Eagles named to C-USA Preseason Football Team

Southern Miss players, Damion Fletcher, Gerald McRath and Ryan McKee, have been named to the preseason Conference USA football team while the Golden Eagles have been picked to finish third in the East Division in a vote by the league's 12 coaches and released Wednesday by the league office.

Two of the Golden Eagles, Fletcher and McRath, notched preseason Player of the Year accolades. Fletcher, a junior running back from Biloxi, Miss., grabbed offensive honors, while McRath, a redshirt junior linebacker from Power Springs, Ga., nabbed the defensive nod. McKee, a senior from Spanish Fort, Ala., got acknowledged by the league's coaches after earning second team honors last fall by the same voting group.

Fletcher, the 2007 Cellular South Conerly Trophy winner for the top collegiate football player in the state of Mississippi, needs 26 yards in 2008 to become only the fourth Southern Miss player to reach 3,000 rushing yards for his career.

McRath, who is the eighth Southern Miss defensive player to notch the league's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2007 over the league's 12-year history, is looking for his third straight 100-plus tackle season this year.

McKee returns to anchor the offensive line for the Golden Eagles as he leads that group in current consecutive starts at 27.

UCF, whose Joe Burnett was tabbed as the preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, has been chosen the top team in the East Division, followed by East Carolina, the Golden Eagles, Memphis, Marshall and UAB. Tulsa has been picked to win the West, followed by Houston, UTEP, Rice, SMU and Tulane.

Conference USA

Predicted Order of Finish

East

1. UCF 67

2. East Carolina 60

3. Southern Miss 49

4. Memphis 36

5. Marshall 27

6. UAB 13

West

1. Tulsa 72

2. Houston 59

3. UTEP 42

4. Rice 32

5. SMU 29

6. Tulane 18

2008 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year

Damion Fletcher, RB, Southern Miss

Defensive Player of the Year

Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss

Special Teams Player of the Year

Joe Burnett, PR, UCF

First Team Offense

QB Chase Clement, Sr., Rice

RB Tarrion Adams, Sr., Tulsa

RB Damion Fletcher, Jr., Southern Miss

OL Patrick Brown, Sr., UCF

OL Robby Felix, Sr., UTEP

OL Ryan McKee, Sr., Southern Miss

OL Doug Palmer, Jr., East Carolina

OL Brandon Pearce, Sr., Memphis

WR Duke Calhoun, Jr., Memphis

WR Jarett Dillard, Sr., Rice

WR Brennan Marion, Sr., Tulsa

WR Jeff Moturi, Jr., UTEP

TE Cody Slate, Jr., Marshall

First Team Defense

DL Albert McClellan, Sr., Marshall

DL Moton Hopkins, Sr., Tulsa

DL Philip Hunt, Sr., Houston

DL Zach Slate, Sr., East Carolina

DL C.J. Wilson, Jr., East Carolina

LB Joe Henderson, Sr., UAB

LB Gerald McRath, Jr., Southern Miss

LB Brian Raines, Sr., Rice

DB Will Dunbar, Sr., UAB

DB Kenneth Fontenette, Sr., Houston

DB Andrew Sendejo, Jr., Rice

DB C.J. Spillman, Sr., Marshall

First Team Special Teams

K Jose Martinez, Sr., UTEP

P Thomas Morstead, Sr., SMU

KR Darius Marshall, So., Marshall

PR Joe Burnett, Sr., UCF