Eagles earn All C-USA Honors

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The 2011 Conference USA champion Southern Miss football team had 11 different players earn all-league honors in a vote by the league's head coaches and released by the commissioner's office in Irving, Texas, Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles, which boast an 11-2 record this season, had four different players make the first and second teams, while three other Southern Miss individuals collected All-Freshman honors.

Senior offensive lineman Lamar Holmes (Gastonia, N.C.), who helped lead the Golden Eagles to over 6,000 total yards for the first time in school history, was the lone first-team offensive representative for the team. On defense, senior defensive lineman Cordarro Law (Whitfield, Ala.) posted 17.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 7.5 sacks for the Golden Eagles, while senior defensive back Marquese Wheaton (Phoenix, Ariz.) registered three touchdowns, two interceptions and one blocked field goal return, in consecutive games to go along with 55 tackles to round out the first-team picks on that side of the ball.

Junior Tracy Lampley (Waynesboro, Miss.) was the lone first-team special teams recipient at punt returner as he tallied 29 returns for a 12.1 per punt average and one touchdown.

On the second team, senior quarterback Austin Davis (Meridian, Miss.) garnered the accolade along with Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne. Junior offensive lineman Joe Duhon (Lake Charles, La.) and senior offensive lineman Jason Weaver (New Orleans, La.) rounded out the second-team Golden Eagle offensive selections.

While Southern Miss did not have any defensive selections on the second team, senior Danny Hrapmann (New Orleans, La.) gained an honor for that squad at special teams.

Running back Jamal Woodyard (Fairhope, Ala.), along with defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez (Phenix City, Ala.) and defensive back Tray Becton-Martin (Eads, Tenn.) collected All-Freshman nods.

Seven Golden Eagles, wide receivers Ryan Balentine (Sr., Killeen, Texas), Kelvin Bolden (Sr., Ocean Springs, Miss.) and Lampley were honorable mention players on offense, while linebackers Jamie Collins (Jr., McCall Creek, Miss.) and Ronnie Thornton (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and defensive back Kendrick Presley (Sr., Kosciusko, Miss.) were defensive selections. Long snapper Creighton Nelms (Sr., Corinth, Miss.) earned special team honorable mention.

The Golden Eagles will play in their 10th consecutive bowl game later this month when they travel to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl to face WAC member Nevada (7-5) on Christmas Eve. The game will take place at 7 p.m., CT and be broadcast on the Southern Miss IMG Sports Network and as well as telecast on ESPN.