Football: Peters, Riles Named To SBC First Team; Nine Cajuns On 2016 Team

NEW ORLEANS – Highlighted by first-team selections Otha Peters and Al Riles, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns placed nine members on the 2016 All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team that was released by the league office on Wednesday.
 
Joining Peters and Riles on the team that was selected by the league’s head coaches and a panel of media members were second-team selections Joe Dillon and Elijah McGuire, along with honorable mention selections Keenan Barnes, Karmichael Dunbar, Eddie Gordon and Tre’maine Lightfoot with redshirt freshman Kevin Dotson named to the Sun Belt All-Newcomer Team.
 
Peters, the captain of a defensive unit that ranked in the top 30 nationally among the national leaders in rushing defense, finished second on the team with 88 tackles (team-high 45 solos) and 11.0 tackles for loss. 
 
Riles led the Ragin’ Cajuns with career-highs in receptions (55) and yards (665) while ranking among the SBC leaders in receiving yards per game (55.4) and receptions per game. The senior caught a pass in all 12 games for Louisiana and extended his streak with at least one reception to 28.
 
Dillon, one of three freshmen named to first or second-team, recorded 49 tackles on the season while leading the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. McGuire, the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards and touchdowns, finished the regular-season third in the SBC with 1,028 yards rushing and finished with a team-high nine total touchdowns.
 
Barnes, who finished second on the team with 30 receptions, averaged 13.6 yards per catch while finishing the regular-season tied among the league leaders in touchdown receptions (6). Dunbar recorded 39 tackles on the season for Louisiana, with 4.0 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
 
Lightfoot led Louisiana with 95 tackles during the season, while adding five tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles.
 
Gordon anchored an offensive line at center and helped the Ragin’ Cajuns rank among the league leaders in rushing yards. Dotson asserted himself in the starting lineup at right guard beginning in the second week of the season and helped pave the way for McGuire’s third 1,000-yard rushing season in his career.
 
Highlighting the SBC’s individual awards was Arkansas State junior defensive lineman Ja’Von Rolland-Jones who was named the league’s Player of the Year.
 
Appalachian State sophomore running back Jalin Moore was tabbed as the Offensive Player of the Year, while Troy senior defensive lineman Rashad Dillard was chosen as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
 
App State defensive back Clifton Duck was selected as the Freshman of the Year and Aikeem Coleman, a junior defensive lineman from Idaho, was tabbed as the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
 
Idaho’s Paul Petrino was chosen as the Coach of the Year.