Mountain West Announces 2010 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors
Nov. 30, 2010
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -
The 2010 All-Mountain West Conference football teams and individual award winners was announced today as voted on by the nine head coaches and select media panel. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton was chosen as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while TCU linebacker Tank Carder was named MWC Defensive Player of the Year. TCU kick returner Jeremy Kerley earned the MWC Special Teams Player of the Year award for the second time, while San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman was honored as the MWC Freshman of the Year. Brady Hoke of San Diego State was selected as the MWC Coach of the Year.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ANDY DALTON, SENIOR, QB, TCU
Dalton is the second player in league history to win back-to-back MWC Offensive Player of the Year honors (Bradlee Van Pelt, QB, Colorado State - 2002-03).
He is also the first Horned Frog to earn back-to-back conference offensive player of the year honors since running back LaDainian Tomlinson won it in both 1999 and 2000.
Is the ninth quarterback since the inception of the league to be named MWC Offensive Player of the Year.
Ranks first in the MWC and fifth nationally in pass efficiency (167.0).
Ranks fourth in the MWC and 46th in the FBS in passing yards per game (219.8). Also ranks second in the league and 33rd nationally in total offense with an average of 253.8 yards per game.
Is currently averaging 33.9 rushing yards per game (407 total rushing yards).
Has thrown for a career-high 2,638 yards this season with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2010 (Sept. 20, Oct. 18 and Nov. 8).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
TANK CARDER, JUNIOR, LB, TCU
Carder is the third TCU player to win Defensive Player of the Year honors in the last three seasons (Horned Frog DE Jerry Hughes claimed the award in 2008 and 2009).
Has recorded a 54 tackles (31 solo) in 2010.
Has notched 2.5 sacks (-12 yards) and 6.5 tackles for loss (-19 yards) this season. Also has registered five pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Anchors a TCU defense that is ranked first in the nation in total defense (215.4 yards per game), scoring defense (11.4 points per game) and pass defense (126.2 yards per game) and No. 3 in rush defense (89.2 yards per game).
Instrumental in helping the Horned Frogs place first nationally in opponent third-down conversions (21.9 percent).
Named to the 2010 AFCA Coaches' All-America Second-Team.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JEREMY KERLEY, SENIOR, KR/PR, TCU
Kerley is the second player in Conference history to earn Special Teams Player of the Year honors multiple times since the inception of the award in 2006 (Utah PK/P Louie Sakoda won the award in 2006, 2007 and 2008).
Ranks second in the MWC and 17th nationally with a punt return average of 12.9. Has 388 total yards on 30 punt returns.
Ranks third in the league and tied for 18th nationally with a kick return average of 28.0. Has 476 total yards on 17 returns, including a career-long 83-yard effort at SMU on Sept. 24.
Named the MWC Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2010 (Sept. 27 and Oct. 18).
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
RONNIE HILLMAN, FRESHMAN, RB, SAN DIEGO STATE
Hillman is the second San Diego State player to earn MWC Freshman of the Year accolades in school history (RB Lynell Hamilton won the award in 2003).
Ranks first in the Conference and 14th nationally in rushing yards (108.7 yards per game). Is the only MWC player this season to average more than 100 yards rushing per outing.
Broke the MWC freshman single-season rushing record, amassing 1,304 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns on 234 carries.
Second in program history in rushing yards by a freshman, trailing only former Aztec RB Marshall Faulk (1,586).
Has recorded five 150-yard rushing performances, including a 2010 league-best 228 rushing yards at Missouri on Sept. 18.
No. 1 in the MWC among non-QBs in total offense (1,304 yards). Ranks third in the league in all-purpose yards (113.0).
Selected as the MWC Offensive Player of the Week three times (Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Oct. 18).
Set a MWC freshman record with four touchdowns against New Mexico State on Sept. 11.
COACH OF THE YEAR
BRADY HOKE, SAN DIEGO STATE
Hoke has been selected as the Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading San Diego State to an 8-4 regular-season record and a 5-3 mark in MWC play.
Led San Diego State to its most wins in 14 years (since the Aztecs had eight in 1996).
Improved the Aztecs record from 4-8 in 2009 to 8-4 in 2010, and secured SDSU's first bowl appearance since 1998.
San Diego State's five MWC victories this season are its most in the 12-year history of the league.
Hoke is San Diego State's first MWC Coach of the Year recipient since the league's inception in 1999.
NOTABLES
Five student-athletes were repeat first-team all-Conference selections from 2009, including Air Force defensive back Reggie Rembert, BYU offensive lineman Matt Reynolds and TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, offensive lineman Marcus Cannon and return specialist Jeremy Kerley.
TCU KR/PR Jeremy Kerley is a first-team honoree for the third time in his career. Kerley is one of seven players in league history to earn first-team honors three times during their respective careers.
Andrew Rich (DB, BYU), Vincent Brown (WR, San Diego State), DeMarco Sampson (WR, San Diego State), Brian Stahovich (P, San Diego State), Tank Carder (LB, TCU), Wayne Daniels (DL, TCU), Tejay Johnson (DB, TCU), Jake Kirkpatrick (OL, TCU), Caleb Schlauderaff (OL, Utah) and Zane Taylor (OL, Utah) are all first-team selections in 2010 after being second-team honorees in 2009.
Lucas Reed is the first New Mexico tight end to receive first- or second-team honors in MWC history.
San Diego State's Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson are the third receiving duo to earn first-team honors in the same season. San Diego State's Kassim Osgoood and J.R. Tolver in 2002 and New Mexico's Travis Brown and Marcus Smith in 2007 also accomplished the feat.
TCU has claimed a first-team kick returner honoree in each of its six years as a member of the MWC (Jeremy Kerley - 2008-10, Brian Bonner-2006-07, Cory Rodgers-2005).
BYU has claimed the first-team tight end position for five consecutive years (Dennis Pitta-2007-09, Jonny Harline-2005-06).
Brian Stahovich is the first San Diego State punter to receive first-team honors in MWC history.
Ronnie Hillman is the third San Diego State running back selected to the first team in MWC history (Larry Ned-2001, Lynell Hamilton-2003).
Utah has had a first-team defensive lineman honoree for 10 consecutive seasons (Christian Cox in 2010) and 11 out of 12 years.
TCU's Ed Wesley is the third sophomore to earn first-team running back accolades (Cecil Sapp, Colorado State, 2000 and DonTrell Moore, New Mexico, 2003).
TCU's nine first-team selections match a league high. The Horned Frogs also had nine first-team selections in 2009, while Colorado State earned nine first-team honorees in 2000.
TCU senior QB Andy Dalton and DL Wayne Daniels were unanimous first-team selections.
Of the 50 first and second-team selections, 26 were seniors, 15 juniors, six sophomores and three freshmen. The first team had 16 seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. The three freshmen on both teams eclipse the previous high of one in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
