Mocs Rack Up SoCon Postseason Honors…Again

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Southern Conference champion Chattanooga claimed four of the five individual awards and 18 all-conference first- and second-team selections, as chosen by the SoCon’s eight head coaches and announced by the league office Tuesday.

 

Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate Davis Tull was named defensive player of the year and the Mocs’ Russ Huesman was named the league’s coach of the year. Jacob Huesman and Russ Huesman were repeat selections from last season, while Tull took the defensive honor for the third straight year.

 

Mocs sophomore offensive lineman Corey Levin claimed the Jacobs Blocking Award, while VMI quarterback Al Cobb was named the freshman of the year.

 

The coaches named first and second teams on offense, defense and special teams. Because of several ties in the voting, the second-team offensive unit had 13 players and the defense, bringing the total to 25 honored on the first teams and 28 on the second teams. The coaches also named all-freshmen teams on offense, defense and special teams, honoring 26 players due to a tie on special teams. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players or themselves in the selection process. All eight teams had at least one all-conference selection and two all-freshman selections.

 

Chattanooga, which won its first outright SoCon title since 1984 to secure an FCS Playoff berth for the first time since then, had nine selections each on the first and second teams, both league highs. The Mocs also had a league-best six all-freshman selections.

 

Samford and Western Carolina, which finished as runners-up to Chattanooga, had 11 and nine all-conference selections, respectively.

 

Jacob Huesman finished the regular season with 2,155 yards through the air, going 183-for-269 with a SoCon-best 21 touchdowns and just seven interceptions and compiling a league-best pass efficiency of 155.9. Huesman also ran for 763 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns and was one of just two players to rank in the top 10 in the SoCon in both passing and rushing. The Chattanooga, Tenn., junior was also a three-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Week this season, taking the honor on Oct. 6, Oct. 27 and Nov. 24, and was the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in October. Huesman had five games this season in which he threw for at least 200 yards and eight in which he threw for multiple touchdowns. He turned in three games in which he ran for multiple scores. This season, Huesman became the Mocs’ all-time leader in wins (22) and total touchdowns (50 passing, 26 rushing). He is on the Payton Award Watch List.

 

Tull, a defensive lineman, leads the league in sacks for the third straight season, posting 10.5 this year to become the SoCon’s all-time leader with 37.0. With his third straight defensive honor, he becomes just the second player in league history to be named defensive player of the year three times and the first since Appalachian State’s Dexter Coakley from 1994-96. So far this season, Tull has amassed 55 tackles (35 solo), with 17.0 going for lost yardage. The senior from Knoxville, Tenn., also has a fumble recovery this season and was the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29. Tull is on the Buchanan Award Watch List.

 

Russ Huesman has led Chattanooga to a 9-3 overall record and a 7-0 SoCon mark this season for its sixth league crown. Coupled with last season’s shared SoCon title, Huesman has now led the Mocs to back-to-back titles for the first time since 1978-79. In addition to earning a spot in the FCS Playoffs for the first time in 30 years, the Mocs also earned the No. 8 national seed and a first-round bye. Huesman’s Mocs have been nationally ranked all season and are currently in the top 10. The coach of the year selection is Huesman’s third in the last six seasons and the Mocs’ fourth all-time.

 

VMI’s Cobb becomes the Keydets’ third freshman of the year and first since Titus Green in 2001. In VMI’s first season back in the SoCon after an 11-year run in the Big South, Cobb turned in an outstanding season, leading the SoCon with 2,971 yards and tossing 20 touchdowns on 269-for-438 passing. The Pulaski, Tenn., native started all 12 games for the Keydets, throwing for at least 200 yards in nine of them and multiple touchdowns in six. Cobb, a redshirt freshman, opened his career with 308 yards and four touchdowns at Bucknell on Aug. 30 and capped his rookie season with 396 yards and two TDs against The Citadel on Nov. 22, good for the second-highest single-game total in school history. Cobb, a four-time SoCon Freshman of the Week, is on the Rice Award Watch List.

 

Chattanooga’s Levin becomes just the second Moc to earn the Jacobs Blocking Award and the first in 31 years, joining Mike Nease, who won it in 1983. Also a first-team all-conference selection, Levin, a sophomore offensive lineman from Dacula, Ga., was integral in helping the Mocs boast the top scoring offense in the SoCon at 35.1 points per game and the third-best rushing offense in the league at 204.8 yards per game. The Mocs also lead the conference in pass efficiency at 154.2.

 

 

2014 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team

 

Offensive Player of the Year – Jacob Huesman, Jr., QB, Chattanooga

Defensive Player of the Year – Davis Tull, Sr., DL, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year – Al Cobb, QB, VMI

Jacobs Blocking Award – Corey Levin, So., OL, Chattanooga

Coach of the Year – Russ Huesman, Chattanooga

 

First Team Offense

QB             Jacob Huesman, Jr., Chattanooga

RB              Denzel Williams, So., Samford

RB              Keon Williams, Sr., Chattanooga

OL              Sam Frye, Jr., The Citadel

OL              Joe Turner, Jr., Furman

OL              Gunnar Bromelow, Jr., Samford

OL              Corey Levin, So., Chattanooga

OL              Anton Wahrby, So., Wofford

TE              Faysal Shafaat, Sr., Chattanooga

WR             Karel Hamilton, So., Samford

WR             Spearman Robinson, So., Western Carolina

 

First Team Defense

DL              Gary Wilkins, Sr., Furman

DL              Derrick Lott, Sr., Chattanooga

DL              Davis Tull, Sr., Chattanooga

DL              Tarek Odom, Sr., Wofford

LB              Cory Magwood, Jr., Furman

LB              Justin Cooper, Jr., Samford

LB              Christon Gill, Sr., Western Carolina

DB             Jaquiski Tartt, Sr., Samford

DB             Cedric Nettles, So., Chattanooga

DB             Dee Virgin, So., Chattanooga

DB             Ace Clark, Sr., Western Carolina

 

First Team Specialists

PK              Henrique Ribeiro, So., Chattanooga

P                Greg Peranich, Sr., Samford

RS              Chandler Curtis, Fr., Mercer

 

Second Team Offense

QB             Troy Mitchell, Jr., Western Carolina

RB              Alex Lakes, Fr., Mercer

RB              Darius Ramsey, Jr., Western Carolina

OL              Wilson Heres, Jr., Mercer

OL              Jordan Boatright, Sr., Samford

OL              Kyle Champion, Sr., Samford

OL              Jacob Revis, Fr., Chattanooga

OL              Andy Marcotte, Sr., VMI

OL              Josh Wineberg, Jr., Western Carolina

TE              Duncan Fletcher, So., Furman

WR             Jordan Snellings, Jr., Furman

WR             C.J. Board, So., Chattanooga

WR             Tommy Hudson, Sr., Chattanooga

 

Second Team Defense

DL              Mitchell Jeter, Jr., The Citadel

DL              Michael Pierce, Jr., Samford

DL              Keionta Davis, So., Chattanooga

DL              E.J. Speller, Jr., Wofford

LB              Nakevion Leslie, So., Chattanooga

LB              Muhasibi Wakeel, Sr., Chattanooga

LB              Sertonuse Harris, Jr., Western Carolina

DB             Reggie Thomas, Jr., Furman

DB             Jamerson Blount, So., Samford

DB             James Bradberry, Jr., Samford

DB             Lucas Webb, Fr., Chattanooga

DB             Trey Morgan, So., Western Carolina

 

Second Team Specialists

PK              Richard Sigmon, Sr., Western Carolina

P                Nick Pollard, Sr., Chattanooga

RS              Detrez Newsome, Fr., Western Carolina

 

All-Freshman Offense

Cam Jackson, RB, The Citadel

Isiaha Smith, RB, The Citadel

P.J. Blazejowski, QB, Furman

Alex Lakes, RB, Mercer

Malik Johns, WR, Samford

Richardre Bagley, RB, Chattanooga

Jacob Revis, OL, Chattanooga

Hunter Townson, OL, Chattanooga

Al Cobb, QB, VMI

Detrez Newsome, RB, Western Carolina

Davis Lenoir, OL, Wofford

 

All-Freshman Defense

DeVonta Delaney, DB, The Citadel

Austin Barrett, DL, Mercer

Kyle Williams, LB, Mercer

Shaheed Salmon, LB, Samford

Tavon Lawson, DB, Chattanooga

Lucas Webb, DB, Chattanooga

Trevor Wright, DB, Chattanooga

Greg Sanders, DB, VMI

Derrick Davis, DL, Western Carolina

Daniel Riddle, LB, Western Carolina

Terrance Morris, LB, Wofford

 

All-Freshman Specialists

Jon Croft Hollingsworth, P/PK, Furman

Chandler Curtis, RS, Mercer

Detrez Newsome, RS, Western Carolina

David Marvin, PK, Wofford