%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
DALLAS -- Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch has been chosen as SBC Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career, and head coach Frank Solich of the Huskers has been chosen as SBC Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second time in three years among individual football honors announced Saturday in voting by Big 12 Conference head coaches.
Recipients of the top players and outstanding coach in 2001 include Crouch, Solich, Defensive Player of the Year strong safety Roy Williams of Oklahoma, Offensive Newcomer of the Year quarterback Seneca Wallace of Iowa State, Defensive Newcomer of the Year nose tackle Tank Reese of Kansas State, Offensive Freshman of the Year running back Cedric Benson of Texas, and Defensive Co-Freshmen of the Year defensive tackle Tommie Harris of Oklahoma and linebacker Derrick Johnson of Texas.
Crouch set several NCAA milestones, which will hard to duplicate in the near future. The 6-1, 200-pound senior from Omaha, Neb., repeated his 2001 SBC Co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year laurels (with Texas QB Major Applewhite) while rushing for a NCAA-most 59 career touchdowns by a quarterback. Crouch also became just the third QB in Division I-A history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards. He went over the 1,000-yard rushing (1,115) and 1,000-yard passing mark (1,610) for the '01 season and became the 11th all-time major college standout to accomplishment this one-year feat. One of the top option quarterbacks in NU history, he is ranked among the Top 12 in Big 12 career categories of scoring (second with 368 points, most ever by a college quarterback, sixth-highest NCAA DIA point total by a non-kicker), total touchdowns (second with 61 TDs, 59 rushing, two receiving), rushing (fourth with 3,434 yards-most ever by a Big 12 QB), passing (seventh with 4,481 yards), total offense (first with 7,555 yards), and even all-purpose running yards (10th with 3,567). He has a 35-6 mark (fourth-most wins in DIA annals in this position) as Nebraska's starting QB.
Williams has been one of the most decorated defenders in the country in 2001. The first team All-America selection both in 2000 and '01 is a finalist both for the Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski Awards after dominating the defensive side for the 10-2 Sooners, runnerup in the Big 12 South Division title race. The 6-1, 221-pound junior strong safety provided a leaping tip of an attempted pass by Texas QB Chris Simms, and the deflection resulted in the game-clinching TD interception in the Sooners' 14-3 win over the Longhorns. Williams also had five pass interceptions in his first nine games this year and led Oklahoma to its second 10-win season in succession and 26th in school history. Thanks to his school-career-record 28 tackles for loss, 90 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries at the 12-game mark in the current season, the Sooners are 23-2 in their last 25 contests.
Solich, who also was chosen by his peers as Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 during his second season at the NU helm, helped the Huskers hold down the No. 1 national in the Bowl Championship Series ratings and wire service/coaches' polls for much of the season. His guidance helped Nebraska post an 11-1 mark and co-title in the Big 12 North Division at 7-1 in Big 12 play with Colorado. He also paced NU to its NCAA-record 33rd consecutive season with nine wins and to a current-national-high 33rd straight bowl appearance. Nebraska has appeared in a national Associated Press poll every week since he took the helm prior to the 1998 season, and he began his head coaching career with a 42-8 record (.840) from 1998-01 with four bowl trips in four seasons. The Huskers' mentor is 10-7 against Top 25 teams at time of kickoff and 32-1 against unranked squads since '98. He was an NU assistant coach from 1979-97 and played fullback for the Huskers from 1963-65.
Wallace began his Division I-A playing career with a bang by leading the Cyclones to a 7-4 mark in the regular season and possible consecutive bowl berth for the first time at ISU since 1977 and '78. The 6-1, 184-pound junior college transfer from Sacramento, Calif., helped the Cyclones roll to a 5-1 start and opened at QB in the team's first 11 contests. He was 167-for-269 passing in his initial season at Iowa State for 2,044 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Wallace was in the Top 40 nationally in passing efficiency for most of the season while he also was third in Big 12 total offense after 11 contests with 2,519 yards, including 475 yards rushing and seven ground TDs.
Reese, though one of the shorter defensive linemen in the Big 12 at 5-11, 280 pounds, and a transfer from Auburndale, Fla., made up for any perceived lack of height with 49 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, six QB hurries, and a prominent role in the Wildcats' rugged defense. His sound play at nose tackle helped the Wildcats remain among the Top Five nationally in team rushing defense and total defense throughout the campaign.
UT's Benson had the second-highest seasonal rushing total every by a Texas freshman behind future 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams with 990 in 1995. The 6-0, 200-pound true freshman running back from Midland, Texas, ran for 974 yards on 210 carries in 10 games for Texas and helped coach Mack Brown's squad go 10-1 at the 11-game juncture for its most wins since the 1995 season. He climbed into the league's Top Five in individual rushing in November and had the decisive two rushing touchdowns in Texas' 21-7 key victory at Texas A&M. The standout RB joined Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year Johnson in pacing UT to its third Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship since 1996.
Harris made similar headlines in his true freshman season at Oklahoma as a 6-3, 280-pound freshman DT from Killeen, Texas. The OU standout was the only true freshman member of the All-Big 12 coaches' first team and had a solid hand in the team's 25 quarterback sacks (he had 13 TFLs, tops among Big 12 first-year players) and NCAA Division I-A rating of third or better for most of the 2001 season. Johnson, a 6-4, 215-pound true freshman from Waco, Texas, was the leading yearling tackler in the Big 12 with 78 total tackles (53 unassisted) and five quarterback sacks for the 10-1 Longhorns. He also assisted in making the Longhorns one of the nation's Top Three squads all year long in total defense and rushing defense.
2000 Honors -- Player of the Year-Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma; Defensive Player-Casey Hampton, DT, Texas; Coach of the Year-Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Offensive Newcomer-Robert Ferguson, WR, Texas A&M; Defensive Newcomer-Derrick Yates, DB, Kansas State; Offensive Freshman-Roy Williams, WR, Texas; Defensive Freshman-Terry Pierce, LB, Kansas State.
1999 Honors -- Offensive Co-Players of the Year-Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska; Major Applewhite, QB, Texas; Defensive Player-Mark Simoneau, LB, Kansas State; Coach of the Year-Frank Solich, Nebraska; Offensive Newcomer-Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma; Defensive Newcomer-Mario Fatafehi, DT, Kansas State; Offensive Freshman-Shaud Williams, RB, Texas Tech; Defensive Freshman-Cory Redding, DT, Texas.
1998 Honors -- Offensive Player of the Year-Ricky Williams, RB, Texas; Defensive Player-Dat Nguyen, LB, Texas A&M; Coach of the Year-Bill Snyder, Kansas State; Offensive Newcomer of the Year-Mike Moschetti, QB, Colorado; Defensive Newcomer-Jesse Beckom, LB, Iowa State; Offensive Freshman of the Year-Major Applewhite, QB, Texas; Defensive Player-Justin Smith, DE, Missouri.
1997 Honors -- Offensive Player of the Year--Ricky Williams, RB, Texas; Defensive Player--Grant Wistrom, Rush End, Nebraska; Coach of the Year--Bob Simmons, Oklahoma State; Offensive Newcomer of the Year--Michael Bishop, QB, Kansas State; Defensive Newcomer--Jeff Kelly, LB, Kansas State; Offensive Freshman of the Year--Tony Lindsay, QB, Oklahoma State; Defensive Freshman of the Year--Ben Kelly, DB-KR, Colorado.
1996 Honors -- Offensive Player of the Year-Troy Davis, RB, Iowa State; Defensive Player--Grant Wistrom, Rush End, Nebraska; Coach of the Year-Spike Dykes, Texas Tech; Offensive Newcomer of the Year-Scott Frost, QB, Nebraska; Defensive Newcomer-Gana Joseph, DB, Oklahoma; Offensive Freshman of the Year-De'Mond Parker, RB, Oklahoma; Defensive Freshman of the Year-Mark Simoneau, LB, Kansas State.