Benger Named PAC Offensive Player of the Year; Tartans Place 17 on All-PAC Team
(GREENVILLE, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team had 17 players receive All-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) distinction for the 2015 season, announced by the conference office following voting by the league coaches on Tuesday, November 17. The Tartans landed four on the first team, including sophomore running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) who was named PAC Offensive Player of the Year. After starting the season 1-3, the Tartans won their last six regular season contests to finish with a mark of 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the PAC, tied for third.
Benger has rushed for an NCAA Division III-best 1,897 yards this season to go along with 18 rushing touchdowns. He also ranks third among Division III counterparts with 2,034 all-purpose yards. He holds the number five spot on the PAC's single-season rushing chart and needs 103 yards in Sunday's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Legacy Bowl Championship matchup with Bridgewater State University to join the league's three members of the 2,000-yard club (R.J. Bowers: 2,283 yards in 1998, 2,098 yards in 1999; Robert Heller: 2,176 yards in 2007, Dominique Hayden: 2,017 yards in 2013). He would also become the 21st rusher in Division III to accomplish the feat.
Earlier this season, Benger set the school's single-game rushing mark with 303 yards against then nationally ranked Washington & Jefferson College. The sophomore also became the Tartans' all-time single-season rushing leader after surpassing the mark of 1,326 yards held by Travis Sivek during the 2006 season. A 2014 honorable mention selection as a return specialist, Benger is the first Carnegie Mellon player to earn PAC Offensive Player of the Year honors since running back Scott Barnyak in 1989.
Joining Benger on the first team are, senior center Andrew Garibaldi (Flemington N.J./Hunterdon Central), junior defensive lineman Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and sophomore safety Drew Fitzmorris (Omaha, Neb./Westside). The four are accompanied by two second team honorees in senior offensive tackle Will French (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) and sophomore punter Tyler Kohman (Pataskala, Ohio/Columbus Academy) and 11 that were named honorable mention.
Khoury leads the PAC and ranks third nationally with 13.5 sacks for a loss of 95 yards. The junior set the school's single-game sack record with 4.0 against Bethany and then became the single-season Tartan leader following his 3.0 sacks at Thiel passing the mark of 11.0 sacks held by Chris Balouris in 1989 and Anima Nwankwo in 1998. Khoury has a total of 18.0 tackles for a loss of 106 yards which is second-best in the PAC.
Fitzmorris has recorded six interceptions this season and needs one more to tie the school's single-season record held by three Tartans. His six picks ranks tops in the PAC. The junior also leads the team in tackles with 79 which ranks eighth in the conference.
Garibaldi and French fronted an offensive line that helped the Tartans reach the 500-yard mark of total offense in six games this season including two games that saw the Cardinal and Gray total 600 yards. The two also have played a key part in blocking for the nation's leading rusher.
Kohman averages 39.2 yards per punt which is fourth-best in the PAC. The sophomore booted a career-best 58-yarder earlier this season and has placed 17 of his 43 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.
The Tartans Honorable Mention Honorees:
Offense:
Junior H-Back Zach Cree
Senior quarterback Andrew Hearon
Junior offensive guard W. Tyler Reid
Senior wide receiver Graham Schilling
Defense:
Junior safety Samer Abdelmoty
Senior corner back Ryan Aitken
Sophomore outside linebacker Kyle Brittain
Senior linebacker Nico Comsa
Junior defensive end Jack Fagan
Special Teams:
Sophomore returner Drew Fitzmorris
Junior placekicker Gabe Renna