One of those Knights is Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Torell Troup, who competed for 麻豆原创 from 2006-09. Troup joined a long list of 麻豆原创 football players who have received their degrees, both while with the team and after they exhausted their eligibility, when he officially became a 麻豆原创 graduate this month. In July, 麻豆原创’s Graduation Success Rate stood at 81%, which was 13% above the national average and the highest in school history.

Last season, 麻豆原创 led its previous league, Conference USA, for the second straight season with 14 players on opening-day rosters. It eventually had 15 Knights in the NFL toward the end of the year.

North of the border, a pair of 麻豆原创 players are continuing their careers as Joe Burnett is suiting up with Edmonton and Keith Shologan is with Saskatchewan, and both have already played four regular-season contests.

For a complete listing of 麻豆原创 in the NFL this weekend and how to watch the Knights in action, check out the below chart. Also, CLICK HERE for details on how to watch replays of games on NFL Network.

麻豆原创 Knights in the NFL – Next Game

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

麻豆原创 Knights in the CFL – Regular Season

“Defence”

A total of 16 Knights took part Wednesday, including running back Latavius Murray.

“I felt good,” Murray said. “As nerve-wracking as it may be, I just wanted to come out here and relax. I know if I did that, I could go out there and perform the way I know how.”

Murray and his teammates were under the watchful eye of two former Knights who have plenty of experience showing off their talents to NFL scouts as Josh Robinson and Mike Sims-Walker were on hand.

“Josh was in the weight room and he said, `just focus up,'” Murray said. “As fast as this went by and as long as we’ve been waiting all of these weeks, it goes by quick in there. Event after event you just have to stay focused, and even if you did well on that event you’ve got to be ready for the next one and go out there and perform.”

Wide receiver and kick returner Quincy McDuffie was put through several of those events as well.

“I feel like everything for the most part went well. I know there’s some areas I could’ve worked on and improved with, but I feel as though my results were pretty satisfying,” McDuffie said. “With my lack of size I feel that I had to prove that at least I have speed and I have good route running … and I’m glad I was able to capitalize on what I was able to do.”

The current 麻豆原创 squad will be getting back to work for its fifth practice of the spring Thursday at 10 a.m. The camp will ultimately conclude with 麻豆原创’s Spring Game Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.

Plan your game days with the Knights, and experience one of the best schedules in program history in the best available seat locations at Bright House Networks Stadium. 2013 season tickets start at $99. To secure your 麻豆原创 football season tickets, visit 麻豆原创Athletics.com or call 407-麻豆原创-1000.

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The last time the Knights earned two major awards was in 2010 when Bruce Miller was voted as the defensive player of the year while Jeff Godfrey was the offensive player of the year.

Since 麻豆原创 joined the league in 2005, it boasts three C-USA Defensive Player of the Year awards, the most of any school. Miller picked up that distinction in back-to-back seasons from 2009-10. The Knights, meanwhile, are tied atop the chart with East Carolina with two C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year accolades. KR/PR Joe Burnett received the honor in 2008.

For the rest of the C-USA individual award winners, visit ConferenceUSA.com.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Postseason Conference Players of the Year Since 2005

C-USA Defensive Player of the Year

C-USA Offensive Player of the Year

C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year

C-USA Freshman of the Year

Ranking third all-time at 麻豆原创 with 360 career tackles, Ishmael serves as one of the Knights鈥� three team captains in 2012. He leads the team in tackles for the third-straight year with a personal-best 116, and ranks tied for first in C-USA with three fumble recoveries as well as tied for fifth with three interceptions. Ishmael has started 48-straight games since his true freshman campaign in 2009.

On his final snap at Bright House Networks Stadium, Ishmael notched his first-career sack in the win over UAB. He also produced one of the top moments in stadium history when he intercepted a pass in double overtime to seal the victory against Southern Miss.

A graduate of nearby Edgewater High School, McDuffie stands as the 麻豆原创 career kickoff return leader with 90 returns, 2,501 yards and six touchdowns. This season, he ranks first in the nation among qualified players with a 34.2-yard return average thanks to 582 yards on 17 returns.

McDuffie tied a NCAA record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns when he ran back returns of 97 and 98 yards against Marshall. He also returned a 99-yarder against East Carolina which completely shifted momentum after 麻豆原创 trailed 14-0 (Knights won, 40-20).

In 2012, the program鈥檚 final year in the league before moving to the BIG EAST next fall, the Knights won their fourth C-USA East Division title in eight seasons in the league. They also have earned their fifth bowl berth since 2005 as they will travel to the Beef 鈥極鈥� Brady鈥檚 Bowl in St. Petersburg where they will face Ball State Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

For ticket information to the Beef 鈥極鈥� Brady鈥檚 Bowl, contact the 麻豆原创 Ticket Office at (407) 麻豆原创-1000 or visit 麻豆原创Athletics.com.

麻豆原创 led 27-21 with just more than five minutes left in the game. 麻豆原创 was forced to punt and Jamie Boyle鈥檚 44-yard kick was touched by the Knights. But the ball was not dead. Watts went back to the 麻豆原创 46-yard line, picked it up and raced down the Tulsa sideline for a 54-yard touchdown. The Knights blocked the point-after-touchdown to keep the game tied at 27-27 and force the overtime period.

In overtime, 麻豆原创 had the ball first and was forced to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt. But the kick was blocked, giving Tulsa the opportunity for victory with a score. Tulsa got a 17-yard run from Watts to give them a first-and-goal at the 麻豆原创 6-yard line. Three plays later, Alex Singleton dove over from the 1-yard line to account for the winning score.

麻豆原创 trailed 21-14 at halftime. But the Knights scored 13 points in the third quarter to grab the 27-21 advantage.

With just more than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Knights took advantage of a 5-yard punt into the stiff wind and took over at the Tulsa 27-yard line. Five plays later, Murray plunged in from two yards out. But the point-after-touchdown was blocked by the Golden Hurricane鈥檚 Trent Martin, keeping Tulsa in the lead, 21-20.

Third-down conversions were key on the 麻豆原创 drive to regain the lead late in the third quarter. On third-and-22 at the beginning of the possession, quarterback Blake Bortles found Breshad Perriman for a 39-yard gain through the air. Then, later in the drive on third-and-6 from the Tulsa 28-yard line, Bortles dropped back to pass, scrambled up the middle and went 28 yards untouched for the go-ahead score, putting the Knights on top 27-21. That score set up Watts鈥� punt return 鈥� the lone score of the fourth quarter 鈥� which forced the overtime.

Tulsa took advantage of good field position to take an early 7-0 lead. Green found wide receiver Thomas Roberson over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown pass. The drive went just 38 yards after 麻豆原创 punted 37 yards out of its own end zone into a wind blowing at more than 20 miles per hour. But it could have been worse. 麻豆原创 fumbled the opening kickoff at its own 32-yard line but Kemal Ishmael forced a fumble that was recovered by Brandon Alexander on a fourth-down play inside the 麻豆原创 10-yard line to thwart the Golden Hurricane scoring threat.

On the second play of the second quarter, Bortles found Perriman along the end line of the end zone for an eight-yard scoring strike, tying the game at 7-7. Bortles was 4-of-4 passing for 56 yards on the 73-yard drive.

With just less than five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Bortles tossed his second touchdown pass of the game to give 麻豆原创 the lead. He bought time in the pocket, waited for a receiver to clear and found Quincy McDuffie with an eight-yard bullet for the score, putting the Knights on top 14-7.

Tulsa answered with 2:35 left in the first half. The Golden Hurricane went 75 yards on the drive, capped by a 7-yard run from Alex Singleton, tying the game at 14-14. Tulsa then grabbed a 21-14 lead at the intermission, driving 80 yards in 1:02. Ja鈥橳erian Douglas went two yards to cap the drive with 0:00 showing on the second-quarter clock.

It was the class of 2012 that made what seemed like all the plays for the Knights on Saturday to ensure 麻豆原创 captured its fourth C-USA East Division title and a spot in next week鈥檚 championship game scheduled for noon at Tulsa on the ESPN family of networks.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a win and another division championship,鈥� head coach George O鈥橪eary said after the game. 鈥淚t also makes the senior class the winningest one is school history, so I am very happy for them. That whole senior class is just a great group of kids and have mostly all graduated. They are going to be very successful in the future if it鈥檚 in football or something else.鈥�

With its 33 victories, the senior class tied the all-time record for most wins over a four-year span and saw senior FS Kemal Ishmael rack up 10 tackles to move into fifth all-time at 麻豆原创 while fellow classmate Quincy McDuffie notched a career-high three rushing TDs on six attempts for 79 yards.

鈥淐oming down to the end of the season, most guys won鈥檛 play at the next level, and this was going to be our last game at home. We just had a lot to lose this game, and everybody just took it seriously knowing we just had to get back to Tulsa and handle business,鈥� said Ishmael, who registered his first-career sack on the last defensive play.

Following the recognition ceremony for the 20-member senior class, it was quick work for the 麻豆原创 offense after receiving the opening kickoff. Needing only five plays, the Knights picked up yards in large chunks. Murray scampered for 20 yards followed by back-to-back 18-yard passes by Bortles as the second resulted in an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone by J.J. Worton for his third receiving TD of the year.

UAB looked to even the game at 7-all, but senior LB Jonathan Davis forced his second fumble of the year at the 1-yard line while fellow classmate A.J. Bouye recovered the ball in the end zone for the 23rd takeaway of 2012.

麻豆原创鈥檚 offense turned the freebie into six points when Murray rumbled in from three yards out for his 35th-career TD, and 13th of 2012. It was the Knights鈥� 28th scoring drive this season of 75 yards or more.

After a failed 麻豆原创 fourth-down attempt from midfield, UAB looked to take advantage of the short field, but the Knights鈥� stout defense stiffened and denied the Blazers on three-straight rushing attempts from the 10-yard line to reclaim possession.

Up 14-3, senior punter Jamie Boyle was aided by his classmates Ishmael and FB Billy Giovanetti, who helped down the kick at the 1-yard line. That setup a defensive stop followed by a 34-yard punt return by Worton to the UAB nine. Two plays later, McDuffie hit paydirt on an end-around for his first rushing score of the year.

Keeping with the Senior Day theme, fifth-year DB Lyle Dankenbring made his presence felt after he jumped in front of an attempted screen pass and took it to the house from 78 yards out to make it 28-3. It was the first-career TD for the Palm City, Fla., native, and fifth-longest INT return in school history.

鈥淚t was a screen (play), and he said if he didn鈥檛 catch it that it would鈥檝e stuck in his mask,鈥� O鈥橪eary said with a chuckle about Dankenbring鈥檚 pick-six. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you need to happen. Football is a game of momentum anyway. That one really hurt because it was the back breaker as far as them moving the ball and being in field-goal range. It was a great play by him and a great play by the defense.鈥�

The first-half offensive fireworks continued for 麻豆原创 following UAB鈥檚 76-yard passing score. McDuffie took the ensuing kickoff 44 yards while the Knights needed just 53 seconds to see Bortles hook up with Worton from four-yards out to give 麻豆原创 its most first-half points (35) since opening night at Akron.

In the second half, McDuffie scored his second rushing TD of the day after taking the jet-sweep handoff from Rob Calabrese out of the 鈥淲ild Knight鈥� into the end zone from eight-yards out to make it 42-10.

UAB wouldn鈥檛 go away quietly, racking up 599 total yards off offense and making it a three-possession game at 42-24 in final quarter. 麻豆原创 used a key fourth-down stop at its own 23-yard line with 8:32 left to end the Blazers鈥� momentum.

The bruising Murray salted the game away with four-straight carries prior to McDuffie housing another jet sweep for 43-yards for his eighth score of the year.

For tickets to next weekend鈥檚 C-USA Championship at Tulsa, click HERE. The Knights and Golden Hurricane are tied 1-all in their meetings for the right to hoist the league-championship trophy.

The 麻豆原创 defense forced four UTEP turnovers and also came up big following a few special teams miscues to help keep the Miners at bay. Leading the defensive effort were Ray Shipman with 14 total tackles, Kemal Ishmael with 10 stops and an interception and E.J. Dunston with seven tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

麻豆原创 led 24-10 in the fourth quarter. But a pair of UTEP touchdowns, one on a Blair Sullivan 2-yard run and one on a 69-yard Nathan Jeffery gallop tied it at 24-24 with less than seven minutes remaining. On the ensuing possession, the Knights moved inside UTEP territory on a pass interference call. One play later, Murray squirted up the middle, broke loose and sprinted 46 yards for the game-winner.

With the game tied 7-7 early in the second quarter, UTEP blocked a 麻豆原创 punt and took over at the Knights鈥� 1-yard line. But the Knights’ defense stood tall, stonewalling two run plays and forcing an overthrow on third down. The Miners converted on a field goal to take a 10-7 lead with 12:48 left in the first half.

A聽muffed punt on a fair-catch attempt midway through the second quarter gave UTEP possession in 麻豆原创 territory. But the Knight defense came up big again, forcing and recovering a fumble.

麻豆原创 opened the scoring on the first possession of the game. Blake Bortles scrambled to his left and found Jeff Godfrey free in the secondary for a 46-yard touchdown pass, giving the Knights a 7-0 advantage. Nathan Jeffery capped a 75-yard drive for UTEP to answer the Knights midway through the first period. A two-yard touchdown plunge for Jeffery tied the game at 7-7.

Bortles gave 麻豆原创 the lead late in the second quarter. He capped an 18-play, 88-yard drive with a 2-yard bootleg around the left end to put the Knights on top 14-10 with 28 seconds left until intermission. But the Knights weren鈥檛 done for the first half. A UTEP fumble was recovered by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Troy Davis at the Miners鈥� 35-yard line. 麻豆原创 converted that turnover into a Shawn Moffitt 30-yard field goal to take a 17-10 advantage at halftime.

麻豆原创 had a field-goal attempt blocked late in the third quarter. But the 麻豆原创 defense once again made plays when they had to. UTEP’s ensuing possession stalled, forcing a 47-yard field goal attempt that was wide left.

麻豆原创 widened the margin to 24-10 early in the fourth quarter. The Knights drove 71 yards in four plays, highlighted by a Bortles-to-Rannell Hall 56-yard completion. Rob Calabrese took the snap, handed it to Quincy McDuffie, who then pitched it to Bortles, who was lined up as a wide receiver. Bortles then tossed it to Hall, who was finally dragged down inside the UTEP 20. Three plays later, Bortles scrambled 15 yards for the TD, diving across the goal line between a pair of Miner defenders.

UTEP answered that score with a 10-play, 79-yard drive. Miner QB Sullivan rushed for a two-yard score one play after a 麻豆原创 interception in the end zone was taken away due to a pass interference penalty. UTEP鈥檚 Nathan Jeffery tied the game at 24-24 the next time UTEP touched the ball on his 69-yard scoring run with 6:49 remaining.

That set up Murray鈥檚 sprint up the middle to give 麻豆原创 the lead for good.

Quarterback Blake Bortles also accounted for three touchdowns — two through the air and one on the ground — to help the Knights (7-2, 5-0) secure their fifth straight victory and remain on track to host the Conference USA championship game.

SMU (4-5, 3-2), which entered with the league’s top-rated rushing defense, fell back under .500 and deeper behind West Division-leading Tulsa.

The Mustangs briefly closed within four points in the second quarter, but never found consistency on either side of the ball.

After posting a career passing effort in last week’s win over Memphis, SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert was sacked three times and never got into a rhythm.

After trailing 14-0 early in the first quarter, 麻豆原创 outscored the Pirates (3-3, 2-1), 40-6, thanks in large part to hometown speedster Quincy McDuffie. The senior from Edgewater High School did it all for the Knights, including a 99-yard kickoff return and 64-yard reception, both for touchdowns, to ignite the sidelines in the win.

“The call (on the kick) was to go right, but they sky-kicked away from Rannell Hall, and when they kicked it, I hit the seam and every one was wedged in so tight. I put my foot in the ground and went right. Once I got outside, I just tried to take it to the house,” said McDuffie, who boasts three-career two-touchdown games.

After the senior wideout got the Knights on the scoreboard, the offense clicked on all cylinders, cashing in for points on seven-straight possessions following the return. Sophomore quarterback Blake Bortles showed off his arm, and his legs, notching career highs of 269 yards through the air on 15 completions and a team-high 62 yards on the ground.

“From an offensive standpoint, nobody blinked an eye,” Bortles said about trailing 14-0 early. “We have a very resilient bunch and everybody just said we have to keep playing our game and moving the ball when we get it.”

麻豆原创’s offense wasn’t the only phase of the game that clicked as the defense registered two sacks, six tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Orlando native Shawn Moffitt led the special teams unit by nailing all four of his field goal attempts, including a career-long 49-yarder late in the fourth quarter.

“It was a good first conference win. I think all three areas–offense, defense and special teams – had something to do with the win. It was special teams that gave us the spark with the 99-yard touchdown return and the next punt return by (J.J.) Worton,” 麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary said. “We are happy to get the first conference win and get ready for the next conference game next Saturday.”

麻豆原创’s lengthy stay at home will continue when it welcomes Southern Miss on Oct. 13 to Bright House Networks Stadium for a primetime affair at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

After 麻豆原创 lost its first coin toss in 13 games, ECU opened the contest with an impressive 13-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a Shane Carden 7-yard TD run up the middle.

The Pirates didn’t waste much time going up 14-0. After forcing a 麻豆原创 three-and-out, ECU’s Carden hooked up with speedster Justin Hardy for a 76-yard strike down the far sideline.

With the Knights in need of a quick score themselves, McDuffie entered the record books just 25 seconds later with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The former high school track star, who tied Todd Cleveland with four TD returns all-time at 麻豆原创, turned on the burners after breaking through arm tackles at his own 35-yard line before taking it the distance.

The Knights capitalized on J.J. Worton’s 32-yard punt return, evening the game at 14-all when Storm Johnson plunged into the end zone on his fifth carry in the drive from four yards out.

麻豆原创’s defense began to assert its dominance in the contest as Brandon Alexander dove in front of an ECU receiver on third down and picked off his first-career pass at the Pirate 26-yard line. Moffitt would cash in with back-to-back field goals to extend 麻豆原创’s lead to 20-14.

As time expired in the first half, the Pirates snapped the string of 20-straight points by the Knights when kicker Warren Harvey banged a 27-yarder through the uprights to bring ECU within three.

The second half began with the Knights on the move once more, mixing in the run and pass well before they had to settle for a Moffitt field goal from 36 yards out. ECU marched down the field after Carden hit Jabril Solomon down the middle for 60 yards. 麻豆原创’s defense stood strong, limiting the drive to just three points after Harvey connected from 31 yards out.

McDuffie once again showed off his wheels on the ensuing drive, taking a screen pass from Bortles 64 yards while weaving through would-be tacklers and accelerating down the near sideline for the career-long score. “He’s unbelievable. He’s one of the fastest kids I’ve ever seen,” Bortles said of McDuffie. “It was a great block out there on the perimeter and great play-call. They brought the house on a blitz and played man coverage and Quincy got in the whole and took off. Once gets in the open field there aren’t too many people that can catch him.”

One drive later, Bortles capped off a 12-play drive with a sneak over the left side from one-yard out to put the game out of reach, 37-20.

Leading the defense efforts for the Knights on the evening was sophomore middle linebacker Terrance Plummer who registered his third game of the season with 10-plus tackles, including 11 against the Pirates. Senior Kemal Ishmael also climbed up the 麻豆原创 record books, passing Corey Hogue (279) for 10th all-time in career tackles (286).

Ishmael is the second Knight in the last two seasons to earn a spot on the Thorpe Award Watch List, as cornerback Josh Robinson represented the Black and Gold last year. Robinson went on to be selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Thorpe Award is named after the great Jim Thorpe, who excelled at every sport in which he competed, including football at which he played on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The 2012 Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of Thorpe winning gold in the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics. The award will be presented by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, and the winner is selected from three finalists and will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 6 on ESPN. The Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association.

One of four players (two safeties and two cornerbacks) from Conference USA on this year’s preseason watch list, Ishmael has racked up 244 tackles dating back to his true freshman season in 2009. He enters 2012 looking for just 35 more tackles to tie Cory Hogue for 10th on the 麻豆原创 all-time list (Hogue amassed 279 tackles from 2006-09, while Rick Hamilton holds the record with 443 from 1989-92).

In 2011, Ishmael paced the Knights in tackles for the second-straight year, racking up 81 including 2.5 for a loss. As a sophomore, he notched 93 tackles with five break-ups and two interceptions. Ishmael has nine-career break-ups and three picks while playing in all 39 麻豆原创 games from 2009-11. He leads all returning players by owning a current streak of 35-straight starts, as he came off the bench for the first four games as a freshman before serving as the starting free safety ever since.

After being on the 2010 All-C-USA First Team, Ishmael was a 2011 All-C-USA Honorable Mention pick and a 2011 Phil Steele Midseason All-C-USA First Team selection. He is one of seven Knights who have received spots on national preseason watch lists in 2012.

麻豆原创 on Preseason Watch Lists

The conclusion of those workouts over the course of a few weeks was Saturday’s annual spring football game at Bright House Network Stadium. With weather that made it feel more like November than April, the Knights hit the field the final time before gathering later this summer in preparation for the season opener at Akron.

There were some highlights during Saturday’s play that included some nice runs, catches and interceptions by players coming back from injuries. There were some dropped balls and penalties, but for the most part, 麻豆原创 Head Coach George O’Leary seemed pleased with what he saw.

Here’s a list of things to note from the game:

Blake Bortles looks and plays the part: At 6-foot-4, the sophomore quarterback has the walk and talk of a confident team leader. Bortles does not lack confidence and seems to have settled in his role at the starting signal caller. Bortles was 27-of 45 for 239 yards and one touchdown in Saturday’s game. He used a variety of receivers and showed his ability of being patient in the pocket and his strong arm as well.

麻豆原创 has talent at the wideout position: Despite the unusually high number of drops in Saturday’s game, the spring was a good one for this group. Freshman Breshad Perriman has the look of someone who can and will make a big impact this fall. At 6-foot-2, Perriman can take a hit and appears to be someone Bortles will look for. Sophomore Josh Reese was a big target for Bortles in the second half of the season in 2011 and should be again this fall. Senior Quincy McDuffee and sophomore Ranell Hall provide great speed and incoming freshmen at this position make things bright this fall and for years to come.

Options in the backfield: With the arrival of Storm Johnson, 麻豆原创 can go four-deep at running back. Returnees Latavius Murray and Brynn Harvey provide a great combo and the addition of Johnson gives offensive coordinator Charlie Taffe a new weapon because of Johnson’s breakaway speed. Don’t forget redshirt freshman Cedric Thompson who can also run the ball well. How 麻豆原创 uses this group in the fall will be interesting. 麻豆原创 did not show it this past Saturday, but the Knights might use a two-back set where Murray plays more of a H-back role in passing situations.

Defensive line features flexibility: Bruce Miller started the trend by being used as both an end and tackle. Few players did it was well as Miller, but 麻豆原创 will move players from inside out in certain situations. Victor Gray is the guy to watch as Gray moves inside out. 麻豆原创’s interior of the line appears to have some depth with E.J. Dunston, Josh Wofford, Jose Jose and Thomas Niles. Defensive end Troy Davis believes the line will be better at sacking the quarterback, something 麻豆原创 struggled with last season.

Plummer fits the middle just fine: Terrance Plummer played a lot during his freshman year, but now he will play an even bigger role as he has moved inside. Plummer shined throughout the spring and credits new defensive coordinator Jim Fleming, who Plummer said just simplified things for him in many areas. Depth at this position is something 麻豆原创 will still work on but Plummer, Jonathan Davis and Ray Shipman handle the outside spots quite well.

Ishmael leads with his play: It’s hard to imagine, but Kemal Ishmael is a senior. He has seen fellow secondary players jump to the NFL and others suffer season-ending injuries, but Ishmael remains the constant. He still hits as hard as anyone and always seems to be around the ball whether it be run or pass. Ishmael welcomes the return of cornerback A.J. Bouye who suffered the season-ending injury last year. Bouye had two interceptions in Saturday’s game. While Ishmael gets a ton of attention, no one should underestimate redshirt sophomore Clayton Geathers, who appears poised to become a leader on defense following in Ishmael’s footsteps.

Field goals are not a bad thing: One of the loudest crowd reactions from Saturday’s game came on the last play. The last play saw sophomore kicker Shawn Moffitt connect on a 49-yard field goal. Both Moffitt and Sean Galvin had solid springs and O’Leary believes the position is as strong as it has been in years. Galvin kicked off a couple of times into the end zone which is a big deal this fall. The new kickoff rule has the ball teed up at the 35-yard line and any touchback comes out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20.