IRVING, Texas – In its first season in Conference USA, Old Dominion University football features eight players on the C-USA All-Conference team, headlined by first-team honorees, Josh Mann and Antonio Vaughan, the conference office announced on Tuesday.
Joining Mann and Vaughan, six Monarchs were named honorable mention, including quarterback Taylor Heinicke, offensive lineman Tyler Fisher, wide receiver Zach Pascal, linebacker D.J. Simon, long snapper Rick Lovato, and Vaughan, who earned honors as a punt returner.
A three-year starter at center, Mann, who started all 12 games at center, was the leader of an offensive line unit that helped pave the way for five 100-yard rushers this season and helped ODU average 442 yards per game and 32 points per game. A standout off the field as well, Mann earned CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades and was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team.
Vaughan led Conference USA in receiving yards and touchdown receptions, with 1,019 and 12, respectively, while finishing fourth with 63 catches. His 12 touchdowns are tied for fourth nationally. He had three 100-yard receiving games on the season, including a six catch, 220-yard game at WKU, which was the most yards in a game from a C-USA receiver on the year.
Heinicke ranked second in Conference USA with 289.7 yards per game. He finished the year 289-of-457 for 3,476 yards and 30 touchdowns. He ranks 11th in the nation in passing yards and tied for ninth in touchdown passes. He passed for more than 300 yards five times, including a pair of 400-yard games at Rice and WKU. He is the FBS active leader in total offense, passing yards, and touchdown passes.
Pascal finished second on the team with 59 catches for 743 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a pair of 100-yard receiving games and set a career-high with nine catches for 98 yards at NC State.
Fisher started all 11 games he played in at left guard. He helped the Monarchs rush for 1,793 yards on the season and 442 yards of total offense per game.
Simon led the Monarchs in tackles with 89 and finished fifth in the league with 7.4 tackles per game. He produced four games with double-digit tackles, including a career-best 11 in the win over Eastern Michigan and at Vanderbilt.
Vaughan also earned honorable mention honors as punt returner. He returned 12 punts for 112 yards and one touchdown. He had a 46-yard touchdown in the win over EMU and had three returns on the year over 20 yards.
Lovato was a four-year starter at long snapper for the Monarchs, performing flawlessly on punts, field goals/extra points. He had one tackle on the season.
2014 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSEQB – Rakeem Cato, Marshall, Sr.RB – Devon Johnson, Marshall, Sr.RB – Jordan Howard, UAB, So.OL – Chris Jasperse, Marshall, Sr.OL – Mitchell Bell, Louisiana Tech, Sr.OL – Clint Van Horn, Marshall, Jr.OL – Josh Mann, Old Dominion, Sr.OL – Cyril Lemon, North Texas, Sr.TE – Jonnu Smith, FIU, So.WR – Tommy Shuler, Marshall, Sr.
WR – Antonio Vaughan, Old Dominion, Sr.WR – Lucky Whitehead, Florida Atlantic, Sr. DEFENSEDL – Brian Nordstrom, Rice, Jr.DL – Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Southern Miss, Sr.DL – Diaheem Watkins, UAB, Sr.
DL – James Rouse, Marshall, Sr.LB – Neville Hewitt, Marshall, Sr.LB – Derek Akunne, North Texas, Sr.LB – Andrae Kirk, Florida Atlantic, Sr.DB – Richard Leonard, FIU, Jr.DB – Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee, Jr.DB – Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech, So.DB – Darryl Roberts, Marshall, Sr. SPECIAL TEAMSK – Corey Acosta, Southern Miss, Sr.P – Tyler Williams, Marshall, Jr.
KR – J.J. Nelson, UAB, Sr.PR – Richard Leonard, FIU, Jr.LS – Matt Cincotta, Marshall, Jr. SECOND TEAMOFFENSEQB – Brandon Doughty, WKU, Sr.RB – Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech, Jr.RB – Aaron Jones, UTEP, So.
RB – Leon Allen, WKU, Jr. OL – Brian O’Leary, UAB, Sr.OL – Jerell Watkins, UTEP, Sr.OL – Isaiah Anderson, Middle Tennessee, Sr.OL – Cameron Clemmons, WKU, Sr.OL – Darius Johnson, Middle Tennessee, Jr.
OL – Nico Carlson, Rice, Sr.TE – Kennard Backman, UAB, Sr.WR – Jared Dangerfield, WKU, Jr.WR – Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech, So.WR – Jordan Taylor, Rice, Sr. DEFENSEDL – Arnold Blackmon, Marshall, Sr.DL – Michael Wakefield, FIU, Jr.DL – Houston Bates, Louisiana Tech, Sr.DL – Robert Singletary, UTSA, Sr.LB – Jake Ganus, UAB, Jr.LB – T.T. Barber, Middle Tennessee, Jr.LB – Jermaine Holmes, Marshall, Sr.DB – Triston Wade, UTSA, Sr.DB – D’Joun Smith, Florida Atlantic, Sr.DB – James Jones, North Texas, Sr.DB – Bryce Callahan, Rice, Sr.
DB – Wonderful Terry, WKU, Jr. SPECIAL TEAMSK – Sean Ianno, UTSA, Sr.P – Dalton Schomp, Florida Atlantic, So.KR – Autrey Golden, UTEP, Jr. PR – J.J. Nelson, UAB, Sr.LS – Jesse Medrano, UTSA, Sr. HONORABLE MENTION
OFFENSEQB – Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion, Sr.RB – Reggie Whatley, Middle Tennessee, Sr.RB – Shane Tucker, Middle Tennessee, So.RB – Jowan Davis, Rice, So.
OL – Scott Inskeep, UTSA, Sr.OL – Ian Gray, Rice, Sr.OL – Forrest Lamp, WKU, So.OL – Tre Carter, Louisiana Tech, Sr.OL – Antonio Johnson, North Texas, Sr.OL – Andrew Reue, Rice, Jr.OL – Matt Simonette, Rice, Sr.OL – Cameron Tom, Southern Miss, So.OL – Donald Senat, FIU, Sr.OL – Eric Lee, UTEP, Jr.OL – Kirby Wixson, Louisiana Tech, Jr.OL – Tyler Fisher, Old Dominion, So.
TE – Eric Frohnapfel, Marshall, Sr.TE – Mitchell Henry, WKU, Sr.TE – Alex DeLeon, Florida Atlantic, Sr.TE – David Morgan II, UTSA, Jr.TE – Eric Tomlinson, UTEP, Sr.WR – Carlos Harris, North Texas, Sr.WR – J.J. Nelson, UAB, Sr.WR – Zach Pascal, Old Dominion, So.WR – Taywan Taylor, WKU, So.WR – Casey Martin, Southern Miss, Fr.WR – Hunter Lee, Louisiana Tech, Sr.WR – Mario Hull, Rice, Sr.WR – Michael Thomas, Southern Miss, Fr.WR – Kam Jones, UTSA, Sr. DEFENSEDL – Zach Patt, Rice, Sr.DL – Shubert Bastien, Middle Tennessee, Sr.DL – Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech, Jr.DL – Ra’Shawde Myers, Marshall, Sr.DL – Ashaad Mabry, UTSA, Sr.DL – Denzel Perine, FIU, Jr.DL – Dasman McCullum, Southern Miss, Sr.DL – Chris Walton, UAB, Sr.DL – Trevon Coley, Florida Atlantic, Jr.DL – Pat McNeil, Middle Tennessee, Jr.DL – Chad Polk, North Texas, Jr.DL – Vontarrius Dora, Louisiana Tech, Jr.DL – Roy Robertson-Harris, UTEP, Jr.DL – Cody Rogers, UTSA, Sr.LB – Jens Jeters, UTSA, Sr.LB – Nick Holt, WKU, Jr.LB – Tony Johnson, Louisiana Tech, Sr.LB – Terrell Pinson, Louisiana Tech, Sr.LB – D.J. Simon, Old Dominion, Sr.LB – Alex Lyons, Rice, So.LB – D.J. Hunter, Marshall, Jr.LB – Anthony Wint, FIU, Fr.LB – James Radcliffe, Rice, Sr.LB – Anthony Puente, UTEP, Sr.LB – Davison Colimon, FIU, Jr.LB – Harris Gaston, UAB, Sr.DB – Kentrell Brice, Louisiana Tech, Jr.DB – Adairius Barnes, Louisiana Tech, Jr.DB – Wes Miller, UTEP, Sr.DB – Le’Vander Liggins, Louisiana Tech, Sr.DB – Emmanuel Johnson, Southern Miss, Sr.DB – Corey Tindal, Marshall, So.DB – Jimmy Jean, UAB, Sr.DB – Devin Cockrell, UTEP, So.DB – Cre’von LeBlanc, Florida Atlantic, Jr.DB – Julius White, Rice, Sr.DB – Jacorius Cotton, Southern Miss, Sr.,DB – Rolan Milligan, UAB, Jr.DB – Cam Thomas, WKU, Sr. SPECIAL TEAMSK – Trevor Moore, North Texas, Fr.K – Kyle Fischer, Louisiana Tech, So.K – Garrett Schwettman, WKU, Jr.K – Ty Long, UAB, Sr.P – Hunter Mullins, UAB, Sr.P – Kristian Stern, UTSA, Sr.P – Eric Keena, North Texas, So.KR – Richard Leonard, FIU, Jr.KR – Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech, Fr.KR – Reggie Whatley, Middle Tennessee, Sr.KR – D'Joun Smith, Florida AtlanticPR – Tommy Shuler, Marshall, Sr.PR – Antonio Vaughan, Old Dominion, Sr.LS – Rick Lovato, Old Dominion, Sr.LS – Dallas Noriega, UAB, Sr.LS – Nolan Dowling, WKU, So.