Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of South Alabama Athletics

Navigation Curve divider
#OURCITY
shavarez smith-ucambre williams

Football

USA HAS SIX EARN SECOND-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT FOOTBALL HONORS

NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Alabama football program had six individuals receive second-team all-Sun Belt Conference recognition — and a total of 11 student-athletes recognized — Wednesday with the release of the league's annual postseason awards.

The two Jaguars honored on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Shavarez Smith and lineman Ucambre Williams, repeated as second-team all-conference selections.  Terrell Brigham, Maleki Harris, Jerome McClain and Theo Rich also picked up second-team accolades, while Montell Garner, Jesse Kelley, Chris May and Melvin Meggs were chosen honorable mention all-SBC.  Braedon Bowman was named to the conference's All-Newcomer Team as well.

A 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of McDonough, Ga., Smith ranks among both the league and national leaders in yards per game and touchdowns after catching 50 passes — tying his own school season standard — for 714 yards and eight scores.  The senior matched the school game record with two touchdown receptions against both Appalachian State and Navy, and also equaled his own mark with touchdown catches in three straight games after scoring against the Mountaineers, Georgia State and Troy to help USA to league wins against each team, while both his 100-yard receiving games came in conference contests, recording a season-best 133 at Appalachian State and 116 on a season-high eight catches at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Williams, who hails from Phenix City, Ala., paces the Jaguars with an overall grade of 90 percent this year while being credited with 45 knockdown blocks; he has not allowed a sack all season and earned a grade of 89 percent or higher in eight of his 10 appearances.  The senior — who stands 6-foot-3, 295 pounds — earned the coaches' award a season-best three times, following wins over Appalachian State, Troy and Texas State, and also claimed the program's "War Daddy" honor after USA's defeat of Georgia State.  Williams received a 94 percent mark and posted a season-high 10 pancake blocks in the Troy game, grading out at 92 percent at Appalachian State and 91 percent against GSU.

Brigham, a 6-foot, 190-pound Waynesboro, Ga., resident, tops USA with a career-high 101 tackles, the fourth-highest season total in program history — it includes 3½ stops for loss — and has been credited with seven passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.  After pacing the Jaguars in tackles on seven occasions and recording five outings with 10 or more stops, the senior safety enters the postseason tied for second in the SBC in fumble recoveries, tied for fifth in stops per game and among the top 15 in passes defended.  He recorded a career-high 12 tackles to lead the Jaguars in their win over Texas State — the team's sixth of the year, clinching bowl eligibility — and was credited with 11 stops against conference champion Georgia Southern.

Harris has forced four fumbles and recovered three, leading the Sun Belt and ranking among the top 10 nationally in both categories, to go along with a career-best 77 total tackles — which includes six behind the line — and six passes defensed.  The 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Cordova, Ala., has posted 10-plus tackles three times this fall, including a career-high 14 with one behind the line and two forced fumbles against Mississippi State to earn SBC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.  He was credited with 10 stops, with two of those for loss, and had an interception against Georgia Southern, and also collected 10 tackles in the regular-season finale against Navy to share-team high honors.

A 6-foot-3, 290-pound lineman from Pensacola, Fla., McClain has recorded a career-best 47 total stops, which includes three behind the line of scrimmage and 2½ sacks, as a senior this season.  He finished with a career-best eight tackles in the regular season finale against Navy, surpassing his previous high of six set against Mississippi State; McClain also recovered a fumble and was credited with two quarterback hurries against the Bulldogs, who would go on to climb to No. 1 in the national polls.  McClain had a high of five stops in league play against Georgia Southern, collecting four tackles in wins over Texas State and Troy as well.

In first year as a starter, Rich leads USA with 12 tackles for loss including eight sacks — setting the school season record in the latter category while ranking fifth in the former — and has been credited with five quarterback hurries and two passes defensed.  The senior lineman, who is 6-foot-2, 270 pounds and hails from Portal, Ga., stands third in the Sun Belt in sacks and ninth in stops for loss, and has posted a total of 41 stops on the year.  He set a Jaguar game record with 3½ sacks among his career-best eight tackles in a win over Georgia State, collected 2½ stops behind the line including a sack among his five total tackles in a defeat of Troy the following week and recorded four stops against Mississippi State, with two of those for loss including a sack.

The four honored defenders are part of a unit that ranks second in the league in points allowed, and is in the top five against the run, pass and in total defense; the Jaguars are also second in scoring defense, third in total defense and fourth against the run in Sun Belt games.

Garner, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back from Dallas, Texas, has recorded a career-high 52 tackles, defended 10 total passes and forced two fumbles his senior season, standing tied for third in the SBC in passes defended per game.  The only Jaguar with more than one interception this fall — he also leads the team with eight passes broken up — collected a career-high nine tackles, with one behind the line, and broke up a pass at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Kelley leads USA's defensive linemen with a career-high 54 total tackles, which includes 6½ for loss and five sacks, and has also broken up two passes and forced a fumble; the senior from Birmingham, Ala., stands sixth in the Sun Belt in sacks and among the top 20 in tackles behind the line in league games.  The 5-foot-10, 275-pounder recorded career-high nine stops in the regular-season finale against Navy, while in the Jags' win over Texas State he posted eight tackles including career highs with 2½ stops for loss and a pair of sacks.

A 6-foot-3, 305-pound native of Petal, Miss., Meggs has an 87 percent grade this year with 53 knockdown blocks, the highest total on the team, while allowing just one sack on 375 pass attempts.  The senior — who has started all 12 contests — earned a mark of 89 percent or better after six of the Jaguars' last eight outings, including posting a grade of at least 90 percent on five occasions; he was given the coaches' award after the Jags' win over Kent State and received "War Daddy" honors following the team's first Sun Belt win at Idaho.

May also has started all 12 games this fall, earning a season grade of 84 percent while recording 41 knockdown blocks.  The junior —who hails from Tuscumbia, Ala., and is 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds — was credited with his best marks of the season after receiving a 93 percent mark and recording 11 pancakes on just 65 snaps in a win over Texas State, also grading out at 90 percent following USA's victory over Troy and earning the coaches' award after the Georgia State win with a grade of 89 percent.

Bowman, a junior-college transfer, was selected to the All-Newcomer Team after catching 18 passes for 234 yards in 11 games.  Prior to suffering a season-ending injury on his only reception at South Carolina, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound tight end from Mesa, Ariz., had multiple receptions in three straight games including recording career highs with four catches for 81 yards to help the Jags defeat Texas State.

Louisiana-Lafayette's Elijah McGuire was named the Sun Belt Player and Offensive Player of the Year, with David Mayo of Texas State chosen the Defensive Player of the Year and Appalachian State's Taylor Lamb voted the Newcomer of the Year.  Willie Fritz of Georgia Southern was the league's Coach of the Year.

USA will face Bowling Green in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl to close out the 2014 campaign.  The Jaguars and Falcons will kick off at 8:15 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., with the contest slated to be televised nationally on ESPN.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—

 
Print Friendly Version