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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Louie Sakoda was voted the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight year to lead Utah's 2007 all-conference contingent. Sakoda, who was named a Rivals.com first-team All-America kicker last week, was also chosen as the league's first-team punter and its second-team kicker.
Joining Sakoda (the punter) on the first team were senior defensive lineman Martail Burnett and senior defensive back Steve Tate. All three are first-time first-team honorees after making the honorable mention team a year ago, when Sakoda was named the co-MWC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Utah placed six players in addition to Sakoda (the place-kicker) on the second team. Earning second-team all-MWC honors for the offense were junior running back Darrell Mack, junior offensive lineman Robert Conley and sophomore OL Zane Beadles. Defenders earning second-team acclaim were senior defensive lineman Gabe Long and junior defensive back Brice McCain. Senior punt returner Derrek Richards was the league's second-team return specialist.
Richards was also an honorable mention receiver. Others earning honorable mention recognition were sophomore defensive back Robert Johnson, freshman defensive lineman Paul Kruger and sophomore linebacker Stevenson Sylvester.
The all-conference teams are determined by a vote of the league's head coaches and a media panel. Utah led the all-conference voting with a total of 10 first- and second-team selections.