University of North Texas Athletics
NT Picked To Finish Fifth In C-USA West Division
7/17/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 17, 2013
DENTON, TX -
North Texas was picked to finish in fifth place in the West Division in Conference USA as the league announced its preseason all-conference awards and predicted order of finish today. Defending Conference USA champion Tulsa is the unanimous preseason favorite to win the West Division, and 2012 division co-champion East Carolina is favored to take the East Division crown.
"We know that we have our work cut out for us heading into a new league, and we have a lot of prove against some great teams that are in our division and our league," said North Texas head coach Dan McCarney.
Marshall and Middle Tennessee were the other schools to receive first place votes. Marshall junior QB Rakeem Cato was chosen as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Rice senior DB Phillip Gaines was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Tulane senior PK Cairo Santos earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors. North Texas did not place anyone on the preseason first-team.
The league's ninth annual championship game, pitting the champions of the East and West divisions, will be held Saturday, December 7.
The 2013 C-USA football season kicks off Thursday, August 29, with three non-conference games. All but one of the league's 14 teams are in action during opening weekend, with seven games scheduled to air on television.
North Texas opens the regular season on August 31 at 6 p.m. at home against the Idaho Vandals. The first Conference USA game for the Mean Green is against Tulane on October 5.
Offensive Player of the Year
Rakeem Cato, Jr., QB, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year
Phillip Gaines, Sr., DB, Rice
Special Teams Player of the Year
Cairo Santos, Sr., K, Tulane
First Team Offense
QB Rakeem Cato, Jr., Marshall
RB Vintavious Cooper, Sr., East Carolina
RB Darrin Reaves, Jr., UAB
OL Jake Alexander, Jr., Tulsa
OL Stetson Burnett, Sr., Tulsa
OL Scott Inskeep, Jr., UTSA
OL Nate Richards, Sr., Rice
OL Matt Shepperd, Jr., Louisiana Tech
OL Will Simmons, Sr., East Carolina
WR Justin Hardy, Jr., East Carolina
WR Ryan Grant, Sr., Tulane
WR Tommy Shuler, Jr., Marshall
TE Gator Hoskins, Sr., Marshall
First Team Defense
DL Christian Covington, So., Rice
DL Justin Ellis, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Greg Hickman, Sr., FIU
DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DL, Southern Miss
LB Shawn Jackson, Sr., Tulsa
LB Derrell Johnson, Sr., East Carolina
LB Andre Kirk, Jr., Florida Atlantic
DB Kevin Byard, So., Middle Tennessee
DB Lorenzo Doss, So., Tulane
DB Phillip Gaines, Sr., Rice
DB Marco Nelson, Sr., Tulsa
First Team Special Teams
K Cairo Santos, K, Tulane
P Tyler Williams, P, Marshall
KR Reggie Whatley, Jr., Middle Tennessee
PR Trey Watts, Sr., Tulsa
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
EAST DIVISION Pts
1. East Carolina (11) 95
2. Marshall (2) 82
3. Middle Tennessee (1) 70
4. UAB 54
5. Southern Miss 40
6. Florida Atlantic 28
7. FIU 23
WEST DIVISION Pts
1. Tulsa (14) 98
2. Rice 76
3. Louisiana Tech 72
4. UTEP 46
5. North Texas 39
6. Tulane 31
7. UTSA 30
