Big South Announces Football All-Conference and Award Honorees
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) - Liberty quarterback Mike Brown (Charlottesville, Va.) and Coastal Carolina linebacker Andrae Jacobs (Tabor City, N.C.) have been voted the 2010 Big South Football Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the Conference's head coaches and media panel, it was announced today by the League office. Gardner-Webb defensive lineman Preston Pemasa (Garden Grove, Calif.) was tabbed Freshman of the Year, while Coastal Carolina's David Bennett was voted Coach of the Year. In addition, the Big South's sports information directors voted Stony Brook quarterback Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Brown is the second back-to-back winner of the Conference's Offensive Player of the Year award following a record-setting season in his first year as the Flames' starting quarterback. Brown leads the nation in total offense with a Big South single-season record 346.4 yards per game, finishing the season with 3,810. He amassed 300 yards of offense in a game seven times, including three games over 400 -- which is a Conference record for a season and a career. Brown was the first quarterback in League history to pass for at least 200 yards in every game during the season and reached 300 yards passing in three contests in 2010. A finalist for the Walter Payton Award, Brown surpassed 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in a game twice this season, as well as becoming the first Big South quarterback to gain 150 yards on the ground (160) and 300 yards in the air (334) in the same game against Stony Brook in the season finale. He finished the year 223-of-351 passing for 2,956 yards (second-most in a season in League history) and 23 touchdowns (tied for second). He threw at least three touchdowns in a game four times this season -- including in a record three consecutive games. A five-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week honoree in 2010, Brown also rushed for 854 yards this season, the second-highest single-season total for a quarterback in Conference annals, and during the season became the first player in Big South history with 1,000 career rushing, passing and receiving yards. He led Liberty to a share of the Big South championship and earned National Player of the Week honors on two different occasions.
Brown received 18 first-place votes and 37 points, ahead of runner-up Zach MacDowall (Coastal Carolina), who received one first-place vote and 12 points.
Jacobs is the first Coastal Carolina player to be honored as the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the regular-season second in the Big South with a career-high 97 tackles (8.8 per game), having ranked first (eight weeks) and second (three weeks) in the Conference in tackles all season. His 97 stops, fourth-best on Coastal's season top 10 list, is 25 more than the next closest player on the team. He also recorded 11.0 tackles-for-loss (tied for third in the Big South) and two sacks on the year. The Big South Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10 against VMI, Jacobs posted five double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 14 at then-No. 11 Richmond. He also recorded 13 stops (nine solo) against Georgia Southern. Jacobs had a tackle-for-loss in nine of 11 games played, including a string of seven consecutive games with a stop behind the line. His play helped Coastal lead the League and rank 14th nationally in tackles-for-loss, as well as finishing first in scoring defense in Conference games en route to a share of the Big South championship.
Jacobs, the fourth sophomore to be named Big South Defensive Player of the Year, received nine first-place votes and 22 points, finishing ahead of Kyle O'Donnell (Liberty), who received three first-place votes and 12 points. VMI's A.J. Gross was third in the voting with 11 points (five first-place votes).
Pemasa led the Big South in tackles-for-loss with 14.5 and became the first freshman in League history to pace the Big South in quarterback sacks, as he registered a freshman record 7.0. He led Gardner-Webb with 65 total tackles in 2010, which included 41 stops in Conference games. Pemasa also was tops among all Big South defensive lineman in total tackles and tackles per game (5.9). The Big South Freshman of the Week in Week 8 against Presbyterian College, Pemasa started the final 10 games of the season and had a tackle-for-loss in all but two games. He posted four games with at least two stops behind the line, including three against VMI in the season finale. Pemasa made a season-high 10 tackles in two different games, had at least a half sack in seven contests, and had six games with at least six tackles.
Pemasa, who is the second consecutive Gardner-Webb player to be named Big South Freshman of the Year and the third in the last four years, received 15 first-place votes and 35 points, ahead of Coastal Carolina wide receiver Matt Hazel (three first-place votes and nine points).
Bennett earns his second Big South Coach of the Year award after leading Coastal Carolina to a share of the Big South championship - the school's fourth Conference title in eight years of existence, as well as claiming the League's first-ever automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs. He led the Chanticleers to a 5-1 League record, including the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 2006 with its 45-31 win over No. 11 Liberty in Week 11. Bennett's squad rebounded from a 1-4 overall start to win five of its last six games en route to the team's first winning season since 2006. In Conference games, the Chanticleers led the Big South in scoring defense, kickoff returns and punt returns, as well as ranking second in scoring offense, passing offense and passing defense. Overall, Coastal Carolina is among the nation's leaders in fewest sacks allowed (seven), is 13th in scoring offense (33.0) and 19th in passing efficiency (138.41). The Chanticleers finished the season with a four-game winning streak - reaching 30 points in each contest, and posted the largest margin of victory in a Big South game with its 70-3 win over Charleston Southern in the season finale. In addition, Coastal Carolina returned three interceptions for touchdowns in 2010, tying the Big South single-season record, and scored 30 points in three-straight Conference road games for the first time in school history.
Bennett received 14 first-place votes and 33 points, finishing ahead of Stony Brook's Chuck Priore (three first-place votes and 13 points). Liberty head coach Danny Rocco was third in the voting with nine points (two first-place votes).
Coulter is a 3.76 student majoring in biochemistry. He helped Stony Brook capture a share of its second consecutive Big South championship, and was 133-of-220 passing for 1,811 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2010. He threw a touchdown pass in all but one game and ended the season throwing two touchdown passes in each of the last four contests (10 total). He also did not throw an interception in six consecutive games, the longest streak in the Conference this season.
The Big South also announced its All-Conference first and second teams. The squads are comprised of 12 offensive and defensive players and five special teams players, plus any ties. Liberty led the way with 13 selections, including a League-high nine First-Team honorees. Coastal Carolina was second with 12 All-Conference members, followed by Gardner-Webb (10), Stony Brook (8), Charleston Southern (6), VMI (5) and Presbyterian College (4).
Brown, Jacobs and Pemasa all earned a spot on the All-Conference First-Team. Charleston Southern's Gerald Stevenson picked up All-Big South First-Team honors as a wide receiver and kickoff returner for the second time in his career.
Five players have now been bestowed All-Conference honors for the third time in their careers: Stevenson and Gardner-Webb quartet Corey O'Daniel, James Perry III, Cedric McGowan and Jeffery Williams. The list of 2010 All-Conference members and award winners, as well as the All-Academic Team, appears below.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Mike Brown, R-Jr., Liberty
RB - Miguel Maysonet, Soph., Stony Brook
RB - Brock Jackolski, Jr., Stony Brook
WR - Chris Summers, R-Jr., Liberty
WR - Gerald Stevenson, Sr., Charleston Southern
WR - James Perry III, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
TE - David Duran, R-Jr., Coastal Carolina
OL - Paul Fenaroli, Sr., Stony Brook
OL - Alex Stadler, R-Sr., Liberty
OL - Corey O'Daniel, Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL - Justin Vargas, R-Sr., Liberty
OL - Brian Crew, Sr., Stony Brook
DEFENSE
DL - Preston Pemasa, Fr., Gardner-Webb
DL - Terry Adams, R-Sr., Liberty
DL - Josh Wine, Sr., VMI
DL - Asa Chapman, Jr., Liberty
LB - Andrae Jacobs, Soph., Coastal Carolina
LB - A.J. Gross, R-Jr., VMI
LB - Kyle O'Donnell, R-Sr., Liberty
LB - Chris Patrick, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
DB - Arin West, Sr., Stony Brook
DB - Josh Norman, Jr., Coastal Carolina
DB - Charles James, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
DB - Dominique Davenport, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Matt Bevins, Jr., Liberty
P - Mike Larsson, Jr., Liberty
LS - Daniel Bonifas, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
KR - Gerald Stevenson, Sr., Charleston Southern
PR - Michael Rainey-Wiles, Sr., VMI
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Zach MacDowall, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
RB - Eric O'Neal, Sr., Coastal Carolina
RB - Patrick Hall, Sr., Gardner-Webb (tie)
RB - Trandon Dendy, R-Sr., Presbyterian College (tie)
WR - Matt Brevi, Jr., Stony Brook
WR - Brandon Whitley, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
WR - B.J. Hayes, R-Jr., Liberty
TE - Josh Miller, Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL - Seth Smalls, Sr., Coastal Carolina
OL - Jordan Lancaster, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
OL - Soeren Wendland, R-Sr., Liberty
OL - Jamey Cheatwood, R-Fr., Coastal Carolina
OL - Jamie Dunaway, Soph., Gardner-Webb
DEFENSE
DL - Damiso Alexander, R-Sr., VMI
DL - Kent Harper, Sr., Coastal Carolina
DL - Patrick Bannon, Sr., Liberty
DL - Joel Walton, Sr., Charleston Southern
LB - Craig Richardson, Soph., Stony Brook
LB - Jeffery Williams, Sr., Gardner-Webb
LB - Derek Brown, Sr., Presbyterian College
LB - Doncel Bolt, Sr., Liberty
DB - Cedric McGowan, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
DB - Justin Bethel, Jr., Presbyterian College
DB - Byron Allen, R-Jr., VMI
DB - Bryce Nixon, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Wesley Skiffington, R-Soph., Stony Brook
P - Patrick Morgano, Soph., Presbyterian College
LS - Hudson Smith, Fr., Gardner-Webb
KR - Brock Jackolski, Jr., Stony Brook
PR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Fr., Coastal Carolina
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Brad Sweatt, Soph., LB, Charleston Southern
Marcus Lott, Jr., DB, Coastal Carolina
Dami Teniola, Sr., LB, Gardner-Webb
Matt Bevins, Jr., K, Liberty
Myron Gary, Sr., QB, Presbyterian College
Michael Coulter, Jr., QB, Stony Brook
Chaz Jones, Jr., RB, VMI
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Brown, R-Jr., QB, Liberty
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andrae Jacobs, Soph., LB, Coastal Carolina
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Preston Pemasa, DL, Gardner-Webb
COACH OF THE YEAR
David Bennett, Coastal Carolina
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Michael Coulter, Jr., QB, Stony Brook