San Diego State University’s football team is preparing for Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl with a definite sense of accomplishment after placing 12 players on this year’s All-Mountain West team and having players further bestowed with All-American honors.
The Aztecs, two-time Mountain West champions, will be taking the field at Sam Boyd Stadium against Houston (9-3). Kick-off is 12:30 p.m. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC-TV.
Mater Dei Catholic High School alumnus Nico Siragusa is among the seven Aztecs named to the All-MW First Team. He has reaped a number of post-season awards.
The senior offensive guard has garnered additional recognition as a USA Today first team All-American pick and Pro Football Focus second team All-American selection.
He was most recently named to the Associated Press All-American team along with star running back Donnel Pumphrey, the Aztecs’ Heisman Trophy candidate.
Siragusa earned third team accolades while Pumphrey was named to the second team. The two players are the first AP All-American duo to represent SDSU since 1988.
Siragusa is the first SDSU offensive lineman to be named a first-team all-MW selection twice in league history. He has started all 13 games at left guard this season and is graded as the third-best guard by Pro Football Focus and the third-best run blocker.
He also is the highest-rated offensive lineman on an Aztec unit that has produced 16 100-yard rushing games by three different running backs this year. Siragusa has helped SDSU rush for a school-record 3,553 yards. He has not allowed a sack or a quarterback hit in 846 snaps on the season.
Siragusa is the first USA Today first-team honoree in program history.
Siragusa has become a mainstay on the SDSU line. He made his 40th career start in the Aztecs’ 27-24 MW championship game victory over host Wyoming Dec. 3 in Laramie. He also played in his 53rd consecutive game.
Joining Siragusa on the all-conference first team are Pumphrey (Las Vegas), senior Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino), junior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk), senior defensive end Alex Barrett (Mesa, Ariz.), senior linebacker Calvin Munson (St. Charles, Mo.) and sophomore kicker John Baron II (Temecula, Calif.).
The seven first-team selections matched SDSU’s most in league history (also 2011 and 2015) and matched the program’s most in any league since the 1974 squad put eight players on the PCAA First Team.
Pumphrey, Kazee and Penny were each named players of the year by the Mountain West for the second consecutive season. Pumphrey was chosen as the MW Offensive Player of the Year, Kazee the MW Defensive Player of the Year and Penny the MW Special Teams Player of the Year.
Like Siragusa, Pumphrey has earned multiple honors this season. He owns distinction as a first-team All-America selection by Sports Illustrated, a first-team All-American pick by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, a second team All-American selection by The Sporting News as well as a USA Today second team All-American honoree.
Pumphrey earned his latest award on Wednesday after being named as an American Football Coaches Association second-team All-American.
He is the first running back in league history to win the conference offensive player-of-the-year award twice and is the fourth player overall, joining Derek Carr (2012-13 at Fresno State), Andy Dalton (2009-10 at TCU) and Bradlee Van Pelt (2002-03 at Colorado State).
Pumphrey leads the Aztecs with a school-record 2,018 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 330 carries (6.1 average) this season, while adding a team-high 26 catches for 205 yards (7.9 average).
Pumphrey ranks second in the country in rushing yards (2,018), rushing yards per game (155.2) and all-purpose yards (2,229).
In the MW championship game, Pumphrey ran for 110 yards on 25 carries with one touchdown to help SDSU claim its second straight conference title and 21st in program history. With his total, Pumphrey surpassed Ricky Williams for second place on the all-time NCAA FBS rushing list with 6,290 yards.
The Aztecs also landed three players on the second team: junior tight end David Wells (Clovis), senior offensive tackle Daniel Brunskill (Valley Center) and senior warrior (safety) Malik Smith (Compton). Senior defensive end Kyle Kelley (Irvine) and junior punt returner Quest Truxton (Newport Harbor) were both honorable-mention selections.
The Aztecs (10-3) are searching for their 11th win of the season when they take the field Saturday. The 11 wins would tie a school record that also has been accomplished in 1966 and 1969 under coaching legend Don Coryell and in 2015 under current head coach Rocky Long.
Let’s go bowling: SDSU tops Houston to win Las Vegas Bowl
San Diego State picked up its 11th win of the season by defeating the Houston Cougars, 34-10, in last Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl. Las Vegas native Donnel Pumphrey rushed for 115 yards and scored one touchdown to help lead the Aztecs to the victory.
SDSU (11-3) was playing in its seventh consecutive bowl game.
The Aztecs rallied from an early 10-0 deficit by piling up 34 unanswered points. John Baron got SDSU on the scoreboard by kicking a pair of field goals. Pumphrey then put his team ahead on a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
Ron Smith upped the score to 20-10 on a 54-yard interception return and teammate Curtis Anderson then caught a 28-yard scoring pass from quarterback Chris Chapman to increase the Aztec advantage to 27-10.
Juwan Washington closed out scoring for SDSU on a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:11 remaining in the game.
The Aztecs outscored Houston 28-0 in the second half. The Cougars finished the season 9-4.
Pumphrey set a new NCAA career rushing record in the game with 6,405 yards to pass previous record-holder Ron Dayne’s total of 6,397 from 1996-99 with Wisconsin.
SDSU became the first team in NCAA FBS history to produce a 2,000-yard rusher (Pumphrey) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Rashaad Penny) in the same season.
The Aztecs set single-season records for rushing yards (3,680), rushing touchdowns (34), rushing yards per carry (5.8), touchdowns (62), points (493) and field goals (21).
The back-to-back 11-win seasons are the first for the program in its 94-year history.
SDSU won last year’s Hawaii Bowl.
Home for the holidays: Valhalla grad Nick Kurtz to represent BYU in Poinsettia Bowl
Valhalla High School alumnus Nick Kurtz will represent Brigham Young University when the Cougars collide with the Wyoming Cowboys in this year’s San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, set for a 6 p.m. kick-off Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Qualcomm Stadium.
BYU brings in an 8-4 overall record while Wyoming, runners-up to San Diego State University in this year’s Mountain West championship game, is 8-5.
Kurtz appeared in 10 games for the Norsemen in 2010 with 23 catches for 247 yards.
He subsequently played two seasons at Grossmont College under coach Mike Jordan. While at Grossmont, Kurtz accumulated 1,301 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns while earning first team all-conference recognition both seasons.
He recorded six multi-touchdown games, including two three-TD outings, while totaling more than 100 yards on four occasions, including a single-game high of 174 yards.
He averaged nearly 15 yards per catch on 87 pass receptions.
He was a consistent performer with the Griffins, totaling 10 touchdowns as a freshman and eight during his sophomore campaign in 2013. He ranked third in yards per game (77.4) in the Southern California Football Association’s Southern Conference in 2012 and sixth (67.1) in 2013.
Kurtz, who stands 6-feet, 6-inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, has appeared in 26 career games at BYU with 85 receptions for 1,060 yards and five touchdowns.
He appeared in all 12 regular season games this season with 46 receptions for 482 yards with two touchdowns.
A preseason all-independent first team offense selection and academic all-district first team honoree, Kurtz caught a 23-yard pass in the end zone against UCLA and added a 31-yard TD reception against Southern Utah.
He finished the game against Southern Utah with 69 yards on five catches. He made a season-long 35-yard catch at the end of the first quarter against Utah State, finishing the game with a team-high 50 receiving yards.
Kurtz appeared in one game during his redshirt 2014 year. His first career reception was a 53-yarder in the first quarter against Nebraska as a junior. Against the Cornhuskers, finished the game as BYU’s leading receiver with five receptions for 123 yards.
He finished the 2015 season ranked third on the team with 39 receptions for 578 yards to go along with three touchdowns and a 14.8-yard average per catch. He appeared in all 13 games, starting two, en route to earning second-team all-independent honors.
The recipient of the team’s 2015-16 Comeback Player of the Year award, he caught four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, a 35-28 victory.
Kurtz noted the bowl game was special in that it matched a pair of former Grossmont teammates. Tim Patrick, who ranked behind Kurtz on the Griffins with 1,229 receiving yards, was on the Utes sideline.
They took a photo after the game holding each other’s helmets.
Kurtz is joined on this year’s Cougars squad by two other San Diego County prep products – Fred and Troy Warner of Mission Hills High School.
Fred Warner, a junior linebacker, has logged 167 tackles, including 106 unassisted tackles, in 35 games. He’s also chalked up 21.5 tackles for losses, 5.5 sacks, six interceptions and four fumble recoveries as a defensive specialist.
Troy, a freshman defensive back, has recorded 19 tackles (14 solo stops) in nine games this season while also recorded one fumble recovery and seven pass break-ups.
Wyoming finished 6-2 in Mountain West play and is 2-0 against teams ranked in the Top 25 this season. The Cowboys dropped a 27-24 match-up to SDSU in the MW championship game in Laramie on Dec. 3.
The Cowboys are led by quarterback Josh Allen, running back Brian Hill and receiver Tanner Gentry.
Allen has completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 2,996 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has a 147.6 quarterback rating.
Hill has rushed for 1,767 yards and scored 21 rushing touchdowns while Gentry had made 65 receptions for 1,213 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Marching to the music
Festivities for the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl kick off in downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, with the Carrier Johnson + Culture Gaslamp March in the Horton Plaza Park amphitheater. Marching bands and spirit squads from Brigham Young University and the University of Wyoming will showcase their musical talent in a heart-pounding battle of the bands.
“Year after year this makes for an exhilarating kick off to the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl festivities that all can enjoy,” said Mark Neville, executive director of the San Diego Bowl Game Association. “This is an exciting and loud procession that makes for a great free, family event down in the Gaslamp Quarter.”
This San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl event sponsors include Carrier Johnson + Culture and San Diego County Credit Union.
This downtown event is free for spectators. For more information, visit SanDiegoBowlGames.com.
Home for the holidays
Four East County players represented on Washington State’s Holiday Bowl roster
The Washington State University Cougars and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers will meet in the 39thNational Funding Holiday Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Kick-off is 4 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium.
Both teams are 8-4 on the season. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Washington State has seven San Diego County players listed on its roster, including four from East County.
Helix High graduates Jahad Woods (linebacker) and Mason Vinyard (rushing linebacker) are both freshmen, as are Patrick Henry alumnus Desmon Patmon (wide receiver) and Valhalla grad Danny Bender (defensive lineman).
Redshirt senior Eduardo Middleton (offensive lineman) and redshirt freshman Cedric Bigge-Duren (offensive lineman) both represent Oceanside High School while redshirt senior wide receiver C.J. Dimry is an alumnus of La Costa Canyon High School.
Woods and Vinyard were both members of the Highlanders San Diego Section Open Division championship team in 2015. Helix’s 44-30 championship game victory over St. Augustine marked the final game coached by Scotties head coach Troy Starr.
Woods ranked third on the team with 58 tackles his senior year while Vinyard had 27 tackles. Woods and Vinyard each had 5.5 sacks, tied for second on the team.
Woods also had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries; Vinyard had four fumble recoveries.
On offense, Vinyard caught a 55-yard touchdown pass his senior season; he had three TD receptions as a junior.
Vinyard was ranted the No. 25 tight end prospect in the country by ESPN.com and the fourth best tight end in California by Scout.com.
A three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com, Woods earned recognition on the all-state fourth team by Cal-Hi Sports and All-San Diego Section first team honors as a senior at Helix. He scored three defensive touchdowns – one on an 86-yard interception return and two more on fumble returns.
He had 10 tackles and one interception in the Open Division championship game.
Bender earned recognition on the all-section first team as a senior. He also earned accolades on the all-state medium schools team as selected by Cal-Hi Sports.
As a junior for the Norsemen, he made 64 tackles with 21 for a loss, broke up eight passes, recovered three fumbles and scored on touchdown.
As a senior, Bender recorded 74 tackles, nine sacks, forced four fumbles, broke up eight passes and returned one interception for a touchdown.
Patmon caught 14 touchdown passes as a junior and five as a senior (to go with five interceptions) for the Patriots. He has made two pass receptions for 19 yards as a freshman at WSU.
The contest will mark Minnesota’s first bowl game in California since it defeated UCLA 21-3 in the 1962 Rose Bowl. The Cougars will be making their third appearance in the bowl game but first since 2003.
This year’s game will feature the ultimate pregame fan experience: the National Funding FanZone, which will boast a craft beer garden, local food trucks, interactive football skills challenges, a sports lounge and more, all free with a game ticket.
“This game has the makings of yet another exciting and memorable National Funding Holiday Bowl,” said Mark Neville, executive director of the bowl game. “I think the scoreboard is going to get quite the workout as these two teams have a history of putting up some big numbers. I’m ecstatic that our fans are going to get an amazing game and an incredible experience.”
This is the 19th consecutive appearance by a Pac-12 school in the National Funding Holiday Bowl. The Big Ten Conference will be making its third consecutive appearance in San Diego.
Minnesota finished 5-4 in Big Ten Conference play this year; Washington State finished 7-2 in Pac-12 play.
The teams have not met since 1988.
The Golden Gophers are playing in their fifth consecutive bowl game, 19th overall in program history.
The Cougars are making their second straight bowl game appearance and third in head coach Mike Leach’s five years with the team. Washington State defeated Miami, 20-14, in last year’s Sun Bowl.
“We are thrilled to be going to the Holiday Bowl,” Leach said. “It is going to be a great matchup between two great teams. The last time we were in the Holiday Bowl we had a tremendous experience and expect the same this time around.”
Santana High School student earns Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Award
Senior from Santana High School to be honored at National Funding Holiday Bowl
Santana High School senior football player Devan Henselmeier has been selected from a pool of San Diego county student-athletes to receive the 2016 Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Player Award. Henselmeier will be presented with a $2,000 scholarship on the field at the National Funding Holiday Bowl Dec. 27 at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Player program aims to recognize a San Diego County high school football player who, through their presence, actions and words of encouragement, serves as an inspirational example to their teammates.
Henselmeier, who plays as a defensive end for the Sultans, is a long time football player with a passion for the game. He’s also had to overcome personal adversity.
At the beginning of the 2015 football season, Henselmeier’s mother lost her fight to breast cancer. Despite going through the battle of losing his biggest fan, he still had an outstanding junior year. He recorded 11.5 sacks, made first team all-conference and received the co-defensive team MVP award.
However, in the final game of his junior year, a knee injury ended his season prematurely. He went eight months without a diagnosis.
Two weeks before camp started, he found out that he had torn his MCL, ACL and meniscus. At this time, his MCL and meniscus had healed on their own, but his ACL was still torn.
The doctor gave him two options: play and risk re-injuring his knee or forfeit his senior year and undergo surgery.
Henselmeier chose to play his entire senior year with only a brace as support. He had the opportunity to play alongside his team in the San Diego Section Division IV championship Game, as well as represent his mother in the month of October, during which the football team wore her initials over pink wristbands in each game.
He ranked fourth on the team with 53 tackles and third with four sacks.
Overcoming abundant adversity through his high school football career, Henselmeier continues to serve as a source of inspiration for his teammates and coaches, and is certainly deserving of the Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Player Award, according to judges.
The Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Player Award is supported by Rock 105.3, XTRA 1360 Fox Sports San Diego and the Kiwanis Club of San Diego.
Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by San Diego County Credit Union to be televised nationally
America’s largest balloon parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Dec. 27
The 26th annual Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by San Diego County Credit Union is set to step off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. The parade kicks off National Funding Holiday Bowl game day. This signature San Diego event annually attracts more than 100,000 viewers to the scenic bayside streets of San Diego.
This is a nationally and locally televised attraction. Fox Sports San Diego will produce the event and air it live locally. The Fox Sports family of networks will carry the national broadcast and also air it live in various markets. Fox Sports San Diego and Fox Sports Prime Ticket will broadcast the event live, and rebroadcast it several times.
“The scenic San Diego bay serves as the stunning backdrop for what truly is one of the nation’s best parades,” said Executive Director of the San Diego Bowl Game Association Mark Neville. “Hundreds of community-minded volunteers and several dedicated sponsors have made this an event that we are so proud to present to a national viewing audience.”
Recognized as “America’s Largest Balloon Parade,” the event features more giant helium-filled character balloons than any parade in the country. Featured inflatables this year include Clifford the Big Red Dog and Mr. Potato Head among a cast of characters that will require 65,000 cubic feet of helium.
The theme of the parade is “Honoring our First Responders.” Representing the grand marshal, in honor of officer Jonathan ‘J.D.’ DeGuzman, will be his wife Jane and two children, Jedd and Amira.
Prior to the parade the public is invited to participate in the Bumble Bee Seafoods 5K Run/Walk at the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade. The Bumble Bee Seafoods 5K Run kicks off the parade at 9:45 am. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each division. Registration is still open. Runners will run along the parade route in front of 100,000 cheering spectators.
Also appearing at the parade will be Larry Culpepper, Dr Pepper Concessionaire and inventor of the College Football Playoff. He will be riding on the “Hey, Ice Cold Dr Pepper Here!” float presented by Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper icon is also expected to appear at the Dr Pepper sampling tent, near the Broadway Pier, after his ride in the parade. The public is encouraged to stop by to say hello to Culpepper and get a free sample of Dr Pepper. Appearance time is estimated to be 11 a.m. to noon.
For more information on all parade day events, and to purchase parade television area grandstand tickets, visit SanDiegoBowlGames.com or call (619) 283-5808. The National Funding Holiday Bowl kicks off at 4 p.m. later that day at Qualcomm Stadium. The game pits the Minnesota Golden Gophers against the Washington State Cougars.
