Jan. 17, 2008
BOWL RESULTS
Friday, December 21
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Florida Atlantic 44, Memphis 27
Saturday, December 22
Papajohns.com Bowl
(20) Cincinnati 31, Southern Miss 21
Sunday, December 23
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
East Carolina 41, (22) Boise State 38
Friday, December 28
Texas Bowl
TCU 20, Houston 13
Saturday, December 29
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State 10, UCF 3
Sunday, January 6
GMAC Bowl
Tulsa 63, Bowling Green 7
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
2007 C-USA ALL-AMERICANS
Conference USA had several football players earn All-American honors from various associations and websites. 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.
ALL-AMERICAN FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN
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 FWAA
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF Offense
TE - James Casey, Rice
RIVALS.COM
Second Team COLLEGE SPORTS REPORT
RB - Kevin Smith, UCF Offense
WR - Trae Johnson, TLS
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
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
POSTSEASON PLANS
Several C-USA Players have committed to play in postseason All-Star games. Here is a look at those players:
EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME
Anthony Alridge, RB, Houston
Bernard Morris, QB, Marshall
Paul Smith, QB, Tulsa
Quentin Demps, DB, UTEP
Marcus Thomas, RB, UTEP
HULA BOWL
Marcus Fitzgerald, WR, Marshall
Doug Legursky, C, Marshall
Bernard Morris, QB, Marshall
Paul Smith, QB, Tulsa
Marcus Thomas, RB, UTEP
SENIOR BOWL
Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina
Donnie Avery, WR, Houston
Matt Forte', RB, Tulane
O'Niel Cousins, OL, 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 final rushing totals rank among the top seven individual seasons in FBS history. Smith finished his career in second with 2,567 yards, while Forte' sits in seventh with 2,127. Smith, who carried the ball 39 times for 284 yards in the C-USA Championship game, ran for 119 yards on 35 carries in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl to fall just 61 yards short of Barry Sanders' all-time mark.
FBS SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING YARDS
Player,Team,Year G Carries Yds.
Barry Sanders, OSU, 1988 11 344 2,628
Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 14 450 2,567
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
Ray Rice, RUT, 2007 13 380 2,012
Troy Davis, Iowa St., 1996 11 345 2,010
WHAT A RUSH
Conference USA boasts the top two rushers in the country in the final NCAA stats. UCF RB Kevin Smith led the nation in rushing with an outstanding 183.4 yards-per-game average after he gained 119 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Tulane RB Matt Forté ranked 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 5.9 183.4
Matt Forté, TLN 361 2,127 5.9 177.3
Ray Rice, RUT 380 2,012 5.3 154.8
Darren McFadden, ARK 325 1,830 5.6 140.8
Eugene Jarvis, KSU 279 1,669 6.0 139.1
GOLDEN GUNSLINGER
Tulsa QB Paul Smith threw for over 300 yards in all 14 games this season and 15 times in his career. He threw for three or more TDs in 11 games this year and in 15 career games. He also led C-USA and ranked 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 512 71.8 39.4 11.1 438.9
Colt Brennan, HI 359 70.4 29.9 12.1 361.9
Paul Smith, TLS 327 60.1 23.4 15.5 361.8
TOTAL OFFENSE
Paul Smith led C-USA and finished second in the NCAA in total offense. In addition to his 47 TD passes, he has also rushed for 13 scores. Here is a look at the total offense leaders:
Player Rsh. Pass Ply. Yds. Yd./G
Graham Harrell, TT -91 5,705 751 5,614 431.8
Paul Smith, TLS 119 5,065 649 5,184 370.3
SMITH IS RESPONSIBLE
Smith also led the nation and Conference USA in points responsible for with a C-USA record 366. Here's a look at the NCAA leaders:
Player Gm. Pass Pts. Total Ppg.
Paul Smith, TLS 14 47 82 366 26.1
Tim Tebow, FLA 13 32 138 330 25.4
Graham Harrell, TT 13 48 28 320 24.6
SCORING THREATS
C-USA featured two of the top three scorers in the NCAA in 2007. UCF's Kevin Smith led the nation, while Tulane's Matt Forté was in second. ECU's Chris Johnson finished the season in fourth place. Here's a look at the NCAA scoring leaders:
Rk. Player Gm. TD Pts. Ppg.
1. Kevin Smith, UCF 14 30 180 12.9
2. Matt Forté, TLN 12 23 140 11.7
3. Ray Rice, RUT 13 25 150 11.5
4. Chris Johnson, ECU 13 24 144 11.1
5. Tim Tebow, FLA 13 23 138 10.6
ALL-PURPOSE RUNNERS
Conference USA featured three of the top five players in the NCAA in all-purpose running. ECU's Chris Johnson led the nation, while Tulane's Matt Forté is in fourth, and UCF's Kevin Smith 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 1,423 528 0 1,009 227.7
2. Dante Love, BST 192 1,398 0 1,100 206.9
3. Chad Hall, AF 1,478 524 176 505 206.4
4. Matt Forté, TLN 2,127 282 0 11 201.7
5. Kevin Smith, UCF 2,567 242 0 0 200.6
THE 300 CLUB
Tulsa senior QB Paul Smith threw for more than 300 yards in all of Tulsa's 14 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
14 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 ranked third in the nation in total receiving yards and came 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 13 134 1,962 14.6 150.9
Jordy Nelson, KSU 12 122 1,606 13.2 133.8
Donnie Avery, HOU 13 91 1,456 16.0 112.0
TOTING A THOUSAND
Conference USA finised the 2007 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.
C-USA 1,000-Yard Rushers in 2007
Player Att. Yds. Yds./G TD
1. Kevin Smith, UCF 450 2,567 183.4 29
2. Matt Forté, TLN 361 2,127 177.2 23
3. Anthony Alridge, HOU 244 1,597 122.8 14
4. Damion Fletcher, USM 295 1,586 122.0 15
5. Chris Johnson, ECU 236 1,423 109.5 17
6. Marcus Thomas, UTEP 227 1,166 106.0 16
7. Tarrion Adams, TLS 219 1,225 87.5 8
TOP PERFORMANCES
Conference USA players 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 finished the season 10-4 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
UCF junior RB Kevin Smith eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the 13th time this season with a 12-yard carry in the third quarter at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He rushed 17 times for 77 yards in the opening half and 18 times for 42 yards in the final half for 119 in the game.
Smith finished the season in second on the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision single-season rushing list with 2,567 yards. He reached that figure on 450 carries for an average of 5.70 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Smith posted a 183.4 yards-per-game average and 29 rushing touchdowns this year.
Smith finished his UCF career with 4,679 rushing yards in three seasons for the Knights. He entered the 2007 campaign with 2,112 yards in his first two years in Orlando.
TULSA MAKES HISTORY
Tulsa became the first team in NCAA history to have a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers in a single season. QB Paul Smith passed for 5,065 yards, RB Tarrion Adams rushed for 1,225 yards, while WRs Brennan Marion had 1,244 yards receiving, Trae Johnson had 1,088 yards receiving and Charles Clay had 1,024 yards receiving.
PAUL SMITH SETS RECORD
Against Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl, Tulsa QB Paul Smith passed for 312 yards for his 14th consecutive game with over 300 yards passing, breaking Ty Detmer's NCAA record of 13th straight games. The senior went 27-of-45 and tossed five TD passes. For his efforts he was named the game's MVP, his second career bowl MVP honor.
He finished his record-setting career at TU at 27-13 as the Tulsa starting quarterback. Smith has career totals of 10,936 yards on 808-of-1,292 passes for a completion percentage of .625 percent with 84 touchdowns in 48 career games.
RECEIVING TRIO
Tulsa WRs Brennan Marion (1,244 yards), Trae Johnson (1,088 yards) and Charles Clay (1,024 yards) all finished the season with over 1,000 yards receiving.
Tulsa became only the third team in NCAA history to have three receivers over 1,000 yards in a single season. Texas Tech did it 2003 and Hawaii did it this season (Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess and Jason Rivers).
ANOTHER TU RECORD
Tulsa became the NCAA single-season record holder for yardage by a team's top passer and top rusher, surpassing Houston's QB David Klingler and RB Chuck Weatherspoon, who had 6,237 yards in 1990. Smith and Adams combined for 6,290 yards.
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 9-4 2-10 +7
UCF 10-4 4-8 +6
Kansas 12-1 6-6 +6
Memphis 7-6 2-10 +5
UConn 9-4 4-8 +5
Air Force 9-4 4-8 +5
KICKOFF YARDAGE LEADERS
East Carolina RB Chris Johnson broke C-USA's all-time KOR yard record against Marshall on Nov. 10 and finished his career with 2,715 yard after racking up 153 in ECU's Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl win over Boise State. Here is a look at the career KOR leaders:
Rk. Player Yards
1. Chris Johnson, East Carolina 2,715
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 TO MVP
East Carolina RB Chris Johnson had 408 total yards of offense in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (223-rush, 32-receving and 153-KOR) tying his own school single game record which was set against Memphis (11/3/07).
He was named Hawai'I Bowl MVP for his performance. His 408 total yards set an NCAA Bowl game record. Johnson scored two TDs (68-yard run, 18-yard receiving) and finished with 24 TDs on the season. His 68-yarder was the second-longest run of the season and is the second-longest in Hawai'I Bowl history.
For his career, Johnson finished with 44 TDs (264 points). He picked up his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and ninth of his career with 223 yards on 28 carries and finished his career with 2,982 rushing yards (third most in school history). He scored at least one TD in 12-of-13 games in 2007 and two or more in eight contests.
Johnson set two Hawai'i Bowl records on the day in rushing yards (223) and all-purpose yards (408). His 223 yards rushing was the eighth best single-game performance in school history.
COUGAR HIGHLIGHTS
Houston's appearance in the Texas Bowl marked the third consecutive season that the Cougars competed in a bowl game. It was the first time that the Cougars competed in three straight bowl games since UH competed in four straight from 1978 to 1981. It was also the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Cougars played in a bowl game.
AVERY GRABS UH BOWL RECORD
With 10 receptions against TCU in the Texas Bowl, Houston senior WR Donnie Avery set a UH single-game bowl record. His total topped the previous record of nine catches by Vincent Marshall against South Carolina during the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29, 2006.
With 10 receptions, Avery ends his collegiate career with at least one reception in 34 consecutive games, the 10th-longest streak among active NCAA players.
With 120 receiving yards, Avery posted his seventh 100-yard receiving game of 2007 and the 11th of his career. The 11 games tied with Brandon Middleton (1999-03) and Jason Phillips (1987-88) for fourth most in UH career history.
CARLOS CATCHES
Memphis WR Carlos Singleton caught a 16-yard pass in the first quarter of the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to extend his receiving streak to 21 games. Later in the second quarter, Singleton was on the receiving end of a 41-yard toss from QB Martin Hankins. The reception was Singleton's 12th reception over 20 yards this season and the pass was Hankins' 18th over 40 yards in 2007. Singleton ended the game with four catches for a team high 63 yards.
Singleton caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Hankins with 9:30 left in the third quarter for his 11th TD reception of the season and the 14th of his career. He finished tied for second with Tavares Gideon in TD catches in a single season at Memphis.
CALHOUN EXTENDS STREAK
Memphis sophomore WR Duke Calhoun caught a three-yard pass in the second quarter of the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to extend his receiving streak to 24 games. He has caught a pass in each of his 24 career games. The 24-game streak ties for third all-time in the Memphis record book. The Memphis school record is 27 games by Russell Copeland (1989-92). Calhoun finished with four catches for 40 yards.
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 playing in the 2007 Papajohns.com Bowl, the Golden Eagles have played in a bowl game for the sixth straight season and for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
QUICK STRIKES
C-USA had three of the top six schools in the FBS this season in number of offensive scoring drives that took 1:00 minute or less off the clock. Here is a look at the leaders:
School Drives (TDs)
East Carolina 23 (20)
Tulsa 16 (16)
Navy 13 (11)
Missouri 13 (9)
Texas Tech 13 (11)
Houston 12 (12)
QUICK STRIKES II
C-USA had three of the top ten schools in the FBS this season in number of offensive scoring drives that took 2:00 minute or less off the clock. Here is a look at the leaders:
School Drives (TDs)
Tulsa 41 (38)
East Carolina 38 (33)
Texas Tech 37 (32)
Kansas 36 (34)
Central Michigan 34 (32)
Arkansas 32 (28)
Missouri 30 (21)
Cincinnati 29 (25)
Kentucky 28 (22)
Houston 25 (24)
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 to end the regular season. 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.
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 5,065 yards and 47 touchdowns while passing for more than 300 yards in each of Tulsa's 14 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 543.9 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) 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 in 2007. The senior signal caller finished 2007 with 5,065 yards and passed for 300+ yards in all 14 of TU's contests, a new C-USA and NCAA record. Here is a look at the all-time C-USA leaders:
5,065 Paul Smith, Tulsa, 2007 (327-of-544)
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)
SUMLIN TABBED TO LEAD UH
University of Houston Director of Athletics Dave Maggard announced on Dec. 14 that Kevin Sumlin was hired as the Cougar football head coach. Sumlin becomes the 11th head coach in UH history, but more importantly, he becomes the first African-American to lead the prestigious Cougar program.
Sumlin is the first African-American to be hired to lead a Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision program in the state of Texas. Former North Texas head coach Matt Simon was first hired in 1993 when the UNT program was a Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school, later moving up a division and coaching the North Texas program from 1994-97 as a member of the Division I-FBS.
The 43-year-old Sumlin arrives on Cullen Boulevard after spending the past five seasons at the University of Oklahoma, where he has served as both the co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach (2006-07) and special teams coordinator/tight end coach (2003-05).
JONES TO GUIDE MUSTANGS
Director of Athletics Steve Orsini announced June Jones as the head football coach at SMU on January 7. Jones arrives on the Hilltop after nine years at Hawai`i, where he resurrected a downtrodden Warrior football program to make it one of the most exciting and competitive squads in the country.
Jones led his Hawai`i teams to 76 wins -- the most by any Hawai`i coach --two Western Athletic Conference Championships and six bowl-game appearances. He developed six All-Americans and produced 16 NFL draft picks, with a school-record five in 2007. In the five years before Jones' arrival, Hawai`i combined for 12 wins and not a single draft pick or bowl game berth. In 1998, Hawai`i suffered its first-ever winless season. The following year, the first under Jones, the Warriors went 9-4, marking the biggest turnaround in NCAA history.
Jones catapulted the Warrior program into the national rankings in his nine seasons, with Hawai`i ranking in the top 40 in seven of his nine years, including a top-10 ranking in 2007.
SOUTHERN MISS CALLS ON FEDORA
University of Southern Mississippi President Martha Saunders and Director of Athletics Richard Giannini announced the hiring of Larry Fedora as the 18th head football coach in the 91-year history of the program on Dec. 12.
Fedora, 45, comes to Southern Miss after spending the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State where the Cowboys have been in the top 10 in rushing yards per game and in the top 20 in total offense per game in each of the last two seasons. During Fedora's three-year tenure at OSU, the Cowboys have raised their rushing, passing and total offensive yards in each year that he has been there. In 2006, the Cowboys were one of just two teams - the other being Boise State - to average over 200 yards both rushing and passing.
The offense has averaged over 30 points per contest over the last two seasons as well. The Cowboys made the biggest improvement in the country in scoring following his second season of running the offense, jumping from 96th nationally in 2005 to seventh in 2006.
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 Player 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 launched a 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 churned out in 2007, UCF Athletics Association officials launched a 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 Kevin Smith, UCF 2005-07
22 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2000-03
16 Matt Forté, Tulane 2004-07
16 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, occurred in C-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 finished his career in second with 2,567 yards, while Forte' sits in seventh with 2,127.
2,567 Kevin Smith, UCF, 2007 (450 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-USA title game. Tulane's Matt Forté is now alone in second with 23 after rushing for one in the season finale. 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
17 Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2007
16 Marcus Thomas, UTEP, 2007
TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
With five TD passes against Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl, Tulsa's Paul Smith extended his record for single-season touchdown passes in league history. Here's a look at the leaders:
47 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
East Carolina's Chris Johnson became C-USA's all-time single-season leader in all-purpose yardage during the 2007 season. UCF's Kevin Smith took over second place, while Tulane's Matt Forté grabbed third. Here's how the single-season leaders concluded:
2,960 Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2007
(1,423 rush, 528 rec., 0 PR, 1,009 KR)
2,809 Kevin Smih, UCF, 2007
(2,567 rush, 242 rec., 0 PR, 0 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)
2,258 Anthony Alridge, HOU, 2007
(1,597 rush, 428 rec., 0 PR, 233KR)
2,230 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis, 2004
(1,948 rush, 210 rec., 0 PR, 72 KR)
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
Houston's Donnie Avery registered 10 catches against TCU in the Texas Bowl and has 210 for his career to finish in seventh on the all-time C-USA reception list. With six catches against Tulsa to close out the regualar season, Rice's Jarett Dillard is now in eighth. 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)
210 Donnie Avery, Houston, 2004-present
(2,930 yards)
205 Jarett Dillard, Rice, 2005- present
(2,524 yards)
204 LaDaris Vann, Cincinnati, 1999-02
(2,583 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 also climbed the career receiving yards gained chart. Avery finished his career in third 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)
3,289 Donnie Avery, Houston, 2004-present
(286 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)
2,873 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 finished his career with 19, just five shy of breaking 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 had three of 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 19
Oklahoma State 19
East Carolina 18
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
Senior RB Chris Johnson set an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards, and sophomore K Ben Hartman kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give East Carolina a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. Johnson ran for 223 yards, caught three passes for 32 yards and returned six kickoffs for 153 yards. Hartman's kick gave the Pirates (8-5) their first postseason victory since the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl. Junior QB Patrick Pinkney threw for 117 yards and also rushed for 53 more, while sophomore QB Rob Kass also saw action under center and tossed a key 36-yard pass to set up Hartman's field goal. For his career, Johnson finished with 44 TDs (264 points). He picked up his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and ninth of his career with 223 yards on 28 carries and finished his career with 2,982 rushing yards (third most in school history). He scored at least one TD in 12-of-13 games in 2007 and two or more in eight contests. Johnson set two Hawai'i Bowl records on the day in rushing yards (223) and all-purpose yards (408). His 223 yards rushing was the eighth-best single-game performance in school history. Also in 2007, Johnson broke C-USA's all-time KOR yardage record and finished his career with 2,715 yards.
HOUSTON COUGARS
For the fourth time in the last five years, Houston played in a postseason bowl game. The Cougars squared off with former conference rival TCU in the second annual Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston, falling to the Horned Frogs, 20-13. Senior RB Anthony Alridge and WR Donnie Avery closed out their Cougar careers in that game, with Avery catching 10 passes for 120 yards. The pair combined for 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. They became the first duo to record 300 receiving yards and 200 rushing yards in one game in FBS history. For the season, Alridge rushed for 1,597 yards and tallied 14 TDs, while Avery has caught 91 balls for 1,456 yards and seven TDs. QB Case Keenum was chosen as the league's Freshman of the Year by both the media and coaches. Despite splitting playing time for much of the season, Keenum completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,259 yards and 14 touchdowns. He threw for a career high 335 yards in the Texas Bowl.
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 closed out the season at 7-6 with a 44-27 loss to the Florida Atlantic Owls in the 2007 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome. The loss snapped Memphis' three-game winning streak and dropped the Tigers to 4-2 all-time in bowl appearances. The only other loss was against Bowling Green in the 2004 GMAC Bowl. Senior QB Martin Hankins left the game with about a minute remaining in the third quarter after taking a hit following a pass attempt. Hankins ended the contest with 281 yards and three touchdowns on 25 of 39 passing. Senior RB Joseph Doss led the Tigers' ground effort with 91 yards on 20 carries. He had a long of 16 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Ten different Tigers caught passes in the game with Doss hauling in a team-high five receptions for 42 yards. Sophomore WR Carlos Singleton extended his receiving streak to 21 games and had a team-high 63 yards and one touchdown on four receptions. He scored off a six-yard pass from Hankins in the third quarter. Junior TE Brett Russell turned in a season-high 45 receiving yards on four receptions and scored Memphis' first touchdown of the game off an eight-yard strike from Hankins with 9:20 remaining in the first quarter. Sophomore WR Duke Calhoun has now caught a pass in each of his 24 games played for the Tigers. He had four catches for 40 yards and the 24-game streak ties for third all-time in the Memphis record book.
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 made their 18th appearance in a bowl game when they played in the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., falling to No. 20 Cincinnati, 31-21. Southern Miss has appeared in a post-season bowl game for six consecutive seasons and 10 out of the last 11. The game marked the last for Jeff Bower as head coach of the Golden Eagles. Bower completed his 17th season at the helm of the program in the same place he began his tenure - Legion Field. He closes out his Southern Miss tenure with a record of 119-83-1. Since 2001, the Golden Eagles are 28-0 when they score at least 30 points in a game. USM scored at least 28 points all seven of its victories this season. Sophomore RB Damion Fletcher carried 29 times for 155 yards in the Papajohns.com Bowl to finish the season with 1,586 yards and 15 rushing scores. He has recorded a total of 16, 100-yard rushing games in his first two seasons at USM, along with seven multi-touchdown games on the ground and 26 career scores. Fletcher already ranks fourth on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,974 yards and needs just 622 yards to become the leader. 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 registered 139 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
Senior QB Paul Smith had his NCAA-record 14th consecutive 300-yard passing game, and Tulsa converted four fumble recoveries into first-half touchdowns on the way to a 63-7 romp over Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl. The Golden Hurricane (10-4) ran up a 35-0 halftime lead and capped coach Todd Graham's first season by reaching 10 wins for the first time since 1991. Tulsa had never managed more than 31 points in 14 previous bowl games. Smith passed for 312 yards and tossed five touchdowns. Smith and RB Tarrion Adams joined Houston's David Klingler and Chuck Weatherspoon as the NCAA's only 5,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing tandem. Smith is also just the seventh player in FBS history to pass for 5,000 yards in a single season. Late in the fourth quarter, the Golden Hurricane became the first team in NCAA history to have a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers in a single season. Smith passed for 5,065 yards; Adams rushed for 1,225 yards; Brennan Marion had 1,244 yards receiving, Trae Johnson had 1,088 yards receiving and Charles Clay had 1,024 yards receiving. TU also became just the third team in FBS history to have three receivers over 1,000 yards in a single season. Smith's six touchdown effort is the sixth time this season he has scored five or more TDs. The QB's five scoring passes tied a career-high that he set earlier in the season against Houston, where he also had six total touchdowns. Senior LB Alain Karatepeyan recorded a tackle for loss when forcing a first half fumble, thus breaking TU's single-season record for tackles for loss. He finished the season with 22 TFLs for -97 yards.
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 Mississippi State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., where the Knights dropped a defensive struggle, 10-3. C-USA Coach of the Year George O'Leary led the Knights to a 10-4 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 won seven-consecutive contests prior to the Liberty Bowl, a program record, and secured their first conference championship in school history. O'Leary, a two-time national coach of the year, guided his team to just its second bowl appearance in program history. UCF boasted the nation's leading rusher in junior RB Kevin Smith. Smith led the country in rushing with an incredible 183.4 yards-per-game average. He set a new all-time NCAA FBS record for rushing attempts with 450 and finished the year with 2,567 yards, second in FBS history and 60 yards shy of Barry Sanders all-time mark. The consensus All-American had 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.