Four C-USA Players Named to O'Brien Watch List

J.P. Losman

The Davey O'Brien Foundation today announced the preseason watch list for the 2003 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, given annually to the nation’s top college quarterback. Cincinnati’s Gino Guidugli, UAB’s Darrell Hackney, Tulane’s J.P. Losman and Danny Wimprine of Memphis are Conference USA’s four representatives on the list of 42 preseason candidates.

Guidugli, the preseason All-Conference USA selection at QB, established a single-season school record for passing yards with 3,543 in 2002. He is just the second UC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Guidugli led C-USA in total offense with 3,570 yards in 2002, while passing for 22 touchdowns. After just two seasons, he ranks third on the Bearcats all-time list in passing yards (6,116) and second in TD passes (38).

Hackney, who started the final eight games of the 2002 season, finished the year just shy of the 2,000-yard mark in passing yards. Hackney had 1,977 yards through the air, but averaged 214.9 as the starter. He threw for 14 touchdowns and was named Conference USA Offensive Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News. Hackney is one of only two sophomores that were named to the watch list.

Losman led Tulane to an 8-4 record that included a win in the ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl last season. He completed 230-of-401 passes (57.4 percent) for 2,468 yards and 19 TD’s. Losman already ranks in the Tulane top 10 in nearly every passing and total offense category after just one year as a starter and has compiled the lowest interception percentage (INTs per attempts) in school and Conference USA history entering his senior season.

Wimprine set new Memphis single-season records for pass attempts (435), completions (235), yards (2,820) and TD passes (23) in 2002. In 21 games in a Tiger uniform, Wimprine has passed for more than 4,100 yards and 37 touchdowns. The 37 TD passés are already a new school career record.

The Davey O’Brien Award is named after the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who led TCU to the 1938 national championship.

Semifinalists will be announced in early November and narrowed to three finalists later in that month by the O’Brien National Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of nationally known sportswriters, commentators and other members of the media. The winner of the 2003 O’Brien Award will be announced Dec. 11 on the ESPN College Football Awards Show from Orlando, Fla. The winner will be honored at the 27th annual O'Brien Awards Dinner in February 2004, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

2003 Davey O’Brien Watch List:
Asad Abdul-Khaliq Sr. Minnesota
Brock Berlin Jr. Miami
Jon Beutjer Sr. Illinois
Casey Bramlet Sr. Wyoming
Timmy Chang Jr. Hawaii
Casey Clausen Sr. Tennessee
Ryan Dinwiddie Sr. Boise State
Darian Durant Jr. North Carolina
Josh Fields Jr. Oklahoma State
David Greene Jr. Georgia
Gino Guidugli Jr. Cincinnati
Darrell Hackney Soph. UAB
Adam Hall Sr. San Diego State
Chance Harridge Sr. Air Force
Josh Harris Sr. Bowling Green
Carlyle Holiday Sr. Notre Dame
Craig Krenzel Sr. Ohio State
Jammal Lord Sr. Nebraska
Jared Lorenzen Sr. Kentucky
J.P. Losman Sr. Tulane
Matt LoVecchio Jr. Indiana
Scott McBrien Sr. Maryland
Luke McCown Sr. Louisiana Tech
Rasheed Marshall Jr. West Virginia
Eli Manning Sr. Ole Miss
Zack Mills Jr. Penn State
John Navarre Sr. Michigan
Kyle Orton Jr. Purdue
Cody Pickett Sr. Washington
Bryan Randall Jr. Virginia Tech
Philip Rivers Sr. North Carolina State
Chris Rix Jr. Florida State
Ell Roberson Sr. Kansas State
Ben Roethlisberger Jr. Miami (Ohio)
Rod Rutherford Sr. Pittsburgh
Matt Schaub Sr. Virginia
Ryan Schneider Sr. Central Florida
Brad Smith Soph. Missouri
Bradlee Van Pelt Sr. Colorado State
Andrew Walter Jr. Arizona State
Bill Whittemore Sr. Kansas
Danny Wimprine Jr. Memphis