Football: RB tandem heads All-SBC contingent – 11 Cajuns named to All-SBC team

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Dec. 12, 2013

2013 All-Sun Belt Football

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Corey Robinson (Troy, Sr., QB)
Alonzo Harris (UL, Jr., RB)
Elijah McGuire (UL, Fr., RB)
Antonio Andrews (WKU, Sr., RB)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, So. WR)
Albert Wilson (Georgia State, Sr. WR)
Eric Thomas (Troy, Sr., WR)
Wes Saxton (South Alabama, Jr., TE)
Andre Huval (UL,Sr., OL)
Josh Allen (UL Monroe, Sr., OL)
Chris May (South Alabama, So., OL)
Terrence Jones (Troy, Jr., OL)
Luis Polanco (WKU, Sr., OL)
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

Ryan Carrethers (Arkansas State, Sr., DL)
Romelle Jones (South Alabama, Sr., DL)
Alex Page (South Alabama, Senior, DL)
Bar’ee Boyd (WKU, Sr., DL)
Qushaun Lee (Arkansas State, Jr., LB)
Justin Anderson (UL , Sr., LB)
Xavius Boyd (WKU, Sr., LB)
Isaiah Newsome (ULM, Sr., DB)
Camren Hudson (Troy, Sr., DB)
Jonathan Dowling (WKU, Jr., DB)
Cam Thomas (WKU, Jr., DB)
SPECIAL TEAMS

Brian Davis (Arkansas State, Sr., K)
Justin Manton (ULM, Jr., P)
Darryl Surgent (UL , Sr., Return Specialist)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, So. All-Purpose)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Antonio Andrews (Western Kentucky, Sr., RB)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Antonio Andrews (WKU, Sr., RB)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Xavius Boyd (WKU, Sr., LB)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Elijah McGuire (UL, Fr., RB)
COACH OF THE YEAR

Joey Jones, South Alabama
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Ross Metheny (South Alabama, Sr., QB)
Michael Gordon (Arkansas State, So., RB)
Robert Lowe (Texas State, So., RB)
Jamal Robinson (UL, Jr. WR)
Rashon Ceaser (ULM, So.,WR)
Shavarez Smith (South Alabama, Jr., WR)
Darion Griswold (Arkansas State, So., TE)
Bryce Giddens (Arkansas State, So, OL)
Steven Haunga (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)
Daniel Quave (UL, Jr., OL)
Ucambre Williams (South Alabama, Jr., OL)
Evan McKissack (Troy, Sr., OL)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Justin Hamilton (UL, Jr., DL)
Gerrand Johnson (ULM, So., DL)
Antonio Gillespie (Troy, Sr. DL)
Tyler Roberts (Troy, So., DL)
Cameron Blakes (UL, Sr., LB)
Enrique Williams (South Alabama, Sr., LB)
Andrew Jackson (WKU, Sr., LB)
Rocky Hayes (Arkansas State, So., DB)
Sterling Young (Arkansas State, Jr., DB)
Trevence Patt (UL, Jr., DB)
Justin Iwuji (Texas State, Sr., DB)
SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

Will Scott (Troy, Sr., K)
Will Scott (Troy, Sr., P)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, So. Return Specialist)
Albert Wilson (Georgia State, Sr. All-Purpose)
HONORABLE MENTION

Adam Kennedy (Arkansas State, Sr., QB); Chris Stone (Arkansas State, So., DL); Ulrick John (Georgia State, Sr., OL); Joseph Peterson (Georgia State, So., LB); Jacob Maxwell (UL, Sr., TE); Dominique Tovell (UL, So., LB); Kolton Browning (ULM, Sr., QB); Centarius Donald (ULM, Jr., RB); Jay Jones (South Alabama, Jr., RB); Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, r-Fr., K); David Mayo (Texas State, Jr., LB); Mike Orakpo (Texas State, Jr., LB); Jordan Chunn (Troy, Fr., RB); Bryan Holmes (Troy, So., WR); Willie McNeal (WKU, Jr., WR); Forrest Lamp (WKU, r-Fr., OL)

For the first time since the conference starting sponsoring football in 2001, two running backs from the same school have earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors.

The two: UL teammates Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire, who are joined on the first team by three other Ragin’ Cajuns, center Andre Huval, linebacker Justin Anderson and receiver Darryl Surgent as a return specialist.

McGuire also was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, the same honor Harris earned two years ago.

“Excited for him. Thought he was deserving,” UL coach Mark Hudspeth said of McGuire, a true freshman from Vandebilt Catholic in Houma who has rushed for 818 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

McGuire is averaging 8.9 yards per carry, tops in the nation, and has four 100-yard rushing games.

“I think he made his presence known the first year,” Hudspeth said after practice Wednesday.

“The big plays are hard to miss.”

Harris, from Gadsden, Ala., has rushed for a team-high 868 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Huval, a St. Thomas More product, has made 38 straight starts heading into UL’s Dec. 21 New Orleans Bowl date with Tulane.

Anderson, from Foley, Ala., leads the Cajuns and the Sun Belt with 124 total tackles this season, including 71 solo stops.

And Surgent, from Alexandria, returned both a punt and kickoff for a touchdown this season and averages 27.2 yards per kick return.

Western Kentucky senior running back Antonio Andrews was named both Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, WKU linebacker Xavius Boyd was named Defensive Player of the Year and South Alabama’s Joey Jones was named Coach of the Year.

Andrews leads the nation in all-purposes yards and leads the Sun Belt in rushing yards with 1,730 yards and in touchdowns with 16 touchdowns.

Boyd finished with 103 total tackles, tied for fourth-most in the SBC and 21 fewer than Anderson. But he led the Sun Belt in both tackles for loss with 15.5 per and sacks with 8.5.

Jones’ Jaguars won just two games last season, but they finished bowl-eligible at 6-6 this season including last Saturday night’s 30-8 win over 8-3 Sun Belt co-champ UL – a loss that cost the Cajuns, co-champs along with Arkansas State, an outright conference title.