Keenum, Cleveland Highlight Cougar Conference Honorees
12/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Houston, Texas - Record-setting Houston quarterback Case Keenum, his top receiver, James Cleveland, and electrifying return man Tyron Carrier were named First Team All-Conference USA as announced by the league office in Irving, Texas.
Houston also placed a pair of senior defenders, cornerback Brandon Brinkley and defensive end Tyrell Graham, as well as junior offensive tackle Jarve Dean, sophomore wide receiver Patrick Edwards and sophomore linebacker Marcus McGraw on the C-USA Second Team.
The reigning Football Bowl Subdivision leader in total offense, Keenum leads the nation again in the total offense (429.3 yards per game), as well as passing (419.2 ypg.) and touchdown passes (43) and has guided the Cougars to a national ranking in 2009, while setting several UH and C-USA records along the way.
A six-time recipient of the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week this season, the junior native of Abilene, Texas, is a finalist for three major awards: Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, The Manning Award and the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Player of the Year. Keenum¬-who has thrown for more than 300 yards in 12 of 13 games this season, including four games with 500-plus yards-was named yesterday the winner of the Sammy Baugh Award, which honors the nation's top passing quarterback.
As for Cleveland, a junior from Baytown, Texas, he led the Cougars in receiving with 101 receptions for 1,182 yards and 14 touchdowns despite missing the last two regular season games versus Memphis and Rice with an ankle injury. Cleveland posted five 100-yard receiving games and topped off the season with 19 catches for 241 yards and three scores in the C-USA Championship game at East Carolina.
Cleveland became just the sixth player in UH history to top the century mark in single-season receptions and the first since Sherman Smith had 103 in 1992. His receiving yards ranks eighth-best all-time, while his 19 receptions in the title game tied the school record set by Manny Hazard twice in 1989 against TCU and Texas.
Carrier etched his name in the Houston record books and was named to the C-USA First Team in the process, as the sophomore from Houston returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and led the league in kickoff return average at 27.5 yards per return. Carrier has touchdown returns of 92 yards versus SMU, 98 at Tulsa and 99 versus Rice in the season finale.
He has a school-record four kickoff return touchdowns in his two-year career.
Dean stepped into a starting role on the Cougar offensive line and showed no signs of struggle in his first season at Houston, anchoring an offensive unit that leads the nation in total offense (581.2 ypg.) and passing yards (450.0 ypg.) and second in scoring at 43.9 points per game. Dean and the Cougar offense posted at least 500 yards of total offense in 10 of 13 games, including 750 yards against Southern Miss and 695 at Tulsa.
One of the comeback stories of the year, Edwards returned from the horrifying broken leg suffered on national television at Marshall last season and recorded a career-high 81 catches for 985 yards and five touchdowns. He posted 100-yard receiving games against both SMU and Tulsa and enters the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl ranked 26th in the nation with 6.23 receptions per game.
For the second straight season, McGraw leads the Cougars in tackles, racking up 133 total stops, including 65 unassisted and eight for losses. He also recorded four sacks, five pass breakups and a team-best three forced fumbles. McGraw's average of 10.23 tackles per game ranks him 14th in the nation. With just seven tackles against Air Force in last year's bowl game, McGraw will break into the UH top 10 for tackles in a season.
As for Brinkley and Graham, both are wrapping up their senior seasons in fine fashion, grabbing accolades along the way. Brinkley was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception performance in leading the Cougars to a 31-24 win at Mississippi State on Oct. 10. He finished the season with 73 total tackles, 12 pass break ups and four interceptions.
In his first full season as a starter, Graham finished as the Houston team leader in sacks with seven, while racking 10.5 tackles for losses and 58 total stops. Graham also had four pass break ups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
The Cougars also had three players attain honorable mention status: Carrier as a wide receiver, as well as a pair of offensive linemen, senior center Carl Barnett and sophomore guard Chris Thompson.
Conference USA also announced the C-USA All-Freshman Team, and the Cougars were represented by four freshmen on this list. Running back Charles Sims led the way, rushing for 632 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 64 catches for 702 yards and an additional score. Sims registered two 100-yard receiving games and one 100-yard rushing output this season.
Two UH defenders also were named to the all-freshman squad, defensive end Zeke Riser and linebacker Phillip Steward. A starter in all 13 games, Riser has recorded 31 total tackles this season, including 3.5 for losses as well as 2.5 sacks, two pass break ups and two fumble recoveries.
Stepping in for injured linebackers Matt Nicholson and Kris Johnston, Steward started the final eight games of the season and has recorded 84 total tackles, including four for losses.
The final freshman is kicker Matt Hogan. Hogan took over the kicking chores midway through the season and nailed all 10 of his field-goal attempts this season, including a 51-yarder as time expired in the Cougars' improbable 46-45 win at Tulsa on Nov. 7. He enters the bowl game with Air Force tied for second on the team with 66 points.
The No. 25 Cougars travel to Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 31, to face Air Force in a rematch of last season's Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
