C-USA Football: Seven National Award Semifinalists

DALLAS –Conference USA has seven semifinalists for six different national awards, it was announced when the majority of the members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) released its semifinalists on Monday afternoon. Six different C-USA schools are represented among the semifinalists.

BILETNIKOFF AWARD (Top Receiver)
Jaelon Darden, Sr., WR, North Texas
North Texas senior WR Jaelon Darden was named as one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Monday. Darden is having a career-year for the Mean Green and has led the nation wire-to-wire in receiving touchdowns. The Houston native has caught 66 passes (ranks fifth in FBS) for 1,017 yards (ranks sixth in FBS) and 15 touchdowns (tied for the national lead) in just eight games. Darden has five games with 100-plus yards and two with 200-plus yards, while posting three games with three receiving scores (most in FBS). His average of 8.2 catches per game ranks sixth in FBS, his 127.1 receiving yards per game rank fifth in FBS and his 1.9 receiving touchdowns per game leads the nation.

DOAK WALKER AWARD (Top Running Back)
Sincere McCormick, So., RB, UTSA
UTSA sophomore RB Sincere McCormick has been named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Monday. McCormick is one of 10 semifinalists for the award that recognizes the nation’s premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community. A product of Converse Judson High School, McCormick leads Conference USA and stands second in the nation with a UTSA-record 1,345 rushing yards through 10 games. A 2019 Freshman All-American, he has scored a school-record 11 rushing touchdowns, which puts him second in C-USA and 11th in the FBS, on 22 carries — also a UTSA record — and he is averaging 6.0 yards per carry and 134.5 yards per contest in 2020. He has 31 runs of 10-or-more yards, including 16 of 20-plus yards and four that have gone for 50-plus yards, and he has gained 748 yards after contact. A four-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, McCormick has topped 100 yards on the ground six times this fall and owns the top two and five of the top 10 rushing performances in the conference this season.

LOU GROZA AWARD (Top Placekicker)
Jacob Barnes, R-Fr., K, Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech redshirt freshman kicker/punter Jacob Barnes has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2020 Lou Groza National Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Monday. Barnes, a native of Baton Rouge, La., has earned both Conference USA and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice this season. He opened the 2020 campaign with eight straight made field goals which was the most makes to open a season by a Bulldog since Matt Nelson in 2012. Barnes made four field goals in the loss at UTSA (Oct. 24) to become the only C-USA kicker and one of 20 kickers in the nation to have made four field goals in a single-game this season. He also made the game-winning 35-yard field in the double overtime victory over UAB (Oct. 31). Barnes is currently 10-for-11 in field goals this season, including a career-long 51 yarder against Houston Baptist (Sept. 26). He has not missed an extra point attempt this season as he is 32-for-32 in PATs, including a career-high 9-for-9 against Houston Baptist (Sept. 26).

Hunter Duplessis, Sr., K, UTSA
Duplessis is the second Roadrunner to earn a spot in the Lou Groza Award’s semifinalist list, joining two-time honoree Jared Sackett (2017, ’18). The San Antonio Cole High School product is one of five kickers on this year’s list to have made at least 15 field goals while connecting at a rate of 80% or better. A weapon with his right leg all season, Duplessis has made 16 of 18 field goals and 37 of 38 extra points. His 16 field goals lead C-USA and rank fourth among all FBS kickers, while he stands second in the conference and 22nd nationally in field goals per game (1.45) and third in the league and 14th in the country in field-goal percentage (.889). He has scored a UTSA single-season-record 85 total points in 2020, good for second in C-USA and 14th in the nation. Duplessis, who also was a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy, made his first 14 field-goal attempts this season and his final nine in 2019, carrying an FBS-best streak of consecutive field goals made for five weeks this fall before it was snapped at 23 with a block against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24.

Hayden Narveson, R-So., K, WKU
Narveson is the first Hilltopper to make the Lou Groza Award semifinalist list since Garrett Schwettman in 2015. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native is a stellar 13-of-14 on field goal tries this season and 24-of-24 on extra point attempts. Among FBS kickers who have attempted 10-plus field goal tries this season, Narveson is tied for third with a 92.9% connection rate. Only BYU’s John Oldroyd (11-of-11) and Alabama’s Will Reichard (10-of-10) have been perfect, while Nevada’s Brandon Talton has also made 13-of-14 three-pointers. Twice this season, Narveson has been named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the week, including Dec. 7 when he earned the honor after scoring a career-high 13 points in a win at Charlotte.

RAY GUY AWARD (Top Punter)
Tommy Heatherly, Sr., P, FIU
After a successful second year at FIU, senior punter Tommy Heatherly was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, joining nine other semifinalists for the award, with the Panther being the only non-Power 5 member on the list. This distinction is the first in program history at FIU. The Grove, Oklahoma native, has earned an FIU single-season record 44.4 average on just 28 punts attempts this season. The senior booted a career-long 69-yard punt against Jacksonville State earlier in the season, which ranks as the fourth-longest in school history. Heatherly has also helped the FIU punt return defense rank fifth nationally with a -0.43 average, while the Panthers’ net punt average of 42.59 ranks 10th-best in the country this season.

WUERFFEL TROPHY (Community Service)
Tyriq Harris, R-Sr., DL, Charlotte
Charlotte redshirt senior DE Tyriq Harris (Roanoke, Va.) has been named one of nine semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s premier award for community service. The Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Ever active in community service projects, Harris has volunteered at special events for numerous organizations, including the YMCA Miracle League All-Star Game, the Tim Tebow Night to Shine, Dream on 3 visits to campus and the Harrisburg (N.C.) 4th of July Parade. An officer on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), he has received the SAAC’s “Mr. 49er” award recognizing involvement and engagement for three straight years. Harris has volunteered at Weddington Hills Elementary, Kings Kitchen, YMCA Healthy Kids Day, and Elevation EKidz and visited Devonshire Elementary School. He has worked at on-campus blood drives and dance marathons and been involved with the #SAACCares holiday drive and distribution to Project 658. In 2018 and 2019, he was selected as an APPLE Training participant, attending the national APPLE Conference that explores methods to combat alcohol and drug abuse on campus. A four-year starter, Harris currently ranks seventh in school history in career tackles, fifth in career tackles for loss and fourth in career sacks. He has started the last 38 straight games in which he has played in his 41-game career. He is the first player in school history to be named captain in three straight seasons (2018, 2019, 2020). Harris, who was recently named one of 12 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy as the nation’s top college football scholar-athlete, owns a 3.684 GPA.