Dec. 17, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
IRVING, Texas - For the second time in three years, Conference USA will be sending six teams to bowl games. After defeating Tulsa in the C-USA Championship Game, UCF will represent the league in the AutoZone Liberty on December 29 in Memphis, Tenn. This marks the 12th consecutive season that Conference USA's champion will play in the Liberty Bowl.
The Knights (10-3) will face Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl. For UCF, it will be their second bowl appearance in three years under George O'Leary, the league's Coach of the Year.
Tulsa (9-4) will make its third straight bowl appearance and its fourth in five seasons when it plays Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Sunday, January 6. First-year head coach Todd Graham has directed the number-one ranked offense in the FBS, led by senior QB Paul Smith, the C-USA co-Offensive Player of the Year.
East Carolina (7-5) will make its second straight bowl appearance under head coach Skip Holtz when it travels across the Pacific to battle a No. 22 Boise State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on December 23.
Memphis will be making its fourth bowl appearance in five years under head coach Tommy West when it plays Sun Belt Conference champion Florida Atlantic in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, which is televised by ESPN 2.
Southern Miss will face Big East Conference opponent Cincinnati, a former member of Conference USA, in the second annual Papajohns.com Bowl at historic Legion Field. ESPN 2 will televise the December 22 contest at Noon CST.
Houston will play in the Texas Bowl in Houston on December 28. The Cougars will renew acquaintances with former Conference USA and Southwest Conference rival TCU in the second annual game at Reliant Stadium.
BOWL SCHEDULE
Friday, December 21
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
Saturday, December 22
Papajohns.com Bowl (ESPN2) 12:00 p.m.
Southern Miss vs. (20) Cincinnati
Sunday, December 23
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (ESPN) 7:00 p.m.
East Carolina vs. (22) Boise State
Friday, December 28
texas bowl (NFL NETWORK) 7:00 p.m.
Houston vs. TCU
Saturday, December 29
AUTOZONE liberty bowl (ESPN) 3:30 p.m.
(UCF vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, January 6
GMAC Bowl (ESPN) 7:00 p.m.
Tulsa vs. Bowling Green
All Times Central
COACHES AWARDS
COACH OF THE YEAR
George O'Leary - UCF
OFFENSE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Paul Smith , QB, Tulsa
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Johnson, KR, East Carolina
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Brennan Marion, WR, Tulsa
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Case Keenun, QB, Houston
MEDIA AWARDS
COACH OF THE YEAR
George O'Leary - UCF
CO-OFFENSE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Kevin Smith, RB, UCF
Paul Smith , QB, Tulsa
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Johnson, KR, East Carolina
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Brennan Marion, WR, Tulsa
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Case Keenun, QB, Houston
C-USA ALL-AMERICANS
Conference USA has had several football players earn All-American honors from various associations and websites recently. UCF's Kevin Smith was on four of the five first-teams used to determine NCAA consensus All-America status. He shares consensus first-team honors at running back with Arkansas junior Darren McFadden and is the first Knight in school history to earn that distinction.
Tulane RB Matt Forté claimed second-team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated (SI.com) and ColegeFootballNews.com, while claiming third-team recognition from the Associated Press and Phil Steele Publications. Below is a look at C-USA's All-American and Freshman All-American honorees:
ALL-AMERICANS FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS
WALTER CAMP COLLEGE FOOTBALLNEWS.COM
First Team Second Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF WR - Trae Johnson, TLS
TE- James Casey, Rice
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Team Third Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF DE - Scott Soloman, Rice
Third Team Honorable Mention
RB - Matt Forté, TLN QB - Case Keenum, HOU
QB - Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP
FWAA RB - Charles Clay, TLS
First Team DL - Bruce Muller, UCF
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF DB - C.J Bailey, USM
SPORTING NEWS SPORTING NEWS
First Team Second Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF TE - James Casey, Rice
SI.COM Honorable Mention
First Team QB - Case Keenum, HOU
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF WR - Trae Johnson, TLS
OL - Andrew Nierman, TLN
Second Team OL - Dominik Riley, MEM
RB - Matt Forté, TLN DL - Chetu Ozougwu, Rice
DL - Bruce Miller, UCF
Honorable Mention K - Justin Estes, USM
QB - Paul Smith, TLS P - Blake Clingan, UCF
WR - Donnie Avery, HOU P - Kyle Petersen, UTEP
WR - Jarett Dillard, Rice
TE- Cody Slate, MAR RIVALS.COM
DB - Quintin Demps, UTEP Second Team
TE - James Casey, Rice
CBSSPORTS.COM
First Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF
RIVALS.COM
Second Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF
COLLEGE FOOTBALLNEWS.COM
First Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF
Second Team
RB - Matt Forté, TLN
Honorable Mention
QB - Paul Smith, TLS
QB - Chase Clement, Rice
RB - Anthony Alridge, HOU
RB - Chris Johnson, ECU
WR - Donnie Avery, HOU
TE - Cody Slate, MAR
K - Michael Torres, UCF
PHIL STEELE PUBLICATIONS
First Team
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF
Second Team
WR - Donnie Avery, HOU
Third Team
RB - Matt Forté, TLN
Fourth Team
RB - Anthony Alridge, HOU
WR - Jarett Dillard, Rice
2007 C-USA ACADEMIC HONOREES
Two C-USA footbal players earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors, while 13 were named Academic All-District. Here is a look at the honorees: ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
Keith Shologan UCF
Paul Smith TLS
ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Bio Bilaye-Benibo Rice
Nelson Coleman Tulsa
Jake Ebner Houston
Mitch Enright SMU
Jake Kasser Memphis
Thomas Morstead SMU
Brandon Patterson Memphis
Sha'reff Rashad UCF
Rocky Ross UCF
Andrew Sendejo Rice
Keith Shologan UCF
Zack Sledge SMU
Paul Smith Tulsa
2007 C-USA ALL-ACADEMIC FOOTBALL TEAM
Josh Coffman East Carolina
Jake Kasser Memphis
Brandon Patterson Memphis
Robby Heos Rice
Andrew Sendejo Rice
Thomas Morstead SMU
Zack Sledge SMU
Jeremy Young Southern Miss
Nelson Coleman Tulsa
Paul Smith Tulsa
Sha'reff Rashad UCF
Keith Shologan UCF
Lorne Sam UTEP
TWO FOR 2,000
Conference USA became just the second conference ever to produce a pair of 2,000-yard rushers in the same season when UCF's Kevin Smith and Tulane's Matt Forté both accomplished the rushing feat this season. Smith and Forte' are just the 12th and 13th players in FBS history to reach the 2,000-yard mark and the duo joins Ricky Williams of Texas and Troy Davis of Iowa State in 1996 as the only conference rivals to run for 2,000 yards in the same season.
Both players rushing totals now rank among the top seven individual seasons in FBS history. Smith is currently second with 2,448 yards, while Forte' is seventh with 2,127. Smith, who carried the ball 39 times for 284 yards in the C-USA Championship game, will have an opportunity to break Barry Sanders' all-time mark, needing just 180 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl to set the new mark.
FBS SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING YARDS
Player,Team,Year G Carries Yds.
Barry Sanders, OSU, 1988 11 344 2,628
Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 13 415 2,448
Marcus Allen, USC, 1981 11 403 2,342
Troy Davis, Iowa St., 1996 11 403 2,185
LaDanian Tomlinson, TCU, 2000 11 369 2,185
Mike Rozier, NEB, 1983 12 275 2,148
Matt Forté, TLN, 2007 12 361 2,127
Ricky Williams, TEX, 1996 11 361 2,124
Larry Johnson, PSU, 2002 13 271 2,087
Byron Hanspard, TT, 1996 11 339 2,084
Rashaan Salaam, COL, 1994 11 298 2,055
J.J. Arrington, CAL, 2004 12 289 2,018
Troy Davis, Iowa St., 1996 11 345 2,010
WHAT A RUSH
Conference USA boasts the top two rushers in the country in the latest NCAA stats. UCF RB Kevin Smith continues to lead the nation in rushing with an incredible 188.3 yards-per-game average after he gained 284 yards in the C-USA Championship game. Tulane RB Matt Forté ranks No. 2 at 177.3 ypg. Here is a look at the top NCAA rushing leaders:
Player Rsh. Yds. Avg. Ypg.
Kevin Smith, UCF 415 2,448 5.9 188.3
Matt Forté, TLN 361 2,127 5.9 177.3
Ray Rice, RUT 345 1,732 5.0 144.3
Darren McFadden, ARK 304 1,725 5.7 143.8
Eugene Jarvis, KSU 279 1,669 6.0 139.1
GOLDEN GUNSLINGER
Tulsa QB Paul Smith has thrown for over 300 yards in all 13 games this season and 14 times in his career. He has thrown for three or more TDs in 10 games this year and in 14 career games. He also leads C-USA and ranks third in the NCAA in passing yards per game. Here is a look at the NCAA leaders in passing yards:
Player Cmp. Pct. Cpg. Ypc. Ypg.
Graham Harrell, TT 468 72.7 39.0 11.3 441.5
Colt Brennan, HI 337 71.4 30.6 12.4 379.5
Paul Smith, TLS 300 60.1 23.1 15.8 365.6
TOTAL OFFENSE
Paul Smith leads C-USA and ranks third in the NCAA in total offense. In addition to his 42 TD passes, he has also rushed for 12 scores. Here is a look at the total offense leaders:
Player Rsh. Pass Ply. Yds. Yd./G
Graham Harrell, TT -63 5,298 678 5,235 436.3
Colt Brennan, HI 65 4,174 545 4,239 385.4
Paul Smith, TLS 73 4,753 595 4,826 371.2
SMITH IS RESPONSIBLE
Smith is second in the nation and leads Conference USA in points responsible for with a C-USA record 330 through TU's first 13 games. Here's a look at the NCAA leaders:
Player Gm. Pass Pts. Total Ppg.
Tim Tebow, FLA 12 29 132 306 25.5
Paul Smith, TLS 13 42 76 330 25.4
Graham Harrell, TT 12 45 28 302 25.2
SCORING THREATS
C-USA features the top three scorers in the NCAA at the conclusion of the regular season. UCF's Kevin Smith continues to lead the nation, while Tulane's Matt Forté is in second. ECU's Chris Johnson is tied for third place. Here's a look at the NCAA scoring leaders:
Rk. Player Gm. TD Pts. Ppg.
1. Kevin Smith, UCF 13 30 180 13.9
2. Matt Forté, TLN 12 23 140 11.7
3. Chris Johnson, ECU 12 22 132 11.0
3. Tim Tebow, FLA 12 22 132 11.0
3. Colt David, LSU 13 1 139 10.7
ALL-PURPOSE RUNNERS
Conference USA features three of the top five players in the NCAA in all-purpose running. ECU's Chris Johnson continues to lead the nation, while UCF's Kevin Smith is in fourth, and Tulane's Matt Forté is in fifth. Here is a look at the NCAA all-purpose running leaders:
Player Rsh. Rcv. Pr. Kor. Yd./G
1. Chris Johnson, ECU 1,200 496 0 856 212.7
2. Jeremy Maclin, MIZ 349 1,023 302 1,039 208.7
3. Chad Hall, AF 1,415 488 176 425 208.7
4. Kevin Smith, UCF 2,448 230 0 0 206.0
5. Matt Forté, TLN 2,127 282 0 11 201.7
THE 300 CLUB
Tulsa senior QB Paul Smith has thrown for more than 300 yards in all 13 games this season, a new C-USA record for consecutive 300-yard passing games and 300-yard games in a season. Here's a look at the players with the most 300-yard passing games in a single-season.
300-Yard Passing Games in a Season
13 Paul Smith, Tulsa 2007
8 Chris Redman, Louisville 1998
7 Chris Redman, Louisville 1999
7 Patrick Ramsey, Tulane 1999
6 Six tied with
DONNIE DOES IT
Houston's Donnie Avery ranks third in the nation in total receiving yards and comes in at fourth in receiving yards per game. Here is a look at the NCAA receiving leaders:
Player Gm. Catch Yds. Ypc. Ypg.
Michael Crabtree, TT 12 125 1,861 14.9 155.1
Jordy Nelson, KSU 12 122 1,606 13.2 133.8
Donnie Avery, HOU 12 81 1,336 16.5 111.3
TOTING A THOUSAND
Conference USA finised the regular season with seven running backs that rushed for more than 1,000 yards.That breaks the league record for the most 1,000-yard rushers, set in 2002. Here is a look at C-USA's 1,000-yard rushers.
1,000-Yard Rushers in 2007
Player Att. Yds. Yds./G TD
1. Kevin Smith, UCF 415 2,448 188.3 29
2. Matt Forté, TLN 361 2,127 177.2 23
3. Anthony Alridge, HOU 244 1,568 130.7 14
4. Damion Fletcher, USM 266 1,431 119.2 15
5. Marcus Thomas, UTEP 227 1,166 106.0 16
6. Chris Johnson, ECU 208 1,200 100.0 16
7. Tarrion Adams, TLS 184 1,113 85.6 7
TOP PERFORMANCES
Conference USA players have produced the top individual rushing performance (342 yards by Tulane's Matt Forte' on Oct. 20 vs. SMU) and the top individual receiving performance (346 yards by Houston's Donnie Avery on Oct. 13 vs. Rice) in the FBS during the 2007 season. C-USA is the first conference in major college football history to have a 300-yard rusher and a 300-yard receiver in the same season.
KNIGHT TIME
UCF's 44-25 win over Tulsa in the C-USA Championship game gave the school its first conference title and with it came an invitation to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Knights extended their winning streak to seven games, an all-time best for the program. UCF is now 10-3 and the 10 wins equal the most in a season for a UCF team and the most since the Knights joined the FBS. RB Kevin Smith was named the championship game MVP after rushing for 284 yards on 39 carries and four TDs.
KEVIN SMITH SECOND ALL-TIME
Following his 284-yard effort in the C-USA title game, UCF RB Kevin Smith now stands second all-time on the NCAA FBS season rushing yards list with 2,448. Smith moved into second on the list during the game, surpassing USC's Marcus Allen.
The 200-yard rushing effort was his fifth of the season and was his second-highest total of the season (320 vs. UAB).
With his 39 carries, Smith broke the all-time NCAA FBS record for rushing attempts in a season. Marcus Allen of USC held the previous record with 403 - a mark set in 1981. Smith now has 415 carries in 2007.
The 100-yard rushing effort was the 12th of the season for Smith and it marked the seventh time this season he had 100 yards rushing by halftime.
Smith four rushing TDs gave him 45 for his career, surpassing Florida State's Greg Allen for the state of Florida career record.
PAUL SMITH TIES RECORD
Against UCF in the C-USA Championship game, Tulsa QB Paul Smith had his 13th consecutive 300+ yard passing game of the season, tying the single-season NCAA 300+ passing games record set by BYU's Ty Detmer in 1989 and 1990. His 13th game also tied the single-season NCAA record set by Detmer and Hawaii's Colt Brennan in 2006.
The senior finished the game 28-of-55 for 426 yards and three TDs. All of his TD passes came in the first half, the fourth time this season he has thrown for three TDs in a half. It was the third time in 2007 that Smith had thrown for 400+ yards.
RECEIVING TANDEM
Tulsa WR Trae Johnson became the second Tulsa receiver to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau in the loss to UCF, marking the first time in school history that TU produced two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. WR Brennan Marion went over the 1,000-yard plateau in the Golden Hurricane's game against Rice.
Johnson and Marion are the third receiving tandem in the NCAA to surpass 1,000 yards this year, and the 24th pair in NCAA history. The pair joins Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree and Danny Amendola and Hawaii's Ryab Grice-Nullen and Davone Bess as the other groups to post 1,000+ receiving yards in 2007.
The Tulsa duo is the first tandem to top 1,000 yards in C-USA since JaJaun Dawson (1,036) and Adnan Burnette (1,095) of Tulane in 1999.
TOP TURNAROUNDS
East Division champion UCF and Memphis have been a part of two of the top turnarounds in the FBS season. Here is a look at teams that have improved at least five games from 2006 to 2007:
Team 2007 2006 Improvement
Illinois 9-3 2-10 +7
UCF 10-3 4-8 +6
Memphis 7-5 2-10 +5
Kansas 11-1 6-6 +5
UConn 9-3 4-8 +5
Air Force 9-3 4-8 +5
WINNING WAYS
With its win over Arkansas State on November 24, Southern Miss clinched its 14th-straight winning season. Only four programs have longer active winning season streaks in the FBS. Florida State has the longest with 31 straight, followed by Michigan (23), Florida (20) and Virginia Tech (15).
BOWL STREAK
After accepting a bid to the Papajohns.com Bowl on November 24, the Golden Eagles now will play in a bowl game for the sixth straight season and for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
TOTAL OFFENSE RECORD
With 300 yards of total offense against Arkansas State to close out the regular season, the Golden Eagles have now tallied a school-record 4,727 yards on the year, breaking last year's mark of 4,635.
CAN'T CATCH FLETCH
Southern Miss RB Damion Fletcher recorded 133 yards on 27 carries for one TD against Arkansas State on November 24.
Fletcher's second quarter touchdown gave him 15 on the year, the third most for a season behind Sammy Winder (20, 1980) and Harold Shaw (16, 1997). It also gives him 26 for his career, tied for fifth all-time with Shelton Gandy (1985-88), Reggie Collier (1979-82) and Doyle Orange (1971-73).
KICKOFF YARDAGE LEADERS
East Carolina RB Chris Johnson broke C-USA's all-time KOR yard record with 26 yards against Marshall on Nov. 10 and has 2,562 yards so far this season. Here is a look at the career KOR leaders: Rk. Player Yards 1. Chris Johnson, East Carolina 2,562 2. Zek Parker, Louisville 2,558 3. John Eubanks, Southern Miss 2,321 4. Broderick Clark, Louisville 2,111 5. Jason Southall, UAB 2,092 6. William White, Army 2,035 7. Jessie Henderson, SMU 1,889 8. Omari Thompson, Army 1,827 9. Fred Smith, Tulane 1,727 9. Ketric Sanford, Houston 1,705
CHRIS CRUISES
East Carolina RB Chris Johnson scored three TDs on against Tulane on November 24 (5 and 7 run/ 33 receiving). He now has 42 career TDs (31/run, 9 receiving and 2 KOR). He finished the game with 155 yards rushing on 27 carries marking the fourth time this year he has rushed for at least 100-yards and eighth time in his career.
He moved into second place on the school's all-time scoring list with 252 points (35 shy of tying the record held by Jeff Heath-287). With his 155 yards on the ground, he moved into fifth place on the Pirates all-time (2,759) list.
On the season, he has rushed for 1,200 yards and is four yards shy of moving into fifth place on the single-season rushing charts. With his 33-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter against Tulane, Johnson set a new single-season record for receiving TDs (5) passing Jerris McPhail (1993).
COUGARS CRUSH TIGERS
The Cougars' 59-point total against Texas Southern to close out the regular season was the highest since UH enjoyed an 61-34 win over Rice on Nov. 28, 1992.
The Cougars' 53-point win was the biggest since UH enjoyed a 63-7 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 3, 1992.
With 664 yards (377 rush, 287 pass) of total offense, the Cougars recorded at least 500 yards for the seventh time this season. UH tallied at least 600 yards for the second time in 2007.
Following that win, the Cougars improved to 15-8 (.652) when totaling at least 500 yards.
ALRIDGE IN SECOND
With 163 rushing yards against Texas Southern, Houston RB Anthony Alridge has posted 1,568 rushing yards to date this season. That total ranks as the second highest in UH single-season history. Alridge recorded his eighth 100-yard rushing game of 2007 and the 12th of his career. The Cougars improved to 10-2 (.833) during games in which Alridge reached triple digits in rushing yards. With two rushing touchdowns, senior running back Anthony Alridge recorded his 13th and 14th rushing scores this season and 18th and 19th TDs overall.
CALHOUN CATCHES
Memphis WR Duke Calhoun extended his receiving streak to 23 games with his seven-yard catch from Martin Hankins on Memphis' first offensive series in the regular season finale against SMU. Calhoun has caught a pass in each of the 23 career games he has played in. He ended the game with six catches for 65 yards.
HANKINS HAS A DAY
Against SMU to close out the regular season, Memphis QB Martin Hankins tossed four TD passes. It was the third time this season he had accomplished that feat. His four TDs give him 22 on the year and 40 in his two-year career. Hankins completed 30 of his 59 pass attempts for 336 yards against the Mustangs. It was his sixth 300-yard passing game this season. The 22 TD passes this season ranks second all-time in a single season.
CHASING NEW RECORDS
Rice QB Chase Clement set C-USA single game marks with 601 yards of total offense, 84 offensive plays and 66 pass attempts in Rice's season finale against Tulsa. He also set Rice single game records with 541 passing yards and 40 completions, while leading the Owls to 700 total yards against TU. His record output allowed him to lead C-USA in total offense for conference games, finishing with 3,118 yards of total offense in league play (389.9 ypg.)
Clement became the second Owl to top 3,000 yards passing in a season with and went on to break the school record, finishing with 3,377. With three touchdown completions, Clement finished 2007 with 29, a new Rice record.
DILLARD EIGHTH ALL-TIME
Rice WR Jarett Dillard became the eighth receiver in NCAA history to reach 40 career TD catches with his 25-yarder in the second quarter against Tulsa. Dillard is second among active players with his 40 TD catches. He has now scored a touchdown in 17 of his last 18 conference games and in 23 of his last 27 overall.
Dillard extended his streak of catching at least two passes in a game to 36. With his 89 receiving yards, he reached the 1,000 yard receiving plateau for the second straight year. He finished the 2007 season with 1,056 receiving yards.
MARTINEZ NAMED LOU GROZA FINALIST
UTEP junior kicker Jose Martinez was named one of three finalists for the 16th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl. He was the first finalist for the award in school history.
PAUL SMITH WINS WUERFFEL TROPHY
University of Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith has been named the winner of the third annual Wuerffel Trophy by the All Sports Association of Fort Walton Beach, it was announced today.
The Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Smith was named a first-team Academic All-America while maintaining a 3.84 GPA in communication. On the field he was equally impressive throwing for a school and Conference USA record 4,753 yards and 42 touchdowns while passing for more than 300 yards in each of Tulsa's 13 games. Smith was named the Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Year and garnered first-team all-conference honors at quarterback.
Smith led the Golden Hurricane to a berth in the Conference-USA Championship Game against Central Florida where he threw for 426 yards and three touchdowns. The senior has ranked among the nation's top passers for the entire season while leading the nation's top-ranked offense to a season average of 542.5 yards.
KEVIN SMITH NAMED CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN
UCF junior RB Kevin Smith will be the first player in school history and the first C-USA player since TCU K Nick Browne in 2003 to earn NCAA consensus All-America honors. With four of the five NCAA Bowl Subdivision All-America teams already announced that are used to determine the NCAA's consensus All-America teams, Smith and Arkansas junior Darren McFadden have secured the two running back spots.
The NCAA uses a point system based upon inclusion on five nationally recognized All-America teams to determine whether a player will be awarded a spot on the consensus team. First-place honors are worth three points, second-place honors are worth two and third-place honors are worth one.
The Miami native has earned first team accolades on the Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America and Sporting News teams, which gives him nine total points. The other two teams that factor into the consensus award are the Associated Press team, which will be released after this release goes to print, and the American Football Coaches Association, which Smith was not named to.
With only one team remaining to be announced, no other running back in the country can pass the point totals that Smith and McFadden have already amassed.
Smith leads the FBS in rushing yards with 2,448 and touchdowns with 30. Smith and former Oklahoma State standout Barry Sanders are the only two running backs in FBS history to rush for more than 2,000 yards and score 30 touchdowns in a season.
HELMET STICKERS
Nine different C-USA players (including UCF's Kevin Smith twice) have earned helmet stickers this season from the crew of ESPN's College GameDay Final:
September 8
Patrick Pinkney, East Carolina
(21-of-31, 406 pass yds., 3 TDs vs. North Carolina)
September 22
Case Keenum, Houston
(18-of-22, 254 total yards, 4 TDs against Colorado State)
October 13
Anthony Alridge and Donnie Avery, Houston
(633 all-purpose yards, 6 TDs vs. Rice, First 200-yard rusher and 300-yard receiver on the same team in the same game in FBS history)
October 20
Matt Forte, Tulane
(342 yards, 4 TDs vs. SMU)
November 3
Chase Clement, Rice
(498 total yards, 8 TDs vs. UTEP)
Chris Johnson, East Carolina
(301 rush, 408 all-purpose yards, 4 TDs vs. Memphis)
November 10
Kevin Smith, UCF
(320 rush yards, 4 TDs vs. UAB)
November 24
Brennan Marion, Tulsa
(7 receptions, 244 yds. 2 TDs vs. Rice)
December 1
Kevin Smith, UCF
(284 yards, 4 TDs vs. Tulsa)
SEASON PASSING LEADERS
Tulsa's Paul Smith moved into first place all-time for passing yards in a season after throwing for 441 yards and five TDs against Rice on Saturday. The senior signal caller currently has 4,327 yards and has passed for 300+ yards in 12 straight contests, a new C-USA record. Here is a look at the all-time C-USA leaders:
4,753 Paul Smith, Tulsa, 2007 (300-of-499)
4,042 Chris Redman, Louisville, 1998 (309-of-473)
3,809 Kevin Kolb, Houston, 2006 (292-of-432)
3,647 Chris Redman, Louisville, 1999 (317-of-489)
3,585 Jordan Palmer, UTEP, 2006 (281-of-428)
300-YARD PASSERS
Eleven different quarterbacks have passed for more than 300 yards in a game this season, including two different Memphis quarterbacks. Tulane and UAB are the only schools that have not produced a 300-yard passer this season. A C-USA quarterback has thrown for more than 300 yards 40 times this season.
Player, School, Date Yds. C-A-I TD
Chase Clement, Rice, N24 541 44-66-1 3
Paul Smith, TLS, S15 454 21-35-1 5
Paul Smith, TLS, N24 441 22-39-1 5
Paul Smith, TLS, D1 426 28-55-3 4
Bernard Morris, MAR, O2 417 31-42-0 3
Martin Hankins, MEM, N3 416 34-60-2 4
Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP, O13 409 38-55-1 3
Patrick Pinkney, ECU, S8 406 31-41-0 3
Martin Hankins, MEM, N11 396 35-48-2 4
Chase Clement, Rice, N3 395 32-58-3 6
Paul Smith, TLS, N17 390 22-32-0 2
Paul Smith, TLS, O13 385 24-39-0 3
Paul Smith, TLS, O6 383 26-43-2 2
Justin Willis, SMU, N24 375 35-48-2 4
Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP, N3 373 30-58-0 5
Chase Clement, Rice, N11 364 25-52-1 2
Martin Hankins, MEM, O27 355 25-38-1 2
Chase Clement, RICE, O13 355 24-44-1 3
Justin Willis, SMU, O20 354 28-36-1 3
Justin Willis, SMU, S8 353 30-42-1 2
Justin Willis, SMU, N4 351 19-32-1 3
Paul Smith, TLS, S21 350 22-32-2 2
Will Hudgens, MEM, O2 346 30-45-0 2
Chase Clement, Rice, N17 345 34-54-0 4
Martin Hankins, MEM, S1 343 41-60-4 1
Martin Hankins, MEM, N24 336 30-59-1 4
Paul Smith, TLS, O27 336 27-45-2 3
Paul Smith, TLS, S29 333 19-37-2 3
Paul Smith, TLS, N3 319 18-27-1 3
Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP, O6 319 21-27-0 3
Blake Joseph, HOU, O13 318 11-18-1 3
Paul Smith, TLS, O20 316 34-56-4 3
Paul Smith, TLS, N11 313 15-28-0 5
Kyle Israel, UCF, O6 313 28-45-2 2
Stephen Reaves, USM, O21 310 23-30-0 1
Bernard Morris, MAR, N24 309 26-36-0 1
Bernard Morris, MAR, O21 309 20-38-3 2
Trevor Vittatoe, UTEP, N11 308 28-42-1 1
Paul Smith, TLS, A30 307 22-31-1 3
Martin Hankins, MEM, O20 306 21-32-1 3
WELCOME HOME
UCF opened its brand-new on campus stadium, Bright House Networks Stadium, on Sept. 15 vs. (6) Texas on ESPN2. A crowd of 45,622, the fourth-largest in school history, saw the Knights narrowly fall to the Longhorns, 35-32. The 32 points scored were the most in UCF history against a ranked opponent.
HOUSTON MAKES HISTORY
Against Rice on October 13 Houston's Donnie Avery had 345 receiving yards, and Anthony Alridge had 205 yards rushing (and four TDs). It was the first time ever in major college football history that a team produced a 200-yard rusher and 300-yard receiver in the same game. It was just the fifth time in FBS history that one team has had a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard receiver in the same game.
UH'S EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
On October 13, Houston rolled up 748 yards of total offense, the second-highest total in league history. The total was 21 yards shy of the league record, set by Louisville in 1998. Two of the top five figures for total offense have occurred this season, as Tulsa generated 695 yards of offense vs. UAB on Sept. 29. Here's a look at the top five single-game offensive outputs in league history:
769 Louisville at East Carolina, 11-14-98
(615 pass, 154 rush)
748 Houston vs. Rice, 10-13-07
(474 pass, 274 rush)
742 Louisville vs. Cincinnati, 10-3-98
(460 pass, 282 rush)
706 Tulane vs. Southwestern Louisiana, 10-31-98 (460 pass, 246 rush)
695 Tulsa vs. UAB, 9-20-07
(333 pass, 362 rush)
AVERY'S RECORD DAY
In Houston's 56-48 win over Rice on Oct. 13, Houston senior WR Donnie Avery shattered the Conference USA single-game record for receiving yards with 346. Just the 14th player in FBS history to top the 300-yard mark, Avery had 208 yards in the first quarter. Here's a look at the top five single-game receiving days in league history:
346 Donnie Avery, HOU vs. Rice, 10-13-07
(13 catches)
260 Kendrick Lee, USM vs. HOU, 11-9-96
(10 catches)
253 Roddy White, UAB at TLN, 10-23-04
(8 catches)
240 Jon Olinger, Cincinnati vs. Miami (Ohio), 10-5-02 (13 catches)
232 Brandon Middleton, Houston vs. TCU, 10-25-03 (6 catches)
KEVIN SMITH NAMED AT&T All-AMERICA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UCF RB Kevin Smith was named the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week Award on Nov. 15. Smith rushed for a school-record 320 yards and added four rushing touchdowns in the Knights' 45-31 victory over UAB, which put UCF (7-3, 5-1) a top the C-USA East Division standings. His 320-yard output was the third-highest in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision this season as UCF improved its winning streak to four games.
AVERY AWARDED
On October 14, after setting four Houston and Conference USA records, Cougar WR Donnie Avery was named the Walter Camp Football FBS National Offensive Players of the Week for games ending October 13. Avery set school and C-USA records for receiving yards (346) and all-purpose yards (427) as the Cougars rallied to defeat Rice, 56-48, and retain the Bayou Bucket. Avery caught 13 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns, a 77- and 67-yarder in the first quarter, as the racked up 748 yards of total offense.
WEB MASTERS
The Tulane University Athletics Department has launched a new website to promote Green Wave national football award candidate Matt Forté www.MattForte25.com .
The website features video highlights as well as updated statistics, notes, news clips and quotes on what coaches and writers around the country are saying about Forté.
In an effort to showcase the impressive season UCF junior running back Kevin Smith is churning out in 2007, UCF Athletics Association officials have launched a new comprehensive website - www.KevinSmith24k.com - to highlight Smith's record-setting season.
KevinSmith24k.com features Smith's official UCF football biography, 2007 season photo gallery, season and career statistics, statistical comparison vs. the state of Florida's finest college running backs, quotes and comments from media, coaches and players around the nation and much more.
FORTE EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
Tulane senior RB Matt Forté was named Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced on Oct. 21.
Forté earned the national honor for the second time this season after setting Tulane and Conference USA records with 342 yards rushing while scoring four touchdowns on 38 carries in the Green Wave's 41-34 overtime victory over SMU. Forté had two nine-yard touchdown runs - including what proved to be the game-winner in overtime -a five-yard scoring jaunt in the fourth quarter and a career-long 77-yard touchdown sprint in the second quarter.
In additon to Forte's two weekly awards from the Walter Camp Foundation, Houston senior WR Donnie Avery won the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14.
BIG YARDS ARE HIS FORTÉ
Tulane's 41-34 overtime win over SMU on October 20, Tulane senior RB Matt Forté broke his one-month old Conference USA record for rushing yards in a single game with 342. Forte' had set the record with 303 against Southeastern Louisiana. He has now rushed for 200 yards or better in three straight games and four out of five. Here's a look at the top five single-game rushing days in league history:
342 Matt Forté, Tulane at SMU, 10-20-07
(38 attempts)
303 Matt Forté, Tulane vs. Southeastern La., 9-22-07 (40 attempts)
301 Chris Johnson, ECU vs. Memphis, 11-3-07
(20 attempts)
300 Joffrey Reynolds, Houston vs. East Carolina, 11-9-02 (41 attempts)
287 Lonta Hobbs, TCU vs. Memphis, 11-30-02 (33 attempts)
CAREER 100-YARD GAMES (C-USA)
Below is a look at the updated list of C-USA career 100-yard rushing games:
34 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis 2002-05
22 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2000-03
21 Kevin Smith, UCF 2005-
16 Matt Forté, Tulane 2004-
15 Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss 2006-
15 Joffrey Reynolds, HOU 1998-02
14 Ketric Sanford, Houston 1996-99
13 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 1998-02
12 DeMarco McCleskey, CIN 1998-02
BIG GROUND GAMES
Six of the top 10 rushing performances in Conference USA history, including the top four, have occurred in Conference USA this season. Here's a look at those performances:
Yards Gained In A Game
342 Matt Forté, Tulane vs. SMU, 10-20-07
320 Kevin Smith, UCF vs. UAB, 11-10-07
303 Matt Forté, Tulane vs. SE La., 9-22-07
301 Chris Johnson, ECU vs. Memphis, 11-3-07
300 Joffrey Reynolds, Houston vs. East Carolina, 11-9-02
287 Lonta Hobbs, TCU vs. Memphis, 11-30-02
284 Kevin Smith, UCF vs. Tulsa, 12-1-07
282 Anthony Evans, Houston vs. Army, 9-18-04
282 Daryl Royal, Cincinnati vs. Miami (Ohio), 9-28-96
278 Matt Forté, Tulane vs. Memphis, 10-27-07
BIG RUSHING SEASONS
Conference USA became just the second conference ever to produce a pair of 2,000-yard rushers in the same season when UCF's Kevin Smith and Tulane's Matt Forté both accomplished the rushing feat this season. Smith and Forte' are just the 12th and 13th players in FBS history to reach the 2,000-yard mark and the duo joins Ricky Williams of Texas and Troy Davis of Iowa State in 1996 as the only conference rivals to run for 2,000 yards in the same season.
Both players rushing totals now rank among the top seven individual seasons in FBS history. Smith is currently second with 2,448 yards, while Forte' is seventh with 2,127.
2,448 Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 (415 carries)
2,127 Matt Forté, Tulane, 2007 (361 carries)
1,964 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2005 (310 carries)
1,948 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2004 (313 carries)
1,545 Joffrey Reynolds, Houston, 2002 (316 carries)
SCORING BY GROUND
UCF's Kevin Smith extended his C-USA single-season rushing TD record to 29 after scoring four TDs against Tulsa in the C-UAS title game. Tulane's Matt Forté is now alone in second with 23 after rushing for one against East Carolina. Here is a look at the TD leaders: 29 Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 23 Matt Forté, Tulane, 2007 22 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2004 20 Eric Shelton, Louisville, 2004 19 Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall, 2006 19 Leroy Collins, Louisville, 1998 18 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2005 16 Marcus Thomas, UTEP, 2007 16 Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2007
TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
With three TD passes against UCF in the C-USA Championship Game, Tulsa's Paul Smith extended his record for single-season touchdown passes in league history. Here's a look at the leaders:
42 Paul Smith, Tulsa, 2007
36 Shaun King, Tulane, 1998
33 J.P. Losman, Tulane, 2003
30 Kevin Kolb, Houston, 2006
29 Chase Clement, Rice 2007
29 Jordan Palmer, UTEP, 2005
29 Chris Redman, Louisville, 1999
29 Chris Redman, Louisville, 1998
ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE LEADERS
UCF's Kevin Smith became C-USA's all-time single-season leader in all-purpose yardage during the 2007 season. East Carolina's Chris Johnson took over second place, while Tulane's Matt Forté grabbed third. Here's how the single-season leaders currently stand:
2,678 Kevin Smih, UCF, 2007
(2,448 rush, 230 rec., 0 PR, 0 KR)
2,552 Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2007
(1,200 rush, 496 rec., 0 PR, 856 KR)
2,420 Matt Forté, Tulane, 2007
(2,127 rush, 282 rec., 0 PR, 11 KR)
2,259 Mewelde Moore, Tulane, 2001
(1,421 rush, 756 rec., 0 PR, 82 KR)
2,230 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2004
(1,948 rush, 210 rec., 0 PR, 72 KR)
2,161 Anthony Alridge, HOU, 2007
(1,568 rush, 424 rec., 0 PR, 169KR)
2,113 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2003
(1,430 rush, 384 rec., 0 PR, 299 KR)
2,076 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2005
(1,964 rush, 79 rec., 0 PR, 33 KR)
CAREER CATCHES
With six catches against Tulsa to close out the regualar season, Rice's Jarett Dillard is now in seventh on the all-time C-USA reception list. Houston's Donnie Avery registered six catches against Texas Southern and has 200 for his career to remain into ninth. Here is a look at the career catch leaders:
300 Arnold Jackson, Louisville, 1997-00
(3,670 yards)
272 Vincent Marshall, Houston, 2003-06
(3,770 yards)
236 JaJuan Dawson, Tulane, 1996-98
(3,048 yards)
222 Orlando Iglesias, Houston, 1997-01
(2,810 yards)
217 Ibn Green, Louisville, 1996-99
(2,830 yards)
215 Roydell Williams, Tulane, 2000-04
(3,207 yards)
205 Jarett Dillard, Rice, 2005- present
(2,524 yards)
204 LaDaris Vann, Cincinnati, 1999-02
(2,583 yards)
200 Donnie Avery, Houston, 2004-present
(2,930 yards)
193 Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss, 1996-99
(3,115 yards)
189 Mewelde Moore, Tulane, 2000-03
(2,059 yards)
186 J.R. Russell, Louisville, 2001-04
(2,619 yards)
RECEIVING YARDS GAINED
Rice's Jarett Dillard and Houston's Donnie Avery are also both climbing the career receiving yards gained chart. Avery currently sits in seventh place, while Dillard is in 10th. Here is a look at the all-time leaders:
3,770 Vincent Marshall, Houston, 2003-06
(272 catches)
3,670 Arnold Jackson, Louisville, 1997-00
(300 catches)
3,207 Roydell Williams, Tulane, 2001-04
(215 catches)
3,115 Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss, 1996-99
(193 catches)
3,112 Roddy White, UAB, 2001-04
(163 catches)
3,048 JaJuan Dawson, Tulane, 1996-98
(236 catches)
2,169 Donnie Avery, Houston, 2004-present
(195 catches)
2,873 Brandon Middleton, Houston, 1999-03
(137 catches)
2,830 Ibn Green, Louisville, 1996-99
(217 catches)
2,828 Jarett Dillard, Rice, 2005-present
(196 catches)
2,810 Orlando Iglesias, Houston 1997-01
(222 catches)
2,619 J.R. Russell, Louisville, 2001-04
(186 catches)
2,583 LaDaris Vann, Cincinnati, 1999-02
(204 catches)
TOUCHDOWN CATCHES
With his TD catch against Tulsa to close out the regular season, Rice's Jarett Dillard extended his own C-USA record for career touchdown catches. The junior now has 40 and is one-of-two active players with 40 career TD receptions. Houston's Donnie Avery currently has 19 and needs just five more to break into the Top 10. Here is a look at the career touchdown catch leaders:
40 Jarett Dillard, Rice, 2005- present
35 Roydell Williams, Tulane, 2001-04
33 Ibn Green, Louisville, 1996-99
31 JaJuan Dawson, Tulane, 1996-98
31 Arnold Jackson, Louisville, 1997-00
30 Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss, 1996-99
27 Corey White, UAB, 2003-06
26 Vincent Marshall, Houston, 2003-06
26 Roddy White, UAB, 2001-04
24 Brandon Middleton, Houston, 1999-03
24 Adrian Burnette, Tulane, 1997-00
22 Todd Pinkston, Southern Miss, 1996-99
19 Donnie Avery, Houston, 2004-present
19 Tavares Gideon, Memphis, 2002, 04
19 J.R. Russell, Louisville, 2001-04
BIG PLAYS
C-USA has three ot the top seven schools in the FBS in number of offensive scoring plays from scrimmage that have gone for 25 yards or longer. Here is a look at the leaders:
School Plays
Oklahoma 25
Nevada 22
Arkansas 21
Houston 20
Tulsa 20
Oklahoma State 19
East Carolina 17
TOP FRESHMAN QB'S
Conference USA featured a pair of the most productive freshman QB's in the country in 2007. Trevor Vittatoe of UTEP and Case Keenum of Houston rank among the nations's best first-year singnal callers in seven major categories. Here is a look at where they rank:
Pass Attempts
1. 449 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
2. 424 Cody Hawkins, Fr.-RS, Colorado
3. 407 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
4. 365 T.J. Yates, Fr.-RS, North Carolina
5. 341 Andy Dalton, Fr.-RS, TCU
6. 328 Giovanni Vizza, Fr.-HS, North Texas
7. 311 Jake Locker, Fr.-RS, Washington
8. 299 Travis Dixon, Fr.-RS, UNLV
9. 282 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
10. 265 Wayne Younger, Fr.-RS, FIU
12. 235 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
Pass Completions
1. 258 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
2. 239 Cody Hawkins, Fr.-RS, Colorado
3. 224 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
4. 218 T.J. Yates, Fr.-RS, North Carolina
5. 201 Andy Dalton, Fr.-RS, TCU
6. 198 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
7. 192 Giovanni Vizza, Fr.-HS, North Texas
8. 164 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
Passing Yards
1. 3,101 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
2. 2,895 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
3. 2,693 Cody Hawkins, Fr.-RS, Colorado
4. 2,670 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
5. 2,655 T.J. Yates, Fr.-RS, North Carolina
6. 2,210 Andy Dalton, Fr.-RS, TCU
7. 2,135 Giovanni Vizza, Fr.-HS, North Texas
8. 1,924 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
Touchdown Passes
1. 32 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
2. 25 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
3. 24 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
4. 19 Cody Hawkins, Fr.-RS, Colorado
5. 16 Giovanni Vizza, Fr.-HS, North Texas
6. 16 Colin Kaepernick, Fr.-RS, Nevada
7. 14 Jake Locker, Fr.-RS, Washington
8. 14 T.J. Yates, Fr.-RS, North Carolina
9. 13 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
Completion Percentage
1. 70.2 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
2. 69.8 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
Total Offense
1. 3,512 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
2. 2,969 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
3. 2,830 Jake Locker, Fr.-RS, Washington
4. 2,678 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
5. 2,682 Cody Hawkins, Fr.-RS, Colorado
6. 2,532 T.J. Yates, Fr.-RS, North Carolina
7. 2,455 Giovanni Vizza, Fr.-HS, North Texas
9. 2,425 Andy Dalton, Fr.-RS, TCU
10. 2,338 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
TDs Responsible For
1. 32 Sam Bradford, Fr.-RS, Oklahoma
2. 29 Adam Weber, Fr.-RS, Minnesota
3. 26 Jake Locker, Fr.-RS, Washington
4. 25 Trevor Vittatoe, Fr.-RS, UTEP
5. 22 Case Keenum, Fr.-RS, Houston
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
East Carolina will make its second straight bowl appearance and fourth since 2000 when it faces off against WAC member No. 22 Boise State in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Sunday, Dec. 23. The meeting is the first between the two programs. The Pirates, who have won three of their last four and six of their last eight games, will look to make it two in a row after handing Tulane a 35-12 loss on Nov. 24. RB/KR Chris Johnson was voted an All-Conference first team member at returner by both the media and the coaches and led the FBS in all-purpose yards per game at 212.67. Johnson is also the active FBS career leader in all-purpose yards (6,585 yds.) and is tied for third in the FBS in scoring at 11.00 ppg. He rushed for 301 yards against Memphis on Nov. 3, the fifth-highest total in the country. In all during that contest, he picked up nearly half of ECU's 641 yards of total offense. Johnson has fumbled just once in 307 career carries in road games. QB's Patrick Pinkney and Rob Kass have split time under center in 2007. Pinkney passed for 406 yards and three TDs in ECU's win over North Carolina, the second-highest single-game passing total in program history. On the season he has thrown for team-highs of 1,240 yards and 10 TDs. Kass amassed 1,128 yards and nine TDs.
HOUSTON COUGARS
For the fourth time in the last five years, Houston will play in a postseason bowl game. On Dec. 28, the Cougars will square off with familiar foe, TCU, in the second annual Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Houston and the Horned Frogs were members os the Southwest Conference from 1976 until 1995 and then were mates of Conference USA from 2001-2004. Houston is looking to snap a seven-game bowl losing streak when it takes on the Frogs, having not won an post-season affair since a 35-0 win over Navy in the 1980 Garden State Bowl. With Art Briles leaving for Baylor on Nov. 28, the Cougars will be led in the Texas Bowl by assistant coach Chris Thurmond. A 25-year veteran of college coaching, Thurmond has spent that past two seasons with the Cougars. Overall, UH coaches are 6-4 in their first games. RB Anthony Alridge and WR Donnie Avery lead the high-scoring Houston offense. The pair had a record setting day against Rice on Oct. 13. Avery recorded a C-USA and UH single-game record 346 receiving yards - the fourth-highest total in FBS history - while Alridge added 205 rushing yards and a career-best four TDs. The became the first duo to record 300 receiving yards and 200 rushing yards in one game in FBS history. For the season Alridge has rushed for 1,568 yards and tallied 14 TDs, while Avery has caught 81 balls for 1,336 yards and seven TDs. QB Case Keenum was chosen as the league's Freshman of the Year by both the media and coaches.
MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD
The Thundering Herd closed out the 2007 season by winning their final three home games, all in C-USA play, but finished with a 3-9 overall record. Senior QB Bernard Morris passed for 3,000 yards on the season (3,149) and closed his career as the first quarterback in school history to run for 1,000 yards in a career (1,089). Sophomore Cody Slate led all C-USA tight ends in receiving with 66 catches for 818 yards and five touchdowns. A two-time All-Conference USA selection, Slate ranked third in the nation in receiving yards among tight ends in 2007. RB Darius Marshall earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team after leading all of the league's freshmen in rushing with 631 yards and three touchdowns. Junior DB C.J. Spillman, ended the season with 131 stops to lead the Marshall defense, the most stops by a Herd player since 2002. He also forced three fumbles and registered 2.5 tackles for loss. Spillman's 10.2 tackles per game average tied him for third in C-USA and 11th in the nation in that category.
MEMPHIS TIGERS
Memphis finished the regular season 7-5 and will be participating in its fourth bowl in the last five years when it battles Florida Atlantic in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 21 in the Crecent City. This will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. The Tigers went to three straight post-season contests (2003-05) before falling short last season. U of M has a 4-1 all-time bowl record. Memphis has a 5-2 record when facing a first-time foe under head coach Tommy West. In fact, the Tigers have won its last four games against a first-time opponent. Memphis is one of just seven teams in the country who will have participated in a football bowl game, the NCAA basketball tournament and the NCAA baseball tournament in the 2007 calendar year. The Tigers are the only non-BCS program who can make that claim. The Memphis offense is led by senior QB Martin Hankins. Hankins has thrown for 2,107 yards and 17 TDs in Memphis last six games, leading them to five wins and a postseason berth. He is averaging 351.2 passing yards per game and has completed 60.5 (159-of-263) percent of his passes in that span. Memphis has produced a 100-yard receiver in every contest during that same six-game surge. Four of those performances were turned in by sophomore WR Duke Calhoun. Calhoun has caught a pass in each of the 23 career games he has played and registered team highs of 58 catches for 850 yards on the season. He has hauled in 5 TDs.
RICE OWLS
The 2007 Owls virtually re-wrote the school's offensive record book, breaking nearly 40 school records. As a team, the Owls smashed their season and single-game records for passing attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and first downs, as well as the season mark for total offense. Heading into 2008, the Owls will return players who were responsible for 371 of their school-record 377 points scored in 2007. Departing senior WR Joel Armstrong is the only Owl to score in 2007 who is not set to return for 2008. Junior QB Chase Clement broke a total of 18 school records this season. Clement finished the year with 3,377 yards passing and 6,741 career total offensive yards. He threw 29 touchdowns passes and ran for eight more scores. Clement became the first player in NCAA history to record consecutive games with over 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, accomplishing the feat against UTEP and SMU. Junior WR Jarett Dillard topped 1,000 yards for the second straight season, finishing with 1,057 on 79 receptions. Dillard led the league in touchdown catches for the second straight season, grabbing 14. He now has 40 career TD catches, making him just the eight player in NCAA history to reach that mark. Rice produced 4,848 yards of total offense in 2007, establishing a new school record. Versatile James Casey earned second team Freshman All-American honors as a tight end for The Sporting News. Casey was second on the Owls this past season with 46 catches for 585 yards and four touchdowns.
SMU MUSTANGS
Sophomore QB Justin Willis continued to re-write the Mustangs passing records in his second season at the school. He finished the 2007 season completing nearly 59% of his passes for 2,955 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for a team-best 713 yards and three scores. In just 23 games at SMU, Willis has 51 career TD passes, shattering the old SMU career mark of 40 (Chuck Hixson - 1968-70). Willis already has 10 three-plus passing TD games. Prior to his arrival on campus, SMU quarterbacks had combined for only nine three-plus passing TD games since the program's inception in 1915. Sophomore WR Emmanuel Sanders caught nine touchdowns for the second season in a row. After just two years on the Hilltop, Sanders ranks on the school's all-time top 10 in receptions (8th with 120), receiving yards (10th with 1,564) and TD catches (third with 18). Junior PK Thomas Morstead was a first team all-Conference USA selection after finishing the season with a 44.6 yard punting average to lead C-USA and rank ninth in the nation. His average was the third-best in school history and helped the Mustangs rank second in the nation in net punting. Of his 57 punts on the season, 21 landed inside the 20, only four were touchbacks and only 18 were returned for positive yardage.
SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES
The Golden Eagles will be making their 18th appearance in a bowl game when they face Cincinnati on Dec. 22 in the Papajohns.com Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Southern Miss has appeared in a post-season bowl game for six consecutive seasons and 10 out of the last 11. They have won the last three bowl games that they have appeared in and five of their last seven. The game marks the last for head coach Jeff Bower. Bower resigned on Nov. 26 and will complete his 17th season at the helm of the program in the same place he began his tenure - Legion Field. He was hired in December 1990 and coached the team in the All-American Bowl. Since 2001, the Golden Eagles are 28-0 when they score at least 30 points in a game. USM has scored at least 28 points in seven of 12 games this season. RB Damion Fletcher became the eighth Southern Miss player in its history to rush for over 2,500 yards with his career-best 211-yard performance at UTEP. The sophomore has now recorded 15, 100-yard rushing games. He has seven multi-touchdown games on the ground and has tallied 26 career scores. QB's Jeremy Young and Stephen Reaves both spent time calling the signals due to injuries. Young had an 18-game consecutive starting streak snapped after suffering an ankle injury against Rice, but returned to finish the season and led his team in passing yards and TDs. Reaves holds a 2-1 record in Young's absence. LB Gerald McRath became the fourth USM player in five years to be named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. McRath has registered 131 tackles and four sacks.
TULANE GREEN WAVE
Senior RB Matt Forté closed out his Tulane career with eight consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. Forté completed the season with 2,127 yards, which ranks seventh in NCAA FBS history. For his career, Forté - who shared time in the backfield his first two collegiate seasons and missed three games last year with a knee injury - finished with 4,265 yards to sit just 99 yards behind Mewelde Moore's Tulane record of 4,364 yards from 2000-03. Sophomore WR Jeremy Williams was the Green Wave's top receiver in 2007, catching 46 passes for 773 yards and five touchdowns. He now has 86 receptions in his first two seasons at Tulane. Junior Evan Lee started all 12 games at middle linebacker and led the team with 99 tackles (48 solo, 51 assists). Eight of his stops were behind the line of scrimmage for 31 yards lost, including a pair of sacks for minus-16 yards, and he also broke up one pass. Junior G Michael Parenton started all 12 games in 2007, lining up at left guard, and was a member of the Lombardi Award Watch List as one of the nation's premier linemen. He has now started all but one game in his collegiate career and graded at 91 percent while posting 139 pancakes in 2007.
TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and first-year head coach Todd Graham will play Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, 2008 in Mobile, Alabama. Tulsa has posted an overall 9-4 record and won the West Division with a 6-2 C-USA mark. It will be the 15th appearance for Tulsa in a Bowl game in school history and the fourth time in the last five years, including the third consecutive Bowl game for the Hurricane. Tulsa and BGSU have met one other time as the Hurricane won a 45-10 decision at home in the 1989 season. Tulsa leads the nation in total offense with a 542-yard average, while its 374 passing yards is third nationally. The Hurricane is scoring 39.5 points to rank tops in Conference USA and 10th in the nation. TU's offense is directed by senior QB Paul Smith. The league co-Player of the Year has passed for more than 300 yards in every game this season and ranks among the top three in the nation in total offense (4,826 yards), passing yards (4,753), and passing touchdowns (42), breaking all three of those C-USA records. Smith has completed nearly 61 percent of his passes (300-of-499) and is averaging 365.6 yards per game. Junior WR Brennan Marion garnered the league's inaugural Newcomer of the Year award. Marion became just the 11th player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a single season and with 1,244 yards on just 39 receptions has moved into eighth place on TU's single-season receiving list. Marion averages 31.9 yards per reception and is on pace to shatter the NCAA record for highest average gain per reception in a season (27.9 yards by Houston's Elmo Wright in 1968).
UAB BLAZERS
The Blazers finished 2-10 in the first season under Neil Callaway as he looked to rebuild the UAB with a large number of new faces. The Blazers finished the season with 14 true freshmen that played this season, including 12 that were on the field beginning with the season opener. Senior S Will Dunbar was a first team all-Conference USA selection after leading the league in tackles per game (12.2), registering 122 stops, the third-highest total in school history. Junior PK Swayze Waters was a first team All-C-USA selection after finishing the season 22-of-28 on field goal attempts, setting a new UAB single-season record for field goals. He also served as the Blazers punter, ranking fourth in C-USA with a 41.4 yards average of 69 kicks. Freshman WR Frantrell Forrest finished the year with UAB two freshman records, catching 49 passes for 563 yards. Junior Joseph Webb saw action at quarterback and wide receiver throughout the 2007 season. He completed 56% of his passes for 679 yards and five touchdowns, while catching 30 passes for 459 yards and three TDs. UAB's young offensive line allowed just 16 sacks all season, the second-lowest total in the league.
UCF KNIGHTS
UCF defeated Tulsa 44-25 in the 2007 Bright House Networks C-USA Football Championship game on Dec. 1 and earned the right to play SEC foe Mississippi State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Dec. 29 in Memphis, Tenn. Head coach George O'Leary has led the Knights to a 10-3 overall record and an East Division title for the second time in three campaigns in the league. UCF's 10 wins on the year are the most since the program moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996. O'Leary's Knights have now won seven-consecutive contests, a program record, and secured their first conference championship in school history. O'Leary, a two-time national coach of the year, has his team poised to make just its second bowl appearance in program history.The teams have met only once previously on the gridiron when Mississippi State defeated the Knights, 35-28, during the 1997 in Starkville. UCF boasts the nation's leading rusher in RB Kevin Smith. Smith leads the country in rushing with an incredible 188.1 yards-per-game average. He set a new all-time NCAA FBS record for rushing attempts with 415 and enters the AutoZone Liberty Bowl with 2,448 yards, second in FBS history and 181 yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders all-time mark. The consensus All-American has 30 TDs on the season and is just the second running back in FBS history to rush for more than 2,000 yards and score 30 touchdowns in a season.
UTEP MINERS
Freshman QB Trevor Vittatoe earned C-USA All-Freshman honors after finishing the season with 3,101 passing yards, the fourth-best season in school history. He threw 25 touchdowns with just seven interceptions, the second-lowest figure among the league's starting QB's. His passing yards were the most of any FBS freshman quarterback, while his passing touchdowns trailed only Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Junior WR Jeff Moturi tied the school record by catching a touchdown pass in 10 straight games this season. He led UTEP in catches (65) and yardage (891) and his 13 touchdown receptions were two shy of the school seasonal standard. Moturi had four 100-yard games in 2007. Senior RB Marcus Thomas turned in one of the great seasons in UTEP history. His 1,167 yards this season ranks him fourth on the single-season list and his 16 touchdowns tie for second. His 2,616 career yards rank him fifth and his 26 touchdowns put him third in the UTEP annals. Junior K Jose Martinez was one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award and scored 95 points this season. He was 17-for-20 on field goal attempts. Martinez tied the school record by making five field goals against East Carolina, and booted a Conference USA record 57-yard field goal versus Houston.
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