Football writers give Browne C-USA honors

TCU place kicker Nick Browne has been named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year as selected by the head football coaches and media members in each conference city, the conference office announced today.

Browne, an Academic All-American, was named as the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year after breaking the Conference USA record for field goals in a season with a nation-leading 27. He leads the C-USA in scoring with 115 points, just one shy of the league record. Browne was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week a record five times this season and was honored as a first team All-American by the Football Writers Association.

Memphis sophomore RB DeAngelo Williams was named Offensive Player of the Year. In leading the Tigers to their first bowl appearance since 1971, he set a Conference USA single-season record with 10 consecutive 100-yard games. Despite missing the regular season finale with a torn MCL in his left knee, Williams still set a Memphis single season record with 1,430 rushing yards. Williams continues to lead the nation in all-purpose yardage at 192.1 yards per game. In addition to his rushing totals, he has 384 receiving yards and 299 kick return yards for 2,113 total. He also has scored 13 touchdowns.

Defensive honors went to Southern Miss senior LB Rod Davis. A 2002 All-American, Davis returned for his senior season and helped his Golden Eagles team to become the first C-USA team to go undefeated in league play since 1999. He leads Southern Miss and ranks third in the league in tackles with 148 (103 solo). Conference USA's all-time leading tackler, Davis has registered 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and four forced fumbles this season.

True freshman Kevin Kolb of Houston was named the league's Freshman of the Year. Kolb tops all freshman passers in Division I-A in attempts (326), completions (201), passing yards (2,799) and passing touchdowns (23), while throwing just four interceptions all season long. Kolb has also rushed for 339 yards and seven touchdowns while guiding the Cougars to their first bowl game since 1996.

After leading his team to an unbeaten Conference USA season and the school's fourth regular season championship in eight years, Southern Miss head football coach Jeff Bower was been named the C-USA Coach of the Year. The dean of Conference USA coaches, Bower led the Golden Eagles to its first C-USA title since 1999. After opening with a 3-3 start that included losses to bowl-bound teams California and Nebraska, USM reeled off six consecutive wins to close the regular season, highlighted by a 40-28 victory over previously unbeaten and then-ninth-ranked TCU on November 20.

— courtesy of (www.gofrogs.com)