Dec. 8, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - Four UCF football players, Jarvis Geathers (Andrews, S.C.), Cory Hogue (Naples, Fla.), Bruce Miller (Canton, Ga.) and Jah Reid (Haines City, Fla.) were named to the All-Conference USA First Team on Tuesday in a vote of the league's 12 coaches.
The four first team coaches picks matches the 2007 UCF team for the most in school history. The four first team selections also ties for second-most in the league this year as well.
A total of 12 different Knights earned recognition from the league today after an 8-4 season, including a 6-2 mark in conference play. The Knights placed second in a very competitive East Division and will represent C-USA on Dec. 19 in the St. Petersburg Bowl against BIG EAST entrant Rutgers. For ticket information, head to UCFBowl.com.
Major award winners will be announced by the league on Wednesday at noon.
In addition to UCF's four first-team picks, Josh Robinson (Sunrise, Fla.) and Torrell Troup (Conyers, Ga.) both earned a spot on the all-conference second team. Robinson becomes the first freshman to be named all-conference by the coaches on defense since 2005 when UCF's own Joe Burnett was named to the first-team.
Five Knights, Derrick Hallman (Fort Pierce, Fla.), Brynn Harvey (Largo, Fla.), Brett Hodges (Winter Springs, Fla.), Charley Hughlett (Tampa, Fla.) and Lawrence Young (Pensacola, Fla.) received honorable mention all-conference status.
Theo Goins (Houston, Texas) and Robinson were named to the freshman all-conference team.
Geathers, Miller and Hogue are all key components of C-USA's top total, rushing and scoring defense while also helping the Knights top the league in both sacks and tackles for loss. Miller ranks fifth in the nation in sacks this year and first in C-USA while Geathers ranks ninth and second, respectively. Hogue's 11.5 tackles for loss this year are fifth in the conference and, with 99 tackles this season, is on the verge of becoming the first UCF linebacker to break the century mark since Antoine Poe in 2003. Reid has improved his blocking ability as the team's right tackle and has helped the offense improve from 2,754 yards of total offense in 2008 to 4,176 thus far in 2009.
Although his numbers at defensive tackle are not as high, Troup's role eating double teams allowing others to roam free is equally important and has not gone unnoticed by NFL scouts. Rarely single-blocked, Troup has made 32 tackles on the year, including five TFLs and a pair of sacks with four pass-breakups and three forced hurries. Robinson has had a breakthrough second half to his true freshman season, making six interceptions in UCF's last eight games. Robinson leads all true freshmen nationally in interceptions and passes defended and has made 65 tackles as well.
Hallman has transitioned from linebacker to safety and back to linebacker over the course of the past year and done so seamlessly at every step. He is second on the team with 79 tackles. Harvey has posted the eighth 1,000-yard rushing season in UCF history as he has gained 1,077 yards on the ground on 248 carries with 14 touchdowns, tying for second in a single season in UCF lore.
Hodges, who transferred from Wake Forest for his senior year, has posted a 7-2 record as UCF's starting quarterback and 6-1 in C-USA action. His completion percentage of 61.1-percent ranks amongst the best seasonal totals in UCF history. Hughlett was named to the C-USA All-freshman team at long snapper last year and had another solid campaign in 2009, snapping for all of UCF's punts and placement kicks. Young has 10 TFLs to his credit this year at linebacker and is third on the Knights with 73 total tackles.
Goins has shown great promise as a redshirt freshman, earning a starting spot in each of UCF's final four games at right guard and helping the team to three victories in that time.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.