Clay, Marshall Nab Second-Team Honors
12/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 7, 2004
HOUSTON, Texas - Senior defensive end Joe Clay and junior wide receiver Vincent Marshall today were named to the All-Conference USA Second Team, as announced by the league office in Dallas.
Joining Clay and Marshall on the all-league squad were senior offensive tackle Phil Hawkins, senior cornerback Stanford Routt and junior defensive tackle Kade Lane, who all were named to the C-USA Third Team. The Cougars also placed four members on the All-Freshman team, including offensive linemen Byron Alfred and SirVincent Rogers, as well as wide receiver Donnie Avery and strong safety Rocky Schwartz.
A Second-Team selection last season, Clay led the Cougars with eight sacks and 17 tackles for losses despite missing one game with a knee injury. Clay finished the year with 62 total tackles, including 37 unassisted and four pass breakups.
As for Marshall, he set a career highs in both receptions (61) and yards (1,040) and was just one of two Conference USA receivers with 1,000 yards receiving in 2004. Marshall racked up six 100-yard receiving games last season, including a career-best 190 yards on just four catches against Southern Miss.
Hawkins and Routt closed out their careers this season with a pair of first-time appearance on an all-conference team. Hawkins started all 11 games at left tackle for the Cougars and was one of the top UH offensive players in 2004. A multiple All-American in track, Routt was one of the league's top corners last season, starting all 11 games for Houston. Routt finished the year with a team-best eight pass breakups as well as two interceptions. He also racked up 60 total tackles, including an incredible 53 unassisted.
A starter in 35 straight games, Lane has been the model of consistency since stepping into the starting lineup in 2002 as a true freshman. Lane, a member of the All-Freshman Team two seasons ago, finished the year with 52 total tackles, including five for losses and three sacks.
The future does look bright for the Cougars, as their four picks to the C-USA All-Freshmen Team were tied for most with East Carolina. Avery started every game for UH last season and hauled in 18 passes for 293 yards and two scores. He also posted a 19.1 kickoff return average. Schwartz stepped right into the UH starting lineup against Rice and finished the season with the most tackles of any Cougar defensive back. Schwartz racked up 83 total tackles, including five for losses and one sack, and had three interceptions on the season.
Finally, the offensive line tandem of Alfred and Rogers give the Cougars two solid returnees in 2005. Alfred started the first 10 games of the season before suffering an injury against UAB and missed the season finale against Louisville. As for Rogers, he was scheduled to redshirt in 2004 but was thrust into the starting lineup against nationally-ranked Miami (Fla.) and started the final eight games.
