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The Mountain West announced its 2008 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners today as selected by the nine head coaches and media panel. Utah quarterback Brian Johnson was chosen as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes was named MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Utah place kicker/punter Louie Sakoda earned the MWC Special Teams Player of the Year award for the third straight season. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson was honored as MWC Freshman of the Year, while Kyle Whittingham of Utah was selected as the MWC Coach of the Year.
**OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR** | |
**BRIAN JOHNSON, SENIOR, QB, UTAH** | |
![](http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/mwc/graphics/brian-johnson.jpg) | - Johnson is Utah's second MWC Offensive Player of the Year (Alex Smith-2004). - Johnson is the seventh quarterback since the inception of the league to be named MWC Offensive Player of the Year. - Ranks second in the MWC and 17th nationally in pass efficiency (148.3). - Ranks fourth in the MWC and 43rd in the FBS in total offense (231.6). Also ranks fourth in the league and 40th nationally in passing yards per game (219.7). - Named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2008. - One of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award honoring the nation's top quarterback. - One of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, given to the nation's top quarterback by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. |
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR | |
JERRY HUGHES, JUNIOR, DE, TCU | |
- Hughes is TCU's first MWC Defensive Player of the Year.
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SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR | |
LOUIE SAKODA, SENIOR, PK/P, UTAH | |
- Sakoda is the MWC Special Teams Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. He is the first player in league history to garner a player of the year honor three straight times.
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FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR | |
TIM JEFFERSON, FRESHMAN, QB, AIR FORCE | |
- Jefferson is the first conference freshman of the year honoree in Air Force history.
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COACH OF THE YEAR | |
KYLE WHITTINGHAM, UTAH | |
- Selected as conference coach of the year for the first time in his career after leading Utah to a 12-0 regular season record and a perfect 8-0 mark in MWC play.
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NOTABLES | |
- Five student-athletes were repeat first-team all-Conference selections from 2007, including Utah punter Louie Sakoda, BYU offensive linemen Ray Feinga and Dallas Reynolds, tight end Dennis Pitta and defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen.
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**ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM** | |||
**Offense** | |||
**Pos.** | **Player** | **Cl.** | **School** |
QB | Brian Johnson | Sr. | Utah |
WR | Austin Collie | Jr. | BYU |
WR | Ryan Wolfe\* | Jr. | UNLV |
RB | Gartrell Johnson III | Sr. | Colorado State |
RB | Devin Moore | Sr. | Wyoming |
TE | Dennis Pitta\*# | Jr. | BYU |
OL | Ray Feinga\* | Sr. | BYU |
OL | Dallas Reynolds\* | Sr. | BYU |
OL | Blake Schlueter | Sr. | TCU |
OL | Zane Beadles | Jr. | Utah |
OL | Robert Conley | Sr. | Utah |
PK | Louie Sakoda | Sr. | Utah |
PR/KR | Jeremy Kerley | So. | TCU |
**Defense** | |||
**Pos.** | **Player** | **Cl.** | **School** |
DL | Jake Paulson | Sr. | Air Force |
DL | Jan Jorgensen\* | Jr. | BYU |
DL | Jerry Hughes# | Jr. | TCU |
DL | Paul Kruger | So. | Utah |
LB | Robert Henson | Sr. | TCU |
LB | Jason Phillips\* | Sr. | TCU |
LB | Ward Dobbs | Sr. | Wyoming |
DB | Glover Quin | Sr. | New Mexico |
DB | Brice McCain | Sr. | Utah |
DB | Stephen Hodge | Sr. | TCU |
DB | Sean Smith | Jr. | Utah |
P | Louie Sakoda\* | Sr. | Utah |
**\*--Two-Time First-Team Selection \#--Unanimous Selection** | |||
**ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM** | |||
**Offense** | |||
**Pos.** | **Player** | **Cl.** | **School** |
QB | Max Hall | Jr. | BYU |
WR | Rashaun Greer | Jr. | Colorado State |
WR | Freddie Brown | Sr. | Utah |
RB | Harvey Unga | So. | BYU |
RB | Rodney Ferguson | Sr. | New Mexico |
TE | Kory Sperry | Sr. | Colorado State |
OL | Nick Charles | Jr. | Air Force |
OL | Travis Bright | Sr. | BYU |
OL | Shelley Smith | Jr. | Colorado State |
OL | Erik Cook | Jr. | New Mexico |
OL | Marshall Newhouse | Jr. | TCU |
PK | Ryan Harrison | Sr. | Air Force |
PR/KR | Ian Clark | Jr. | New Mexico |
**Defense** | |||
**Pos.** | **Player** | **Cl.** | **School** |
DL | Cody Moore | Sr. | TCU |
DL | Matt Panfil | Sr. | TCU |
DL | Koa Misi | Jr. | Utah |
DL | John Fletcher | Jr. | Wyoming |
LB | David Nixon | Sr. | BYU |
LB | Jason Beauchamp | Jr. | UNLV |
LB | Stevenson Sylvester | Jr. | Utah |
DB | Chris Thomas | Jr. | Air Force |
DB | DeAndre Wright | Sr. | New Mexico |
DB | Steven Coleman | Sr. | TCU |
DB | Rafael Priest | Jr. | TCU |
P | Anthony Hartz | Jr. | Colorado State |
**HONORABLE MENTION** | |||
**Air Force:** | Chris Campbell, Jr., OL; Andrew Pipes, Sr., C; Reggie Rembert; So.; KR; Ken Lamendola, So., LB; Hunter Altman; Sr., LB. | ||
**BYU:** | C.J. Santiago, Sr., P; David Tafuna, Sr., DB. | ||
**Colorado State:** | Tim Walter, Jr., C; Jason Smith, Sr., PK; Ricky Brewer, So., LB, Mychal Sisson, Fr., LB. | ||
**New Mexico:** | Zach Arnett, Sr., LB; Herbert Felder, Sr., LB. | ||
**San Diego State:** | Russell Allen, Sr., LB; B.J. Williams, So., DE; Corey Boudreaux, Sr., DB. | ||
**TCU:** | Andy Dalton, So., QB; Jimmy Young, So., WR; Marcus Cannon, So., OL; Aaron Brown; Sr., KR; James Vess, Sr., NT; Nick Sanders; Jr., CB; Anson Kelton, Fr., P. | ||
**UNLV:** | Casey Flair, Sr., WR, Frank Summers, Sr., RB; Johan Asiata, Sr., OL; Malo Tuamua; So., DL. | ||
**Utah:** | Zane Taylor, So., OL; David Reed, Jr., KR; Greg Newman, Sr., DL; Mike Wright; Jr., LB. | ||
**Wyoming:** | Kyle Howard, Sr., OL; Mitch Unrein, Jr., DL; Tim Bond; Sr., C; Chris Prosinski, So., DB. | ||
**OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR** Brian Johnson, Sr., QB, Utah | |||
**DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR** Jerry Hughes, Jr., DE, TCU | |||
**SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR** Louie Sakoda, Sr., PK/P, Utah | |||
**FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR** Tim Jefferson, QB, Air Force | |||
**COACH OF THE YEAR** Kyle Whittingham, Utah |