Nov. 19, 2012
RICHMOND, Va. - Old Dominion University sophomore quarterback Taylor Heinicke was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Year, to lead the way as 10 Monarchs earned All-Conference honors, the CAA announced on Monday. The voting was conducted by the league's coaches.
The Monarchs finished atop the CAA with a 7-1 conference mark and 10-1 overall. ODU earned the No. 4 seed in the FCS playoffs and will host the Bethune-Cookman/Coastal Carolina winner on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.
Along with being named Offensive Player of the Year, Heinicke was named first-team All-CAA quarterback and was joined on the first team offense by wide receiver Nick Mayers and placekicker Jarod Brown.
Defensive lineman Chris Burnette and punter Jonathan Plisco earned first-team honors on the defensive side of the ball to give ODU five players on the first team.
Sophomore wide receiver Antonio Vaughan earned second team honors as well as offensive lineman David Born.
Linebacker Craig Wilkins earned second-team all-conference.
Left tackle Jack Lowney received third-team accolades while defensive tackle Dominique Guinn-Bailey earned third-team honors on defense.
Heinicke leads the nation with 4,158 passing yards, 378.00 passing yards per game, 35 touchdown passes and in total offense with 412.27 yards per game. The Atlanta, Ga. native also has 377 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on the ground.
The sophomore set the NCAA Division I record for passing yards (730) and total offense (791) in a game in ODU's 64-61 win over New Hampshire on Sept. 22. His 4,158 passing yards ranks 13th in the FCS single-season record books and 412.27 yards of total offense per game is third all -time behind Steve McNair and Willie Totten.
This is the second-straight year Heinicke has earned All-CAA honors.
Mayers led ODU in receiving with 63 catches for 980 yards and a conference-best 13 TD catches. He ranks sixth in the nation in touchdown passes. Mayers caugh a career-best 12 catches for 271 yards in ODU's win over New Hampshire and caught 11 passes for 131 yards against Delaware on Oct. 22.
This is the second-straight year Mayers has earned first-team All-CAA accolades.
Brown led all CAA kickers in points with 89 and was a league best 59-for-59 in extra points. He was 10-for-12 in field goals and had a league high 29 touchbacks.
He had two field goals against New Hampshire, including the game-winner. He kicked key field goals in the wins at Towson on Oct. 20 and James Madison Nov. 17.
After earning third-team CAA honors last year, Burnette earned first team this year, leading all CAA defensive linemen with 66 tackles and finished the regular season with four sacks and seven tackles for loss. He also had an interception and two forced fumbles.
Plisco led all CAA punters with a 45.4 average, and had eight punts longer than 50 yards and had a season-long 61-yarder against New Hampshire. Plisco earned first-team All-CAA honors last season as well.
Vaughan finished second on the ODU squad with 51 catches for 673 yards and six touchdowns. He had more than 100 yards receiving three times this year including 10 catches for 123 yards and TD in the season-ending win at JMU.
Born earned his first all-conference honor after starting all 11 games for the Monarchs at left guard.
For the second-straight season, Wilkins earns All-CAA honors after leading the Monarchs in tackles with 77, sacks at 5.5 and tackles for loss with 12. He also intercepted two passes, in the win over Delaware and at Georgia State.
Lowney has started all 11 games at left tackle for the Monarchs, earning his first All-CAA honor.
Guinn-Bailey, a sophomore from Porstmouth, earned his first all-conference accolades, finishing fifth on the team with 50 tackles and six tackles for loss. He finished fifth among all CAA defensive linemen in tackles.