×

Six West Virginia University football players honored

Holgorsen named Region 4 Coach of the Year

 

MORGANTOWN — The Big 12 released its all-conference lists on Tuesday and several Mountaineers earned a spot on the league’s first two units.

Senior Tyler Orlosky, who was recently selected as one of the three finalists for the Rimington Trophy, was chosen as the 10-team conference’s starting center while junior Kyle Bosch earned a spot on the first team offense at guard and junior Shelton Gibson at all-purpose.

Earning a spot on the first team defense was senior cornerback Rasul Douglas, who is tied for the national lead in interceptions with eight, while junior college transfer Justin Crawford and senior guard Adam Pankey were named to the second team offense.

“Tyler Orlosky is the best center in the country,” West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said.

“He is smart, really smart. He understands things. I talk to him like he’s another coach. We have a great relationship, and we work well together.

“What he says matters, because he’s so experienced, and he studies film, he directs people and he knows how it’s supposed to look. He’s a leader, and the comfort of running the huddle and getting people together in a huddle and breaking that thing and getting up in the snap and all of that stuff that you really don’t have to worry about, he just makes sure it happens.”

Holgorsen, who received a contract extension following WVU’s 24-21 win over Baylor, also found his name on an award as the sixth-year leader of the Old Gold and Blue was named the District 4 Regional Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

West Virginia achieved a ninth 10-win season in the school’s 125th year of football, including being one of six WVU teams to achieve it during the regular season. Holgorsen is one of three Mountaineer coaches, along with Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez, to post multiple 10-win seasons. The seven Big 12 wins also are the most in a season, tying for second place in the standings, WVU’s highest finish.

The Old Gold and Blue has been ranked in both major polls for most of the 2016 season, spending time in the Top 10, and currently sitting at No.14 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 12 in the Amway Coaches’ Poll.

In the national rankings, WVU’s offense is currently ranked No. 12 in total offense, No. 13 in first down offense, No. 18 in rushing offense, No. 24 in passing yards per completion, No. 29 in pass efficiency and No. 30 in pass offense. Defensively, the Mountaineers’ rank No. 10 in turnovers gained, No. 19 in fumbles recovered, No. 23 in passes intercepted, No. 31 in turnover margin, No. 32 in pass efficiency defense and No. 36 in scoring defense.

WVU placed 10 players on the Big 12 All-Academic teams and 16 of the team’s 21 seniors will already have their degrees when they play the ACC’s Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game will be televised on ESPN at 5:30 p.m.

Earlier in the week Crawford and junior Marvin Gross Jr. earned spots on the Big 12’s Player of the Week list. Crawford was named as the league’s Newcomer of the Week after he rushed 28 times for 209 yards in the Mountaineers’ regular season ending, 24-21, win over Baylor. The junior college transfer finished with 1,168 yards on the season and posted his second game with more than 200 yards – the first Mountaineer to do that since Pat White and Steve Slaton both accomplished the feat twice in 2006.

Gross was selected as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with seven tackles, including three solo stops and two sacks, in the win over Baylor. Forced into the starting role after Kyzir White missed the game with a hand injury, the Baltimore, Maryland native created both a forced fumble and returned an interception 18 yards.

Contact Jim Butta via email at mountaineersman@outlook.com

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today