Mountain West Announces 2016 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors

From the Mountain West Conference: 

The Mountain West announced its 2016 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners today as selected by the 12 head coaches and select media panel. San Diego State senior running back Donnel Pumphrey was honored as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while Aztec senior defensive back Damontae Kazee was chosen as the MW Defensive Player of the Year. San Diego State junior return specialist Rashaad Penny garnered the MW Special Teams Player of the Year award, while Wyoming linebacker Logan Wilson was selected as the MW Freshman of the Year. Craig Bohl of Wyoming was selected as the MW Coach of the Year. This marks just the second time in MW history that a team (San Diego State) has swept the offensive, defensive, and special team’s player of the year awards in back-to-back years. TCU accomplished the feat in 2009-10.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – DONNEL PUMPHREY, SENIOR, RB, SAN DIEGO STATE

•    Earns his second-consecutive Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award. 

•    Becomes the fourth player overall, and first running back, to be named MW Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. 

•    Helped lead the Aztecs to their second-straight MW West Division crown and berth in the Conference title game. 

•    Surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third consecutive year. He is just the fourth player in MW history to rush for over 1,000 yards in at least three-straight seasons. 

•    Finished the regular season ranked first in the league in rushing yards (1,908) and rushing yards per game (159.0), second in rushing attempts (305) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (15). 

•    Registered a Mountain West record nine-consecutive 100-yard rushing performances from Sept. 10 to Nov. 12. 

•    Ranks second nationally in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, sixth in all-purpose yards per game (176.58) and tied for 12th in rushing touchdowns.  

•    Is one of only four players in FBS to lead his team in rushing yards and receptions.  

•    Rushed for over 200 yards four times in 2016 to tie the MW single-season record. 

•    Scored a rushing touchdown in nine games this year, including at least one in the first seven contests. 

•    Posted a season-best 281 yards on 29 carries in the Aztecs’ victory over Cal on Sept. 10. 

•    Recorded three rushing touchdowns in back-to-back games on Sept. 10 and Sept. 17. 

•    Caught 26 passes for 205 yards. 

•    Named MW Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 and Sept. 19. 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – DAMONTAE KAZEE, SENIOR, DB, SAN DIEGO STATE

•    Collects his second straight MW Defensive Player of the Year accolade. 

•    Fifth player, and second defensive back, in MW history to earn back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors. 

•    Helped the Aztecs to their second-straight MW West Division crown and berth in the Conference title game. 

•    Ranked second in the league in interceptions (5) and interception return yards (112).

•    Sits second in the Conference and is tied for 10th nationally in interceptions per game at 0.4. 

•    Tied for seventh in the MW in passes defended per game with 0.92. 

•    Finished the regular season with 54 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss.

•    Intercepted a pair of passes, including one that was returned 54 yards for a touchdown on Nov. 5 vs. Hawai‘i. 

•    Led a defensive that ranked first in the league in points allowed (20.8) and total yards allowed (318.2) per game. 

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – RASHAAD PENNY, JUNIOR, KICK RETURNER, SAN DIEGO STATE

•    Earns Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year honor for the second year in a row.

•    Becomes the third player in MW history to garner back-to-back Special Teams Player of the Year accolades. 

•    Helped lead the Aztecs to their second-straight MW West Division crown and berth in the Conference title game.

•    Led the Conference in kickoff returns for touchdowns with two and kickoff return yards per game at 28.9.

•    Only player in MW history to record two or more kicks for touchdowns in consecutive seasons. 

•    Is just one of seven players in FBS to return at least two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2016. 

•    Ranks seventh nationally in kickoff return yards per game. 

•    Returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown in SDSU’s win against Cal on Sept. 10. 

•    Recorded a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game versus Wyoming on Nov. 19. 

•    Named MW Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 12. 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – LOGAN WILSON, LB, WYOMING

•    Third Wyoming player and first since Brett Smith in 2011 to be named Mountain West Freshman of the Year. 

•    Becomes the first linebacker and third defensive player overall to earn the award.   

•    Helped lead the Cowboys to their first MW Mountain Division title and berth in the Conference championship game. 

•    Led all freshmen and ranked 22nd overall in the league in tackles per game with 6.6. 

•    Topped all freshmen in the Conference with three interceptions. 

•    Scored two touchdowns on the season -- one on a 27-yard interception return at Eastern Michigan on Sept. 23 and one on a fumble recovery in the end zone against UNLV on Nov. 12. 

•    Finished the regular season with 79 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

•    Was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 7 after his performance against Utah State in which he registered seven tackles, one interception for 56 yards and one fumble recovery.

•    Recorded a season-high 13 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss on Nov. 12 at UNLV. 

COACH OF THE YEAR – CRAIG BOHL, WYOMING

•    Selected as MW Coach of the Year after leading Wyoming to the MW Mountain Division crown with a 6-2 record in Conference play. The 2016 season marks Bohl’s third season as the head coach at Wyoming.

•    Led the Cowboys to an 8-4 record during the regular season, which was a six-win improvement from the 2015 campaign. 

•    Becomes the second Wyoming head coach to earn the honor (Dave Christensen, 2011). 

•    Wyoming’s six MW wins are the most in program history, while its eight overall victories are the most since 2011. 

•    Guided Wyoming to its first appearance in the Conference title game. 

NOTABLES

•    Nine student-athletes were repeat MW First Team All-Conference selections from 2015. Air Force defensive back Weston Steelhammer, quarterback Brett Rypien of Boise State and Broncos wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck were all repeat winners, while San Diego State had the remaining six 2015 honorees in running back Donnel Pumphrey, offensive lineman Nico Siragusa, return specialist Rashaad Penny, defensive lineman Alex Barrett, linebacker Calvin Munson and defensive back Damontae Kazee. 

•    The nine repeat MW First Team All-Conference honorees are the most since 2004.  

•    Brett Rypien is the fifth quarterback overall in MW history to earn back-to-back first team accolades, while becoming the first to do so as a freshman and sophomore. 

•    Donnel Pumphrey becomes the 14th player overall and second running back to be named to the first-team All-Conference for three consecutive seasons. 

•    Boise State has had at least one first team All-League offensive lineman in each of their six seasons in the MW. 

•    Hayden Hunt (Colorado State – Punter), Fred Zerblis (Colorado State – Offensive Lineman), Brian Hill (Wyoming – Running Back), Chase Roullier (Wyoming – Offensive Lineman) and Andrew Wingard (Wyoming – Defensive Back) and each garnered first team All-Conference honors after being named to the second team in 2015.

•    Tau Lotulelei becomes UNLV’s first All-Conference first team member since his brother John in 2012. 

•    Jeremy McNichols (Boise State – running back) is a repeat honoree on the second team. 

•    Of the 50 MW first- and second-team selections, 33 were seniors, 10 were juniors and seven were sophomores. 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Donnel Pumphrey, Sr., RB, San Diego State

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Damontae Kazee, Sr., DB, San Diego State

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Rashaad Penny, Jr., KR, San Diego State

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming

COACH OF THE YEAR

Craig Bohl, Wyoming

2016 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM

OFFENSE

Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team

QB        Brett Rypien*                So.       Boise State

WR       Thomas Sperbeck*         Sr.        Boise State

WR       Michael Gallup              Jr.         Colorado State

RB        Donnel Pumphrey**       Sr.        San Diego State

RB        Brian Hill                      Jr.         Wyoming

TE        Jacob Hollister              Sr.        Wyoming

OL        Travis Averill                 Sr.        Boise State

OL        Mario Yakoo                  Sr.        Boise State

OL        Fred Zerblis                   Sr.        Colorado State

OL        Nico Siragusa*              Sr.        San Diego State

OL        Chase Roullier               Sr.        Wyoming

PK        John Baron II                 So.       San Diego State

PR/KR  Rashaad Penny*            Jr.         San Diego State

DEFENSE

Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team

DL        Ryan Watson                 Sr.        Air Force

DL        Sam McCaskill              Sr.        Boise State

DL        David Moa                     So.       Boise State

DL        Alex Barrett*                 Sr.        San Diego State

LB        Jahlani Tavai                 So.       Hawai‘i

LB        Calvin Munson*             Sr.        San Diego State

LB        Tau Lotulelei                 Sr.        UNLV

DB        Weston Steelhammer**  Sr.        Air Force

DB        Damontae Kazee*          Sr.        San Diego State

DB        Andre Chachere             Jr.         San José State

DB        Andrew Wingard             So.       Wyoming

P          Hayden Hunt                  Sr.        Colorado State

*--Two-Time First-Team Selection

**--Three-Time First-Team Selection

2016 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM

OFFENSE

Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team

QB        Josh Allen                                 So.                                    Wyoming

WR       Tanner Gentry                Sr.        Wyoming                           

WR       Jalen Robinette             Sr.        Air Force                            

RB        Jeremy McNichols*        Jr.         Boise State 

RB        Teriyon Gipson               Sr.        New Mexico                       

TE        David Wells                   Jr.         San Diego State

OL        Jake Bennett                 Jr.         Colorado State

OL        Dejon Allen                   Jr.         Hawai‘i

OL        Austin Corbett                Jr.         Nevada

OL        Reno Henderson            Sr.        New Mexico

OL        Daniel Brunskill             Sr.        San Diego State

PK        Luke Strebel                  Sr.        Air Force

PR/KR  D.J. May                       Sr.        Wyoming

DEFENSE

Pos.      Player                           Cl.        Team

DL        Malik Reed                   So.       Nevada

DL        Nik D’Avanzo                 Sr.        New Mexico 

DL        Garrett Hughes               Jr.         New Mexico                       

DL        Travis Seefeldt               Sr.        Utah State

LB        Ben Weaver                   Sr.        Boise State

LB        Kevin Davis                   Sr.        Colorado State

LB        Jeff Camilli                   Sr.        Fresno State

DB        Brodie Hicks                 Sr.        Air Force

DB        Chanceller James          Sr.        Boise State

DB        Jonathan Moxey             Sr.        Boise State

DB        Malik Smith                  Sr.        San Diego State                 

P          Sean Wale                     Sr.        Boise State

*--Two-Time Second-Team Selection

2016 HONORABLE MENTION

Air Force: Haji Dunn, Sr., LB; Tim McVey, Jr., KR; Colin Sandor, Sr., OL; Dylan Vail, Sr., OL.           

Boise State: Steven Baggett, Sr., OL; Mason Hampton, Jr., OL; Tanner Vallejo, Sr., LB; Cedrick Wilson, Jr., WR.       

Colorado State: Nick Callender, Sr., OL; Nick Stevens, Jr., QB; Paul Thurston, Sr., OL.

Fresno State: Stratton Brown, Sr., DB; KeeSean Johnson, So., WR; Kody Kroening, Jr., P.

Hawai‘i: Trayvon Henderson, Jr., DB; Marcus Kemp, Sr., WR; Leo Koloamatangi, Sr., OL; Meffy Koloamatangi, Jr., DL;

Jalen Rogers, Sr., DB; Rigoberto Sanchez, Sr., PK/P.                

Nevada: James Butler, Jr., RB; Wyatt Demps, Jr., WR; Asauni Rufus, So., DB.        

New Mexico: Dakota Cox, Sr., LB; Daniel Henry, Sr., DB; Aaron Jenkins, So., OL; Jason Sanders, Jr., PK.     

San Diego State: Kyle Kelley, Sr., DL; Quest Truxton, Jr., PR.     

San José State: Michael Carrizosa, Jr., P; Isaiah Irving, Sr., DL; Jeremiah Kolone, Jr., OL; Maurice McKnight, Jr., DB;

Christian Tago, Sr., LB.

UNLV: Troy Hawthorne, Sr., DB; Mike Hughes, Jr., DL; Nathan Jacobson, So., OL; Will Kreitler, Sr., OL; Torry McTyer, Sr., 

DB.                      

Utah State: Austin Albrecht, Sr., OL; Ricky Ali’ifua, Sr., DL; Wyatt Houston, Sr., TE; Jake Simonich, Sr, OL; TE; Austin

Stephens, Sr., OL.

Wyoming: Lucas Wacha, Sr., LB.

From the Mountain West Conference