Conference USA press release:
A trio of senior standouts headline the list of 2015 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league's 13 head coaches. WKU senior QB Brandon Doughty was tabbed the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, FIU senior DB Richard Leonard was named the Defensive Player of the Year and UTEP senior KR Autrey Golden earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors.
Doughty, the reigning C-USA Most Valuable Player and Sammy Baugh Award winner, returns as the nation's leading passer and has four of his top six receivers back in 2015. He led the FBS in passing yards (4,830), passing touchdowns (49), and points responsible for per game (24.2) in 2014, while leading the Hilltoppers to eight victories, including a win in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. On 10 occasions, Doughty eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark and had five or more touchdown passes in five games, including a season-high eight at No. 19 Marshall -- the second-most in C-USA history - when he combined with Rakeem Cato to throw an FBS combined record of 15 in a single game. Doughty's eight touchdown passes in that game were matched only by eight other quarterbacks in FBS history and just two others did it against a nationally-ranked opponent.
A First Team All-Conference USA selection at cornerback and as a punt returner, Leonard was a two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week and a two-time C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week in 2014, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish that feat. On the year, he recorded a school-record five interceptions (No. 2 in C-USA; No. 18 nationally), returning two for touchdowns. Leonard also led the nation in fumble recoveries (4), including a 100-yard fumble recovery versus Florida Atlantic (Oct. 2) -- the first NCAA player to do so since 1999. Leonard also notched 616 kick return yards on just 24 attempts and 309 punt return yards on just 13 returns. He averaged 25.7 yards-per-kick return and 23.8 yards-per-punt return, while setting the school record for most punt return yards in a season.
Golden is a versatile player that saw action last season as a wide receiver, running back and kick returner. The team captain is a two time All-Conference USA honoree, who played in all 13 games for the Miners in 2014 and led the team to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. On special teams, Golden registered 31 kickoff returns for 743 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks tied for second in league history and tied for third in NCAA history in kickoff returns for touchdowns with four in his career. During the middle of the season, Golden made the switch from running back to wide receiver and paced the team in receptions with 31 and ranked third on the squad in receiving yards with 263 adding two touchdowns.
Defending conference champion Marshall had the most overall preseason selections with six, while FIU had four players comprising five spots. Louisiana Tech and WKU each placed four players on the team. All twelve C-USA schools that competed in the league last season had at least one player named to the squad.
The 11th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 5.
The 2015 C-USA Football season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 3, with three non-conference games. Twelve of the league's 13 teams are in action during opening weekend, which is spread out from Thursday to Sunday, with eight games scheduled to air on national or regional television.
2015 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Brandon Doughty, Sr., QB, WKU
Defensive Player of the Year
Richard Leonard, Sr., DB, FIU
Special Teams Player of the Year
Autrey Golden, Sr., KR, UTEP
First Team Offense
QB Brandon Doughty, Sr., WKU
RB Leon Allen, Sr., WKU
RB Kenneth Dixon, Sr., Louisiana Tech
RB Devon Johnson, Sr., Marshall
RB Aaron Jones, Jr., UTEP
OL Jordan Budwig, Jr., FIU
OL Darius Johnson, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL Kaydon Kirby, Jr., North Texas
OL Andrew Reue, Sr., Rice
OL Clint Van Horn, Jr., Marshall
WR Jared Dangerfield, Sr., WKU
WR Carlos Harris, Sr., North Texas
WR Zach Pascal, Jr., Old Dominion
WR Trent Taylor, Jr., Louisiana Tech
TE Jonnu Smith, Jr., FIU
First Team Defense
DL Vernon Butler, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Jason Neill, Sr., UTSA
DL Jarquez Samuel, Sr., Marshall
DL Michael Smith, Sr., Southern Miss
DL Michael Wakefield, Sr., FIU
LB T.T. Barber, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB Drew Douglas, Sr., UTSA
LB D.J. Hunter, Sr., Marshall
DB Kevin Byard, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Crevon LeBlanc, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB Richard Leonard, Sr., FIU
DB Bennett Okotcha, Sr., UTSA
DB Wonderful Terry, Sr., WKU
DB Xavier Woods, Jr., Louisiana Tech
First Team Special Teams
K Trevor Moore, So., North Texas
P Tyler Williams,, Sr., Marshall
KR Autrey Golden, Jr., UTEP
PR Richard Leonard, Sr., FIU
LS Matt Cincotta, Sr., Marshall
A trio of senior standouts headline the list of 2015 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league's 13 head coaches. WKU senior QB Brandon Doughty was tabbed the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, FIU senior DB Richard Leonard was named the Defensive Player of the Year and UTEP senior KR Autrey Golden earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors.
Doughty, the reigning C-USA Most Valuable Player and Sammy Baugh Award winner, returns as the nation's leading passer and has four of his top six receivers back in 2015. He led the FBS in passing yards (4,830), passing touchdowns (49), and points responsible for per game (24.2) in 2014, while leading the Hilltoppers to eight victories, including a win in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. On 10 occasions, Doughty eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark and had five or more touchdown passes in five games, including a season-high eight at No. 19 Marshall -- the second-most in C-USA history - when he combined with Rakeem Cato to throw an FBS combined record of 15 in a single game. Doughty's eight touchdown passes in that game were matched only by eight other quarterbacks in FBS history and just two others did it against a nationally-ranked opponent.
A First Team All-Conference USA selection at cornerback and as a punt returner, Leonard was a two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week and a two-time C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week in 2014, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish that feat. On the year, he recorded a school-record five interceptions (No. 2 in C-USA; No. 18 nationally), returning two for touchdowns. Leonard also led the nation in fumble recoveries (4), including a 100-yard fumble recovery versus Florida Atlantic (Oct. 2) -- the first NCAA player to do so since 1999. Leonard also notched 616 kick return yards on just 24 attempts and 309 punt return yards on just 13 returns. He averaged 25.7 yards-per-kick return and 23.8 yards-per-punt return, while setting the school record for most punt return yards in a season.
Golden is a versatile player that saw action last season as a wide receiver, running back and kick returner. The team captain is a two time All-Conference USA honoree, who played in all 13 games for the Miners in 2014 and led the team to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. On special teams, Golden registered 31 kickoff returns for 743 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks tied for second in league history and tied for third in NCAA history in kickoff returns for touchdowns with four in his career. During the middle of the season, Golden made the switch from running back to wide receiver and paced the team in receptions with 31 and ranked third on the squad in receiving yards with 263 adding two touchdowns.
Defending conference champion Marshall had the most overall preseason selections with six, while FIU had four players comprising five spots. Louisiana Tech and WKU each placed four players on the team. All twelve C-USA schools that competed in the league last season had at least one player named to the squad.
The 11th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 5.
The 2015 C-USA Football season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 3, with three non-conference games. Twelve of the league's 13 teams are in action during opening weekend, which is spread out from Thursday to Sunday, with eight games scheduled to air on national or regional television.
2015 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Brandon Doughty, Sr., QB, WKU
Defensive Player of the Year
Richard Leonard, Sr., DB, FIU
Special Teams Player of the Year
Autrey Golden, Sr., KR, UTEP
First Team Offense
QB Brandon Doughty, Sr., WKU
RB Leon Allen, Sr., WKU
RB Kenneth Dixon, Sr., Louisiana Tech
RB Devon Johnson, Sr., Marshall
RB Aaron Jones, Jr., UTEP
OL Jordan Budwig, Jr., FIU
OL Darius Johnson, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL Kaydon Kirby, Jr., North Texas
OL Andrew Reue, Sr., Rice
OL Clint Van Horn, Jr., Marshall
WR Jared Dangerfield, Sr., WKU
WR Carlos Harris, Sr., North Texas
WR Zach Pascal, Jr., Old Dominion
WR Trent Taylor, Jr., Louisiana Tech
TE Jonnu Smith, Jr., FIU
First Team Defense
DL Vernon Butler, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Jason Neill, Sr., UTSA
DL Jarquez Samuel, Sr., Marshall
DL Michael Smith, Sr., Southern Miss
DL Michael Wakefield, Sr., FIU
LB T.T. Barber, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB Drew Douglas, Sr., UTSA
LB D.J. Hunter, Sr., Marshall
DB Kevin Byard, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Crevon LeBlanc, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB Richard Leonard, Sr., FIU
DB Bennett Okotcha, Sr., UTSA
DB Wonderful Terry, Sr., WKU
DB Xavier Woods, Jr., Louisiana Tech
First Team Special Teams
K Trevor Moore, So., North Texas
P Tyler Williams,, Sr., Marshall
KR Autrey Golden, Jr., UTEP
PR Richard Leonard, Sr., FIU
LS Matt Cincotta, Sr., Marshall
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