University of Utah junior linebacker Devin Lloyd has been named to the 2020 Sporting News All-America Second Team.
It is the first-career All-America honor for Lloyd, an Otay Ranch High School alumnus. He becomes just the second Utah linebacker to earn All-America recognition (Chase Hansen, 2018). It is the seventh straight season with a Ute on the Sporting News All-America team.
Lloyd led Utah in tackles for the second-straight year, racking up 48 with a team-high 10 tackles for a loss and two sacks. The Butkus Award finalist ranked eighth in the FBS and fifth in the Pac-12 in solo tackles per game (6.6) and was second in the FBS and in the Pac-12 in tackles for losses per game (2.0).
The Chula Vista native averaged 9.6 total tackles per game, which ranked fifth in the Pac-12. He had three double-digit tackle games this season, including back-to-back games with a career-high 11 against No. 20 USC and Washington.
Lloyd ended the season with a game-high 10 tackles against Washington State, bringing in four tackles for loss. His four tackles for loss against the Cougars ranked second in the Pac-12 this season for single-game TFL.
Bowl games
Former Eastlake Titan Chris Olave caught six passes for 132 yards, including touchdown receptions of nine and 56 yards, in No. 3 Ohio State’s 49-28 upset win over No. 2 Clemson in last Friday’s Sugar Bowl national championship semifinal game in New Orleans.
Ohio State (7-0) will face No. 1 Alabama (12-0) in the national championship game on Jan. 11.
Olave, who completed his senior season at Mission Hills High School, has made 42 receptions for 660 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2020-21 college football season.
His 56-yard TD catch, which gave the Buckeyes a 42-21 lead in the third quarter, was rated among the scoring highlights of the game.
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields passed for 385 yards and six touchdowns in the victory while teammate Trey Sermon rushed for 193 yards and one score.
The Buckeyes (639) and Tigers (444) combined for 1,083 yards in total offense in the high scoring game.
Alabama defeated No. 4 Notre Dame, 31-14, in last Friday’s other semifinal.
Clemson and Notre Dame both finished the season with 10-2 records.
Sixteen Aztecs Receive All-MW Recognition from Phil Steele Magazine
Six SDSU players earn first-team all-MW honors from the magazine
San Diego State had 16 players receive all-Mountain West recognition from Phil Steele Magazine on Jan. 6.
The Aztecs landed six players on the first team, including four on the defensive side of the ball in sophomore defensive end Cameron Thomas, junior linebacker Caden McDonald, junior field cornerback Darren Hall and senior field warrior (safety) Tariq Thompson. Senior left tackle Kyle Spalding was the lone SDSU representative on the offensive first team, while senior long snapper Turner Bernard was also chosen to the first team.
San Diego State also had five players make the second team – senior running back Greg Bell, senior right tackle Zachary Thomas, junior kick returner Jordan Byrd, sophomore punt returner Jesse Matthews and senior punter Tanner Kuljian – and one on the third team in junior linebacker Seyddrick Lakalaka.
Finally, five Aztecs were selected to the fourth team, including Matthews at wide receiver, senior left guard Jacob Capra, junior defensive tackle Jonah Tavai, sophomore Michael Shawcroft and senior Aztec (safety) Dwayne Johnson Jr.
Cameron Thomas anchored a defense that ranks third in FBS in total defense (283.5), sixth in third down percentage (.298), seventh in rush defense (98.2), eighth in tackles for loss (8.1), 11th in scoring defense (17.8) and pass efficiency defense (115.19) and 14th in pass defense (185.2). The two-time all-MW first-team performer finished with 35 tackles (21 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, a pass breakup and a team-high 14 quarterback hurries.
McDonald, meanwhile, totaled 34 tackles, including team-highs of 10 tackles for loss for 48 yards and 4.5 sacks. McDonald, who also was a first-team all-MW selection by the league’s media and coaches, also had three pass breakups, a forced fumble and 10 quarterback hurries.
A two-time all-MW selection (first team in 2020, honorable mention in 2019), Hall also made the first team after leading the team with three interceptions for 72 yards and six pass breakups, while posting 38 tackles (31 solo) and two tackles for loss.
Thompson, who became the first Aztec in program history to earn all-league (first or second team) in four separate seasons, and joined Rashaad Penny (first-team kick returner from 2015-17, first-team running back in 2017) and Kirk Morrison (honorable mention in 2001, first team from 2002-04) as the only SDSU players to earn all-conference honors four times, led the team with 41 tackles (25 solo). Thompson also added 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and three PBUs.
Spalding, who also earned first-team all-league honors from the coaches and media, led an offensive line unit that made the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll for the best offensive line in the country, allowing just one sack in 219 passing plays (0.46 pct.) and only two pressures (0.91 pct.). His 31 knockdowns (3.9 per game) were the second most on the team.
One of the most consistent long snappers in the country, Bernard made Phil Steele’s MW first team for a second straight season.
Heading the SDSU second-team honorees is Greg Bell, who rushed for 637 yards and six touchdowns on 113 attempts (5.6 avg.), while adding 11 catches for 114 yards (10.4 avg.) and another touchdown. Bell was also a second-team all-MW pick by the league.
Zachary Thomas, who also was on the second-team pick by the league’s coaches and media, allowed only two sacks in 219 passing plays (0.91 pct.) and four pressures (1.83 pct.). Additionally, Thomas led the team with 36.5 knockdowns (4.6 per game) and was the only Aztec offensive lineman to appear in all eight games and not have a penalty.
Byrd made the second team as a kick returner, returning 12 kicks for 383 yards (31.9 avg.) with a 93-yard touchdown. Byrd, who also added 225 rushing yards and two touchdowns, eight catches for 24 yards and seven punt returns for 34 yards, would rank second in SDSU single-season history in kick return average if he had enough returns (15) to qualify. He was also a second-team kick returner by the league.
Matthews made the second team as a punt returner and fourth team as a wide receiver. For the season, he returned 12 punts for 113 yards (9.4 avg.), while leading the team with 24 catches and 324 yards (13.6 avg.), while adding a touchdown.
Kuljian made the most of his one season on The Mesa, punting 35 times for 1,589 yards (45.4 avg.) with 12 punts inside the 20-yard line and nine of at least 50 yards. Kuljian’s 45.4 punt average is the third-best mark in SDSU single-season history. He was also a second-team all-MW honoree in December.
Lakalaka, San Diego State’s lone third-team selection, logged 28 tackles (16 solo) in seven games, while adding six tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
Jacob Capra started all eight games at left guard and was the Aztecs’ final offensive player on Phil Steele’s all-MW team as a fourth-team pick.
Tavai, an honorable-mention selection by the league, had 27 tackles (17 solo), six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and five quarterback hurries in a breakout season.
Shawcroft had a solid season with 35 tackles (24 solo), five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three quarterback hurries in eight games (five starts).
Johnson had 40 tackles (23 solo) with 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in seven games. The captain was an honorable-mention pick by the league’s media and coaches for a second straight season.
SDSU finished 4-4 on the season with its four losses coming to teams that went a combined 29-6 (.829).
2020 Phil Steele Magazine Mountain West All-Conference Football Awards (SDSU winners only)
First Team
OL Kyle Spalding, Sr.
DL Cameron Thomas, So.
LB Caden McDonald, Jr.
DB Darren Hall, Jr.
DB Tariq Thompson, Sr.
LS Turner Bernard, Sr.
Second Team
RB Greg Bell, Sr.
OL Zachary Thomas, Sr.
KR Jordan Byrd, Jr.
PR Jesse Matthews, So.
P Tanner Kuljian, Sr.
Third Team
LB Seyddrick Lakalaka, Jr.
Fourth Team
WR Jesse Matthews, So.
OL Jacob Capra, Sr.
DL Jonah Tavai, Jr.
LB Michael Shawcroft, So.
DB Dwayne Johnson Jr., Sr.
