Cobbs, Linberry Highlight Sun Belt All-Conference Selections

DENTON (12/06/05) Headlined by Patrick Cobbs and Dylan Lineberry, the North Texas football team placed eight players on the All-Sun Belt Conference teams.

Along with first-team selections for Cobbs and Lineberry, the Mean Green placed wide receiver Johnny Quinn, defensive lineman Jeremiah Chapman, linebacker Phillip Graves and safety Aaron Weathers to the second-team All-Sun Belt. Weathers also garnered Newcomer of the Year honors.

Linebacker Maurice Holman and place kicker Nick Bazaldua were named honorable mention.

Cobbs, the 2003 national rushing champion and Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the first-team for the second time in his career. The senior ran for 1,154 in 2005 to finish as North Texas’ all-time leading rusher. Cobbs posted the school-record for 100-yard rushing games with 21, and finishes his career tops in rushing touchdowns, yards and attempts.

But Cobbs couldn’t have done it without Lineberry, who paved the way for the second 1,000-yard rusher of his career in 2005. Lineberry graded out as the team’s top offensive lineman in 10 of the team’s 11 games and will return for his final year of eligibility next season. Lineberry also led the team with 133 knockdowns.

Weathers, the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, is already rewriting the record books for the Mean Green secondary. The sophomore recorded 133 tackles in 2005, the second most by a defensive back in the nation this season. His 10.3 tackles per game ranks him second overall in the Sun Belt and 19th in the nation, and is the most ever by a North Texas defensive back. Lineberry was named Newcomer of the Year in 2004.

Quinn, who has led the Mean Green in receiving the last three years, has at least one reception in 35 straight games. The streak encompasses every game of the junior’s career and ranks ninth among all Division I-A receivers. Quinn ranked third in the conference in receptions per game with 4.27 and fourth with 53.7 yards a game.

Chapman stepped into the starting role this season with much success. The sophomore finished fifth on the team with a career-best 61 tackles and a team-high nine tackles for loss and four sacks, second among Sun Belt defensive ends. Chapman started every game for the Mean Green, playing the final nine with an injured ankle.

Graves finished second on the team and among Sun Belt linebackers with a career-best 93 tackles. The junior registered seven tackles for loss and ranked first in the league with three fumble recoveries and second with two forced fumbles. Graves had three quarterback sacks and put up a career-best 16 tackles against UL-Monroe.

Holman posted a career high 86 tackles, 67 more than his freshman campaign last year. The sophomore’s 8.6 tackles per game ranks him fourth in the conference and 65^th in the nation. Holman provided one of the year’s biggest game-changing plays when he returned an interception 99 yards for the game tying touchdown in the win over Middle Tennessee.

Bazaldua, a Lou Groza watch list nominee, was nearly perfect from inside 40 yards. The senior hit 4-of-5 field goals from inside 40, with a blocked attempt against Louisiana State, the nation’s fifth ranked defense, the lone miss. Aside from that block, Bazaldua’s other misses were from an average of over 46 yards. The senior hit four field goals from beyond 40 yards in 2005, including a season long 50-yarder against LSU. Bazaldua also became North Texas’ and the Sun Belt’s all-time leading scorer this season, putting up 247 points in his career.

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