home to host Northern Colorado on Monday Dec 21st in Alabama.
Dec 5: Asst USC Coach Tee Martin Pac-12 2015 Football Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
LOS ANGELES—USC wide receivers coach Tee Martin has been promoted to offensive coordinator, new Trojan head coach Clay Helton announced today (Dec. 18).
“I am fortunate to have been around many good coaches throughout my career, but I have never been around a coach quite as complete as Tee Martin,” said Helton. “He has a unique ability to lead, organize, recruit, teach, game plan and call plays. In the second half of this season, Tee took on a greater coordinating role in game planning and play calling and I was very impressed with the job he did. I am beyond confident in his ability to lead our offense to new heights.”
Martin, 37, is in his fourth season (2012-15) at USC. In addition to coaching the wide receivers since his arrival at Troy (he will continue in that role), he added the pass game coordinator duties in 2014.
The 2015 Trojan offense currently is averaging 449.6 total yards and 34.9 points a game. It is in the nation’s Top 25 in completion percentage, passing efficiency and first downs. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, earned All-American second team and All-Pac-12 first team honors while catching 85 passes for 1,389 yards and 10 TDs, and he ranks in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards, receiving TDs and receptions.
Earlier in 2015, Martin was named among the nation’s Top 10 recruiters by Sports Illustrated and Sporting News, as well as the Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com.
In 2014 under Martin, wide receiver Nelson Agholor made All-American first team and All-Pac-12 first team while catching 104 passes (third most in USC history) and he was a NFL draft first round selection, while Smith-Schuster was a Freshman All-American first teamer. USC was 15th nationally in passing offense. He was named the 2014 Scout.com Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year.
USC NFL Pro Day 2014 M. Lee showing off his hands during field drills. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
In 2013, wide receiver Marqise Lee became USC’s career receiving yardage leader and was an NFL second round pick.
In 2012, Lee won the Biletnikoff Award and was an All-American first teamer, plus he was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Hornung Award and was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year as he set Pac-12 season records for receptions (112) and receiving yards (1,680) while leading the Pac-12 in receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards and kickoff returns. Wide receiver Robert Woods was a second round pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
Before coming to USC, Martin was the wide receivers coach at Kentucky for 2 years (2010-11). He also served as the passing game coordinator in 2011. In 2010, Wildcat wide receiver Randall Cobb was an All-American first teamer and NFL second round selection, while wide receiver Chris Matthews tied for the Southeastern Conference lead in touchdown catches.
Martin began his coaching career as the passing game coordinator at Morehouse College in 2006, when the Maroon Tigers had the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s top-ranked rushing, passing and total offense.
He then was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Cobb High in Kennesaw (Ga.) in 2007, helping the Warriors to a 10-1 record in the Class AAAAA ranks, and the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Atlanta (Ga.) High in 2008.
He spent 2009 as the quarterbacks coach at New Mexico.
Martin was a 4-year (1996-99) letterman quarterback at Tennessee. After serving as Peyton Manning’s backup his first 2 years, he led the Volunteers to a 13-0 record in 1998, capped by the national championship following a Fiesta Bowl win over Florida State. He led Tennessee to another trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 1999 and was named All-SEC first team. He set NCAA game (23 versus South Carolina) and season (24) records for consecutive completions in 1998.
He was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, beginning a 6-year pro career. After 2 seasons (2000-01) with the Steelers, he went to NFL Europe in 2002, when he led the Rhein Fire to a league-best 7-3 record and a berth in the World Bowl. He returned to the NFL with the Oakland Raiders in 2003, then moved to the Canadian Football League and spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
He and his wife, Toya, have 2 sons, Kaden, 11, and Cannon, 3, and 15-year-old twins, daughter A’Yadra and son Amari.
Pac-12 Men's Basketball USC Trojans forward Chimezie Metu (4)USC Trojans vs Yale Bulldogs first half game action at the Galen Center on Dec. 13th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
USC Jordan McLaughlin throwing down on a fast break in Pac-12 Men’s Basketball game action at the Galen Center on Dec. 13th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Jordan McLaughlin
Los Angeles, CA – The USC Trojans men’s basketball team hosted the Cal Poly Mustangs at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.
The Trojans new alias will official be The Horse Whispers because they tamed those Cal Poly Mustangs into defeat with a final score USC 101 Cal Poly 82.
I’m sure when the Mustangs stepped out on the pine they felt very confident that this game would be theirs with Jordan McLaughlin on the mend from a broken nose and a sidelined Julian Jacobs for his tendinitis. They had no clue of that they were due to receive a savage beating from the Trojans bench.
The Trojans really mixed up the recipe tonight severing fresh hot stunning defense was the flavor of the day. And it fair to say the offense didn’t look to bad either. We had our usual cast of charters out there giving the crowd a show Bennie Boatwright with 10 points, Katin Reinhardt with a phenomenal 29 points, now this is where you would normally see Jordan name with some astronomical double digit amount but tonight he was the orchestrator, get that ball up the court to make room for Chimezie Metu 16 points, Julian Jacobs 10 points, and Darion Clark 10 points, to spread their wings and fly.
In addition to Julian returning to the court he came off of the injured list to get a all time career high in assist a grand total of 13. That makes for great team ball and one can totally see why the Trojans had 6 players in double digits.
Now the Mustangs did a little bucking and kicking of their own with 5 players in double digits Brain Bennett for 10 points, David Nwaba for 15 points, Taylor Sutlive for 13 points, Luke Meikle for 13 points and Zach Gordon for 11 points. The Mustangs even managed to pull off 11 steals, but those efforts would be futile as they could never seem to get the upper hand on those Trojans
With this game in the win column for USC they can focus on their up coming meeting with SIUE (Southern Illinois-Edwardsville) on December 21. This will be the first match-up for these two schools so the Trojans seriously need to prepare for the unknown.
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Inglewood, CA – Today was the unveiling of Mahriama “Mahri” Suma 2016/17 Spring Summer Sumahhrie Collection. Mahri has had some pieces of her previous collections in fashion shows in the past, but those fashion shows showcased her and several other designers. This show was her first exclusive fashion show. It was a intimate lively affair.
Sumahhrie Collection was a absolute reflection of Mahri’s West African roots and her California lifestyle. Western coordinates, party wear, and resort wear all done in traditional West African wax prints and dashiki fabric. With bold shades of pink, electric blues, and yellows against chocolates, olive greens burnt oranges and cranberry. The resort wear was given a real organic feel with crochet skirts, halters and dresses all of which were hand done by Mahri herself. With texture of rayon and cotton, all of which were embellished with either carved wood button and or wooden beads.
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
This collection also stood out to me because there was no typical size 0 on this runway. When I asked Mahri what size woman is she designing for she said she was her own original fit model at a size 8, and she wants her collection to be worn by real women so she has he designs cut to fit a size 8 through 14.
There were also exotic accessories in the collection like African print quilted patchwork clutch purses, stacked bangles wrapped in wax fabric, Kente fabric neck ties, infinity scarves, mixed fabric backpacks and messenger bags.
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
As Mahri prides herself on being a family person she wanted to include fashions in the collection that her son, nieces and nephews could wear, so the collection had little jumps suit and short sets all done with that African flavor for little girls and a few dashiki print button down dress shirt that were actual modeled on the runway by her teenage son.
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Sumahrie Collections Fashion Show at Dancer 4 Life LA Dec. 12th, 2015. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
If you’re looking for unique eclectic fashions then the Sumahrie Collection is for you. These pieces will be available for the public early 2016. I look forward to seeing where this collection goes next.
Stanford Christian MaCaffrey finding little day light during Stanford vs USC game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday September 19th, 2015. (Photo by Jordon Kelly / fi360 News)
NATIONAL HONORS: STANFORD’s Christian McCaffrey earned the Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, while teammate Joshua Garnett won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman. UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn was tabbed the Groza Award winner as the nation’s top kicker and UTAH’s Tom Hackett defended his status as the nation’s top punter by earning his second straight Ray Guy Award.
PAC-12 FCG: The STANFORD Cardinal kept the Pac-12 North Division perfect at 5-0 in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game with its 41-22 victory over USC. While the Trojans were the fourth different Pac-12 South Division champion to appear in the Conference’s fifth championship game, they could not overcome Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. The sophomore running back earned MVP honors after he posted 461 all-purpose yards – 207 rushing, 144 receiving, 149 return yards – and scored two touchdowns. For good measure, he connected with QB Kevin Hogan with an 11-yard TD pass. McCaffrey and Hogan each rushed for a touchdown, threw for a touchdown and caught a touchdown.
BOWL ELIGIBLE: The Pac-12 has a record 10 bowl eligible teams. In terms of percentage of membership achieving bowl eligibility, the Pac-12 leads all other conferences:
Pac-12 (10 of 12)
83.30%
SEC (10 of 14)
71.40%
Big 12 (7 of 10)
70.00%
American (8 of 12)
66.70%
ACC (9 of 14)
64.30%
Mountain West (7 of 12)
58.30%
Big Ten (8 of 14)
57.10%
MAC (7 of 13)
53.80%
CUSA (5 of 13)
38.50%
Sunbelt (4 of 11)
36.40%
FBS ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE MARK FALLS: STANFORD sophomore RB Christian McCaffrey, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, leads the FBS with 268.92 all-purpose yards per game, nearly 70 yards over the next player (Tyler Ervin, San Jose State, 200.83 ypg). He set the FBS record with 3,496 all-purpose yards, bettering the previous record held by Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (3,250 yards in 1988) … His school-record 461 all-purpose yards posted against USC in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game is the top mark in the FBS this season … McCaffrey has rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 games. His 3,461 all-purpose yardage breakdown is as follows: 1,847 rushing, 540 receiving, 1,042 kick return, 67 punt return … Since 1978, only four other Conference players have averaged 200 or more all-purpose yards per game for an entire season – USC’s Marcus Allen in 1981 (232.6 avg), Stanford’s Glyn Milburn in 1990 (202.0 avg), USC’s Reggie Bush in 2005 (222.3 avg) and USC’s Marqise Lee in 2012 (206.4 avg). Coincidentally, Milburn’s teammate in 1990 was Ed McCaffrey (father of Christian), who had 61 receptions for 917 yards and a Conference-leading 91.7 receiving yards per game that season … In addition to McCaffrey, the Pac-12 boasts OREGON’s Royce Freeman (6th, 169.25 ypg) and UTAH’s Devontae Booker (9th, 157.90 ypg) among the FBS all-purpose leaders.
POLL WATCHING: The polls have been a revolving door for Pac-12 teams this season as nine different Pac-12 teams have appeared in the polls this season, with five different Pac-12 teams this season have been ranked in the AP Top 10 … Over the last two seasons, 10 different Pac-12 teams have been ranked among the AP Top 25, while six different Conference teams have been ranked among the Top 10.
YOUTH WILL BE SERVED: Underclassmen were making their mark in the Pac-12 this season. Take a look at the league statistics and you’ll see sophomores leading in several categories:
Rushing:
1. Royce Freeman, ORE, 142.2 avg; 2. Christian McCaffrey, STAN 136.7 avg
Nov 14, 2015 UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (3) scrambling for a late 4th quarter touchdown during second half of Washington State vs UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca(Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
While they might not be leading any statistical category, several freshmen had standout seasons this year. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen threw for a UCLA freshmen record 3,350 yards and 20 TDs, WASHINGTON trotted out a freshman QB in Jake Browning and a freshman RB in Myles Gaskin. Browning threw for a Washington freshman record 2,671 yards and 16 TDs, while Gaskin rolled up a Husky freshman record 1,121 rushing yards and 10 TDs … Defensively, USC freshman LB Cameron Smith led the Trojans with 78 tackles (7.8 avg) before a season-ending injury. ARIZONA STATE freshman DB Kareem Orr recorded a league-best five interceptions.
AIR PAC-12: WASHINGTON STATE’s Luke Falk and CALIFORNIA’s Jared Goff become the eighth and ninth players in Pac-12 history to throw for more than 4,000 yards. For the third time in the last five seasons, two quarterbacks have thrown for more than 4,000 yards in the same season.
2011 Nick Foles, Arizona (4,329) and Brock Osweiler, Arizona State (4,036)
2013 Sean Mannion, Oregon State (4,662) and Connor Halliday, Washington State (4,597)
2015 Luke Falk, Washington State (4,266) and Jared Goff, California (4,252)
DALLAS (FWAA) – The 2015 AutoNation FWAA All-America Team was announced on Monday by the Football Writers Association of America. The 26-man first team is led by the Southeastern Conference with seven selections. Alabama running back Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Doak Walker Award winner, is one of four players from the second-ranked Crimson Tide on the first team and leads a parade of 24 players from the Power Five conferences.
This season, AutoNation is the title sponsor of the FWAA team, in conjunction with its season-long presentation of weekly FWAA national players and teams of the week, for which it made donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in each recipient’s name. For the fourth straight season, the announcement of the team, the second-longest continuously-published team in major college football, will be featured on SiriusXM Radio’s “College Football Nation.” A two-hour special hosted by Mark Packer and Matt Leinart airs today at 5 p.m. ET.
Since 1945, the FWAA All-America Team has been among the five teams used to formulate the NCAA’s annual consensus All-America team, which will be announced Thursday. Since the 2002 season, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Associated Press, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation have joined the FWAA as the five designated selectors by the NCAA.
Also representing the 2015 AutoNation FWAA All-America Team from Alabama, which is in the College Football Playoff at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, are defensive lineman and Outland Trophy finalist A’Shawn Robinson, linebacker Reggie Ragland and center Ryan Kelly, the Rimington Trophy winner. Tide defensive back Eddie Jackson was selected to the second team.
There are two repeat first-team selections from the 2014 FWAA team: Baylor offensive tackle Spencer Drango, an Outland Trophy finalist, and Utah punter Tom Hackett, the Ray Guy Award winner for a second straight season. Three other teams – top-ranked Clemson, Baylor and Rose Bowl-bound Stanford – had two players each on the first team.
Stanford’s twosome on the first team are Outland-winning guard Joshua Garnett and sophomore kick returner Christian McCaffrey, a Heisman finalist. Baylor’s other first-team pick was wide receiver Corey Coleman, the Biletnikoff Award winner. Clemson’s teammates include defensive end Shaq Lawson and quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Davey O’Brien Award winner and a Heisman finalist who will lead the No. 1 Tigers against No. 4 Oklahoma in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the FWAA’s national defensive player of the year, is the Owls’ first, first-team defensive All-American and was one of two players on the first team from a Group of Five league, the American Athletic Conference. The other selection is from the Mid-American Conference, Northern Illinois defensive back Shawun Lurry.
The FWAA’s All-America Committee selected this 72nd annual team based on nominations from the entire membership. “In our 75th year as an organization, the task of picking an All-America team remains among the most pleasant we tackle,” said Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald, the 2015 FWAA President. “Honoring the best of the best in football and the best of the best among young people is worth celebrating. Our All-America Committee worked hard and prepared well to come up with a team well worth the attention it will receive.”
This is just the third season in the modern era (post-1950) that the FWAA has named a second team. Notre Dame had four players on the two teams (three on the second team). Michigan State and Oregon also each had three second-team selections. Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun and Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey were selected to the second team for a second straight season. Duke defensive back Jeremy Cash, who was a second-team selection in 2014, made the first team this season.
There were 13 seniors, seven juniors and six sophomores selected to the first team. The conference breakdown for those players is as follows: SEC (7), Big Ten (5), ACC (4), Pac-12 (4), Big 12 (3), American Athletic (1), Mid-American (1) and Independents (1).
2015 AUTONATION FWAA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson (6-2, 207, So., Gainesville, Ga.) RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State (5-11, 202, So. , Miami, Fla.) RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (6-1, 230, So., New Orleans, La.) RB Derrick Henry, Alabama (6-3, 242, Jr., Yulee, Fla.) WR Corey Coleman, Baylor (5-11 , 190, Jr., Richardson, Texas) WR Josh Doctson, TCU (6-4, 195, Sr., Mansfield, Texas) OL Spencer Drango, Baylor (6-6, 320, Sr., Cedar Park, Texas) OL Joshua Garnett, Stanford (6-5, 321, Sr., Puyallup, Wash.) OL Jason Spriggs, Indiana (6-7, 305, Sr., Elkhart, Ind.) OL Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame (6-6, 315, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.) C Ryan Kelly, Alabama (6-5, 297, Sr., West Chester, Ohio)
DEFENSE DL Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (6-5, 262, So., Arlington, Texas) DL Shaq Lawson, Clemson (6-3, 270, Jr., Central, S.C.) DL Carl Nassib, Penn State (6-7, 272, Sr. , West Chester, Pa.) DL A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama (6-4, 312, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas) LB Tyler Matakevich, Temple (6-1, 232, Sr., Stratford, Conn.) LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama (6-2, 252, Sr., Madison, Ala.) LB Joe Schobert, Wisconsin (6-2, 236, Sr., Waukesha, Wis.) DB Jeremy Cash, Duke (6-2, 210, Sr., Miami, Fla.) DB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (5-11, 199, Jr., Tampa, Fla.) DB Desmond King, Iowa (5-11, 200, Jr., Detroit, Mich.) DB Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois (5-8, 178, So., West Palm Beach, Fla.)
SPECIALISTS K Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA (6-0, 190, Sr., Kailua, Hawaii) P Tom Hackett, Utah (5-11, 195, Sr., Melbourne, Australia) KR Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (6-0, 201, So., Castle Rock, Colo.) PR William Likely, Maryland (5-7, 175, Jr., Belle Glade, Fla.)
Dec 5: Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) 2015 Football Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
2015 AUTONATION FWAA ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM Offense: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma; RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State; RB Royce Freeman, Oregon; WR Will Fuller, Notre Dame; WR Roger Lewis, Bowling Green; WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC; OL Jack Conklin, Michigan State; OL Taylor Decker, Ohio State; OL Tyler Johnstone, Oregon; OL Landon Turner, North Carolina; C Jack Allen, Michigan State. Defense: DL Andrew Billings, Baylor; DL DeForest Buckner, Oregon; DL Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State; DL; Sheldon Day, Notre Dame; LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri; LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame; LB Eric Striker, Oklahoma; DB Eddie Jackson, Alabama; DB Jourdan Lewis, Michigan; DB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State; DB Darian Thompson, Boise State. Specialists: K Jaden Oberkrom, TCU; P Michael Carrizosa, San José State; KR Evan Berry, Tennessee; PR Cameron Sutton, Tennessee.
The FWAA All-America Team was first selected in 1944, three years after the organization was formed. The FWAA’s inaugural team included Army’s Heisman Trophy tandem of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis and Georgia Tech’s Frank Broyles, who later became Arkansas’ head football coach and athletic director.
Over the years, the FWAA team has highlighted all the game’s great players in several media forums. From 1946-70, LOOK magazine published the FWAA team and brought players and selected writers to New York City for a celebration. During that 25-year period, the FWAA team was introduced on national television shows by such noted hosts as Bob Hope, Steve Allen and Perry Como.
After LOOK folded, the FWAA started a long association with NCAA Films (later known as NCAA Productions), which produced a 30-minute television program. The team was part of ABC-TV’s 1981 College Football Series. From 1983-90, the team was introduced on either ABC or ESPN. In 2002 and ‘03, the All-America team was honored with a banquet at the Citrus Bowl.
The same bowl, now the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, also was a sponsor when the team was featured on ABC and ESPN from different locations on Disney properties from 2004-07. From 2008-10, the team had been the subject of a one-hour ESPN special.
For seven decades the FWAA has selected an All-America team with the help of its members and an All-America Committee, which represents all the regions in the country. From that All-America team, the FWAA also selects the Outland Trophy winner (best interior lineman) and also the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (best defensive player).
Some of the true greats of the writing profession have helped to select this team over the years: Grantland Rice, Bert McGrane, Blackie Sherrod, Furman Bisher, Pat Harmon, Fred Russell, Edwin Pope, Murray Olderman, Paul Zimmerman – and the list goes on and on. The FWAA All-America team is steeped in tradition and history and is selected by a writers’ group with those same attributes.
Celebrating its 75th season, the Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
