Jenkins Leads FCS-High Five STATS All-Americans From JSU
12/15/2015 10:00:00 AM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – Eli Jenkins headlined a list of five Gamecocks on the STATS FCS All-America Team, the most of any team on the team that was released on Tuesday morning.
Jenkins was the First Team Quarterback on the squad, while center Casey Dunn earned second team honors. Cornerback Jermaine Hough, Running back Troymaine Pope and defensive end Chris Landrum, Sr., were third team selections.
The No. 1 Gamecocks (12-1) were the only team with five players on the team and were led by Jenkins, who is just the second JSU All-American quarterback since 1998. He was a Freshman All-American in 2013, while Hough was an All-American last year. It marks the first All-American honors for both Dunn and Landrum.
Jenkins, the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has had a record-breaking season leading a record-breaking offense. With 2,484 passing yards and 1,030 rushing, the Birmingham native is the only FCS quarterback with 2,400 passing and 1,000 rushing yards this season. He and Houston signal caller Greg Ward are the only two quarterbacks in all of Division I to reach those marks.
Jenkins has run for 13 touchdowns and thrown for 19 and has climbed several career lists for JSU this season. Just a junior, his school-record 3,514 yards of total offense is 560 more than any other player in school history, while his 7,922 career yards of total offense also broke the school record last week in a win over Charleston Southern. He has run for 195 yards in each of JSU's two playoff wins over Chattanooga and Charleston Southern and is 26-0 in his career as a starter against FCS foes in the regular season.
Hough is an All-American for the second-straight season, joining Max Holcombe as JSU's only back-to-back All-Americans since joining the OVC in 2003. A senior from Lovejoy, Ga., Hough forced opposing offenses to the other side of the field several times in 2015. He bounced back from a knee injury that shortened his 2014 campaign to earn First Team All-OVC honors this season.
Also an Academic All-District selection, Hough recorded 30 tackles for the Gamecocks in 2015, including two stops for a loss and one sack. He intercepted one pass to run his career total to nine. He has broken up 25 passes in his JSU career, while also forcing a fumble.
Dunn, a junior from Trussville, Ala., grabbed his first All-America honor after anchoring an offensive line that set the stage for record-breaking production by the Gamecock offense. In his first season as the starter after taking over for two-time All-American Holcombe, Dunn has started every game in the middle this season and was one of four First Team All-OVC linemen from JSU, just the third time in OVC history that four of the five first team offensive linemen have been from the same team.
Dunn's unit up front paved the way for an offense that has run for 4,004 yards, the first 4,000-yard rushing season in school history. The Gamecocks have gained 6,770 yards of total offense, also a new school record. JSU's 512 points are second all-time to the 528 scored in 2013, while its 46 rushing scores are second in school history behind 48 in 2013.
Pope, a senior from Anniston, Ala., also made his first appearance on an All-American squad after a record-breaking season as the Gamecocks premier back. In his first season as the starter after backing up All-American DaMarcus James for three years, Pope has been one of the most electric runners in the country, leading the nation with an average of 8.4 yards per carry to earn First Team All-OVC honors.
He has erupted in the Playoffs for JSU, running for a combined 484 yards in two games. He had 234 in the second round win over Chattanooga before running for 250 in the quarterfinals against Charleston Southern, a team that hadn't allowed a team to run for 200 yards all season. Pope has run for a school-record 1,576 yards, 99 more than James' previous record set in 2013, on just 188 carries. He also has 17 rushing touchdowns, third-most in a season in school history. His 3,164 career rushing yards are third-most in school history, while his 32 career rushing touchdowns are fourth all-time.
Landrum, Sr., has made a living in opposing backfields during his JSU career, especially in 2015. The All-OVC selection at defensive end has 52 total tackles this season, including 16.0 for a loss and a team-high 7.0 sacks. His 16.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage is the third-most in a season in school history.
A native of Sweet Water, Ala., Landrum, Sr., has pinned opposing players for a total loss of 51 yards this season, also in the top 10 in school history. He recently broke the school record for career tackles for a loss with 36.5, while his 14.5 career sacks in tied for second in school history. He has accounted for a total loss of 149 yards in his career, also a school record.
Jenkins was the First Team Quarterback on the squad, while center Casey Dunn earned second team honors. Cornerback Jermaine Hough, Running back Troymaine Pope and defensive end Chris Landrum, Sr., were third team selections.
The No. 1 Gamecocks (12-1) were the only team with five players on the team and were led by Jenkins, who is just the second JSU All-American quarterback since 1998. He was a Freshman All-American in 2013, while Hough was an All-American last year. It marks the first All-American honors for both Dunn and Landrum.
Jenkins, the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has had a record-breaking season leading a record-breaking offense. With 2,484 passing yards and 1,030 rushing, the Birmingham native is the only FCS quarterback with 2,400 passing and 1,000 rushing yards this season. He and Houston signal caller Greg Ward are the only two quarterbacks in all of Division I to reach those marks.
Jenkins has run for 13 touchdowns and thrown for 19 and has climbed several career lists for JSU this season. Just a junior, his school-record 3,514 yards of total offense is 560 more than any other player in school history, while his 7,922 career yards of total offense also broke the school record last week in a win over Charleston Southern. He has run for 195 yards in each of JSU's two playoff wins over Chattanooga and Charleston Southern and is 26-0 in his career as a starter against FCS foes in the regular season.
Hough is an All-American for the second-straight season, joining Max Holcombe as JSU's only back-to-back All-Americans since joining the OVC in 2003. A senior from Lovejoy, Ga., Hough forced opposing offenses to the other side of the field several times in 2015. He bounced back from a knee injury that shortened his 2014 campaign to earn First Team All-OVC honors this season.
Also an Academic All-District selection, Hough recorded 30 tackles for the Gamecocks in 2015, including two stops for a loss and one sack. He intercepted one pass to run his career total to nine. He has broken up 25 passes in his JSU career, while also forcing a fumble.
Dunn, a junior from Trussville, Ala., grabbed his first All-America honor after anchoring an offensive line that set the stage for record-breaking production by the Gamecock offense. In his first season as the starter after taking over for two-time All-American Holcombe, Dunn has started every game in the middle this season and was one of four First Team All-OVC linemen from JSU, just the third time in OVC history that four of the five first team offensive linemen have been from the same team.
Dunn's unit up front paved the way for an offense that has run for 4,004 yards, the first 4,000-yard rushing season in school history. The Gamecocks have gained 6,770 yards of total offense, also a new school record. JSU's 512 points are second all-time to the 528 scored in 2013, while its 46 rushing scores are second in school history behind 48 in 2013.
Pope, a senior from Anniston, Ala., also made his first appearance on an All-American squad after a record-breaking season as the Gamecocks premier back. In his first season as the starter after backing up All-American DaMarcus James for three years, Pope has been one of the most electric runners in the country, leading the nation with an average of 8.4 yards per carry to earn First Team All-OVC honors.
He has erupted in the Playoffs for JSU, running for a combined 484 yards in two games. He had 234 in the second round win over Chattanooga before running for 250 in the quarterfinals against Charleston Southern, a team that hadn't allowed a team to run for 200 yards all season. Pope has run for a school-record 1,576 yards, 99 more than James' previous record set in 2013, on just 188 carries. He also has 17 rushing touchdowns, third-most in a season in school history. His 3,164 career rushing yards are third-most in school history, while his 32 career rushing touchdowns are fourth all-time.
Landrum, Sr., has made a living in opposing backfields during his JSU career, especially in 2015. The All-OVC selection at defensive end has 52 total tackles this season, including 16.0 for a loss and a team-high 7.0 sacks. His 16.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage is the third-most in a season in school history.
A native of Sweet Water, Ala., Landrum, Sr., has pinned opposing players for a total loss of 51 yards this season, also in the top 10 in school history. He recently broke the school record for career tackles for a loss with 36.5, while his 14.5 career sacks in tied for second in school history. He has accounted for a total loss of 149 yards in his career, also a school record.
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