Rice University Athletics
Dillard and Raines Earn Honors From CUSA Media
11/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2006
Record-setting wide receiver Jarett Dillard and tackling machine Brian Raines have both been selected to the All Conference USA first team as selected by the news media. They are joined on the second team for four teammates: Quinton Smith, Robby Heos, Courtney Gordon and Andray Downs.
At the same time, Andrew Sendejo and Clark Fangmeier were named to the media's All Freshman team.
Dillard set a conference record by catching 20 touchdown passes this year, and added Rice season records for receptions (82) and yardage (1,176). A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, he tied the NCAA record by catching a touchdown pass in 12 consecutive games in a season, and his overall streak of 14 games is the second longest in NCAA history. He has already set the Rice career record for touchdown catches (25 in 23 games). He was twice named the league's Offensive Player of the Week.
Raines made a memorable starting debut for the Owls when he totaled 17 tackles against Houston and continued to pile up tackles all season, finishing with 110. He tied for the C-USA lead with 81 unassisted tackles, and his average of 6.7 unassisted tackles per game was tied for seventh nationally. His 81 unassisted tackles were the most by an Owl since O.J. Brigance had 90 in 1988. He was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle, two forced fumble effort against SMU.
Smith is a repeated on the second team. He became the sixth Owl to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and finished with the 4th best season total (1,092) and became just the second Rice runner to top 2,500 yards in his career (2,501). Heos started 10 of 12 games for the Owls and became their most consistent force along the offensive line. Gordon led the Owls in tackles for loss (15) and sacks (8) and takes a streak of 11 consecutive games with a tackle for loss into the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Downs was second to Raines on the squad with a career-high 84 tackles while running his streak of consecutive starts to 40 games.
Sendejo started 10 of 12 games for the Owls and finished fifth on the team with 49 tackles. He was second on the squad with three forced fumbles and tied for fourth on the team with seven tackles for loss. A walk-on, Fangmeier made his college debut with an extra point at UCLA and went on to connect on all 33 attempts, along with seven of 10 field goals. His 33 PATs are the second most by a freshman at Rice and matches Bret Swenson of Michigan State for the most PATs without a miss by a freshman this season. Fangmeier was named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week for his 40-yard, game-winning field goal over East Carolina.
