SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College had five players named to the Coaches All-Southern Conference Team as announced by the league on Tuesday. In addition, Ameet Pall was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Pat Illig earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.
Earning first team honors from the Southern Conference Coaches were offensive lineman Pat Illig, running back Eric Breitenstein and defensive lineman Ameet Pall. Second team honors went to offensive lineman Clark Bishop and defensive back Tommy Irvin. In addition, freshman linebackers Mike McCrimon and James Zotto, along with kicker Kasey Redfern, earned All-Freshman Team honors.
Pall, a junior from Montreal, Quebec, anchored one of the top defensive units in all of FCS. He ranks fifth in the country in sacks (1.1 spg) and is seventh in the nation in tackles for loss (1.77 TFL/game). The Terriers gave up just 158 yards per game through the air in 2010 and held their opponents to just 127.4 yards on the ground. Wofford held its opponents to just 19.0 points per game this season. Pall was second on the team with 47 tackles, 19.5 of which were for loss. He tallied 12.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, forced two fumbles and recovered two more. He becomes the third Terrier to earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Matt Nelson (2003) and Katon Bethay (2005). Pall is also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, presented to the top defensive end in the NCAA.
Illig, a senior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named the league’s top blocker as he helped pave the way for the top rushing attack in the nation. Wofford led all FCS teams with 310.8 rushing yards per game. The Terriers averaged 30.8 points per game, the 22nd best mark in the nation. Wofford’s offense churned out 395.6 total yards per game which ranked 24th in the nation. Illig is the second Wofford player to earn the Jacobs Blocking trophy from the Southern Conference and third overall. He also earned first team honors in 2009.
Breitenstein, a junior from Valle Cruis, N.C., is the Southern Conference rushing leader with 123.55 yards per game, which also ranks seventh in the nation. He is also the conference scoring leader with 20 total touchdowns and his 10.91 points per game ranks second in the nation. On the season, he has 1,359 rushing yards, the second highest single season total in school history. His twenty touchdowns are the third most in season at Wofford and his six 100+ rushing games are also third in a season.
Clark Bishop, a senior from Leesburg, Ga., started all eleven games at right tackle and is third on the team in knockdowns. He was part of an offensive line that paved the way for an average of 310.82 rushing yards per game that is first in the nation. Bishop earned second team honors in 2009.
Irvin, a senior from Davidson, N.C., leads the team with four interceptions and is also the team leader with 51 tackles. His four interceptions are ranked sixth in the Southern Conference. Irvin also led the team in tackles in 2009 with 74.
McCrimon, a freshman from Center Hill, Florida, has started all eleven games at linebacker and is tied for second on the team with 47 tackles. He also has one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Zotto, a freshman from Libertyville, Illinois, has started two games at linebacker and played in all eleven. He has 38 tackles along with an interception. Redfern has kicked off for the Terriers in all eleven games with a 61.5 average and four touchbacks. He has also added 29 punts with a 36.2 average and five inside the twenty.
Appalachian State led all schools with 13 players selected to the all-conference team, including five first-team honorees. Georgia Southern and Chattanooga each placed seven on the all-conference team while Elon had six all-conference team members. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players in the voting process.
Other honors announced included Appalachian State’s DeAndre Presley was named the Offensive Player of the Year while head coach Jerry Moore was honored by his peers as the league’s Coach of the Year. Chattanooga defensive back Kadeem Wise was named the league’s Freshman of the Year.
