University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Places 10 On All-Conference USA Teams
11/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2005
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss had nine players selected All-Conference USA today, five on the first team, four on the second team and one on the third. The Golden Eagles also had an All-Freshman selection.
The 10 selections mark the most for Southern Miss since it had 15 selections in 2003. Seven Golden Eagles earned Conference USA honors last season.
"I'm proud of these players and what they accomplished this season," Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower said. "These players are deserving of this honor because of their hard work and dedication to the program, on and off the field. It's great to see that other league coaches and media recognize everything these players mean to the league."
Junior offensive lineman George Batiste earned first team offense All-Conference USA honors for the first time in his career. Batiste is the team's first offensive lineman to earn first team honors since Jeremy Parquet earned first team honors in 2003. Batiste did not allow a sack in 2005, and was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack in five games on the year, and only allowed one in the final five games.
A native of Avondale, La., he helped the offense score 29.45 points per game, ranking No. 3 in Conference USA and No. 41 nationally. The offense also amassed 3,843 yards of total offense (2,699 passing, 1,144 rushing), averaging 349.4 yards of total offense per game (245.4 passing, 104.0 rushing). The 245.4 passing yards per game was the second best performance in school history, behind an average of 251.1 in 1998.
Seniors Kevis and Trevis Coley earned first team defense honors for the first time in their respective careers. Trevis Coley was a second team All-Conference USA selection in 2004. Both players helped the Golden Eagle defense rank No. 2 in Conference USA in scoring defense, allowing 23 points per game.
Kevis Coley finished the regular season with a team-high 144 total tackles (13.1 tackles per game), leading Conference USA and ranking No. 4 nationally. It was also the ninth best single-season performance in school history. He also had 78 solo tackles on the season, leading the team and Conference USA, while tying for No. 6 nationally. He also had 66 assisted tackles, which led the team and tied for first in Conference USA.
Trevis finished the season with 99 total tackles (60 solos, 39 assists), ranking second on the squad. He also has two interceptions and two pass breakups.
Senior John Eubanks, along with Tulsa senior Ashlan Davis, earned first team kick returner honors. Eubanks finished the year with 26 kickoff returns for 632 yards, averaging 24.3 yards per return, the fifth-best performance in school history. In Conference USA career records, he currently ranks No. 1 in kickoff return average and No. 2 in kickoff return yardage.
Senior Luke Johnson earned first-team All-Conference USA honors for the first time in his career. He led Conference USA with a 45.3 punting yard average (50 punts, 2,263 yards), tying for the second best performance in school history, matching Ray Guy's 45.3-yard average in 1970. The punting unit finished No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 10 nationally (37.78).
Junior Travis Cooley earned second team All-Conference USA honors for the second consecutive season. He only allowed one sack for the season, and missed the final two games of 2005 due to a torn patella tendon.
Senior Tom Johnson earned second team All-Conference USA honors for the first time in his career. After transferring from Gulf Coast CC last season, Johnson enjoyed a breakout season in 2005, finishing fifth on the team with 49 tackles, while ranking third on the team with 3.5 sacks and second with nine tackles for loss. Johnson also had two pass breakups, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery on the year.
Sophomore Brandon Sumrall earns second team All-Conference USA honors for the first time in his career. In his first year as a starter, Sumrall finished as the team's third leading tackler with 81 (54 solos, 27 assists), while leading the team with four interceptions. He ranked second on the team with five pass breakups, while also registering one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Junior Darren McCaleb earns second team All-Conference USA honors for the second-straight season. He finished the season connecting on 22-of-27 field goals and 34-of-35 extra points, finishing as the top field goal kicker in Conference USA and No. 2 nationally (2.0). He also finished No. 2 in Conference USA and No. 14 nationally in scoring (9.09).
Redshirt freshman tight end Shawn Nelson earned third team All-Conference USA honors. He becomes the team's first tight end selection since Terrell Browden earned second team honors in 2003. He finished the season as the team's leading receiver with 419 yards, ranking second on the team with 29 catches and three catches.
Nelson also earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors, becoming the school's 29th All-Freshman selection. He becomes the second tight end to earn All-Freshman honors, joining Buck Miciotto in 1999.
Southern Miss finished the 2005 season with a 6-5 record and 5-3 record in Conference USA. 2005 marks the 12th consecutive non-losing season in school history. The Golden Eagles are awaiting a possible bowl berth for the fourth consecutive season.
2005 Conference USA Football All-Conference Teams
First Team Offense:
Quarterback - Darrell Hackney, Sr., UAB
Running Back- Ryan Gilbert, Sr., Houston
Running Back- DeAngelo Williams, Sr., Memphis
Offensive Lineman- Andrew Handy, Sr., Memphis
Offensive Lineman- George Batiste, Jr., Southern Miss
Offensive Lineman- Jesse Stoneham, Sr., Tulsa
Offensive Lineman- Matt Batusic, Sr., UAB
Offensive Lineman- Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Jr., UCF
Tight End- Garrett Mills, Sr., Tulsa
Wide Receiver- Aundrae Allison, Jr., East Carolina
Wide Receiver- Vincent Marshall, Sr., Houston
Wide Receiver- Reggie Lindsey, Sr., UAB
First Team Defense:
Defensive Lineman- Marcus West, Sr., Memphis
Defensive Lineman- John Syptak, Sr., Rice
Defensive Lineman- Larry McSwain, Jr., UAB
Defensive Lineman- Paul Carrington, Sr., UCF
Linebacker- Chris Moore, Sr., East Carolina
Linebacker- Kevis Coley, Sr., Southern Miss
Linebacker- Anthony Cannon, Sr., Tulane
Defensive Back- Wesley Smith, Jr., Memphis
Defensive Back- Trevis Coley, Sr., Southern Miss
Defensive Back- Bobby Blackshire, Jr., Tulsa
Defensive Back- Joe Burnett, Fr., UCF
First Team Special Teams:
Placekicker- Stephen Gostkowski, Sr., Memphis
Punter- Luke Johnson, Sr., Southern Miss
Kick Returner- Ashlan Davis, Sr., Tulsa
John Eubanks, Sr., Southern Miss
Punt Returner- Joe Burnett, Fr., UCF
Second Team Offense:
Quarterback - Jordan Palmer, Jr. UTEP
Running Back- Ahmad Bradshaw, So., Marshall
Running Back- Kevin Smith, Fr., UCF
Running Back- Quinton Smith, Jr., Rice
Offensive Lineman- Doug Legursky, So., Marshall
Offensive Lineman- Travis Cooley, Jr., Southern Miss
Offensive Lineman- Chris McGee, Sr., Tulane
Offensive Lineman- Josh House, Sr., UTEP
Offensive Lineman- Jose Garcia, Sr., UTEP
Tight End- Darcy Johnson, Sr., UCF
Wide Receiver- Brandon Marshall, Sr., UCF
Wide Receiver- Mike Walker, Jr., UCF
Wide Receiver- Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., UTEP
Second Team Defense:
Defensive Lineman- Kade Lane, Sr, Houston
Defensive Lineman- Justin Rogers, Jr., SMU
Defensive Lineman- Tom Johnson, Sr., Southern Miss
Defensive Lineman- Alex Obemese, Jr., UTEP
Linebacker- Nelson Coleman, So., Tulsa
Linebacker- Thomas Howard, Sr., UTEP
Linebacker- Jeremy Jones, Sr., UTEP
Defensive Back- Chris Hawkins, Sr., Marshall
Defensive Back- Joe Sturdivant, Jr., SMU
Defensive Back- Brandon Sumrall, So., Southern Miss
Defensive Back- Nick Graham, Jr., Tulsa
Second Team Special Teams:
Placekicker- Darren McCaleb, Jr., Southern Miss
Punter- Michael Gibson, Jr., Memphis
Punt Returner - Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr., UTEP
Third Team Offense:
Quarterback - Kevin Kolb, Jr., Houston
Running Back- Uril Parrish, Sr., Tulsa
Running Back- Tyler Ebell, Sr., UTEP
Offensive Lineman- SirVincent Rogers, So., Houston
Offensive Lineman- David Douglas, Sr., Houston
Offensive Lineman- Matt Traina, Sr., Tulane
Offensive Lineman- Jeff Perrett, Jr., Tulsa
Offensive Lineman- Julius Wilson, Jr., UAB
Tight End- Shawn Nelson, Fr., Southern Miss
Wide Receiver- Bobby Chase, Jr., SMU
Wide Receiver- Preston Brown, Jr., Tulane
Wide Receiver- Chris Francies, Sr., UTEP
Third Team Defense:
Defensive Lineman- Marcus Hands, So., East Carolina
Defensive Lineman- Adrian Haywood, Fr., SMU
Defensive Lineman- Brandon Lohr, Sr., Tulsa
Defensive Lineman- Ernest Respress, Sr., UAB
Linebacker- Wade Koehl, Jr., Houston
Linebacker- Nick Bunting, Sr., Tulsa
Linebacker- Troy Collavo, Jr., UTEP
Defensive Back- Rocky Schwartz, So., Houston
Defensive Back- Jamey Harper, Sr., SMU
Defensive Back- Dominique Cosper, Sr., UAB
Defensive Back- Rolando Humphrey, Sr., SMU
Third Team Special Teams:
Kick Returner- Jessie Henderson, Fr., SMU
Punt Returner- Vincent Marshall, Jr., Houston
2005 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
All-Freshman Offense:
Quarterback - Chase Clement, Rice
Running Back- DeMyron Martin, SMU
Running Back - Kevin Smith, UCF
Offensive Lineman- Brandon Pearce, Memphis
Offensive Lineman- Austin Wilkinson, Rice
Offensive Lineman- Michael Parenton, Tulane
Offensive Lineman- L.J. Anderson, UCF
Offensive Lineman- Patrick Brown, UCF
Offensive Lineman- Robby Felix, UTEP
Tight End- Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss
Wide Receiver- Maurice Jones, Memphis
Wide Receiver- Jarett Dillard, Rice
Wide Receiver- Cary Koch, Tulane
All-Freshman Defense:
Defensive Lineman- Cody Pree, Houston
Defensive Lineman- Phillip Hunt, Houston
Defensive Lineman- Albert McClellan, Marshall
Defensive Lineman- Moton Hopkins, Tulsa
Defensive Lineman- James Olalekan, UTEP
Linebacker- Cody Lubojasky, Houston
Linebacker- Kris Guyton, UAB
Linebacker- Jordan Richards, UCF
Defensive Back- Kenneth Fontenette, Houston
Defensive Back- Roy Roberts, Tulsa
Defensive Back- Joe Burnett, UCF
Defensive Back- Jason Venson, UCF
Special Teams:
Placekicker- Ben Bell, Houston
Punter- Marty Biagi, Marshall
Kick Returner- Jessie Henderson, SMU
Punt Returner- Joe Burnett, UCF
