Dec. 5, 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference announced the 2005 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners today as selected by the coaches and media panel. The University of New Mexico had a league best seven first team selections, including senior tailback DonTrell Moore who was also named MWC Offensive Player of the Year. The seven first team honorees matches the most in program history, which was also accomplished in 2003.
Moore, wide receiver Hank Baskett III, center Ryan Cook and offensive guard Robert Turner were voted first team all-MWC on offense, while cornerback Gabriel Fulbright, linebacker Mike Mohoric and defensive end Evroy Thompson were named to the first team defense. Linebacker Cody Kase was an honorable mention selection.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – DonTrell Moore
New Mexico’s first Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. The last Lobo to garner conference offensive player of the year honors was Graham Leigh in 1997.
The third running back since the inception of the MWC to be named Offensive Player of the Year (1999-Kevin McDougal, Colorado State/2001-Luke Staley, BYU).
The second New Mexico running back (Mike Williams was co-MVP of the WAC in 1978) and sixth Lobo ever to receive conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. Quarterbacks Stan Quintana (1964), Rocky Long (1971), StoneyCase (1994) and Leigh were the other four.
First player in UNM and Mountain West Conference history named first team all-conference four times.
Unanimous first team pick three times and the only unanimous selection on offense, defense or special teams in 2005.
Moore (2002 MWC Freshman of the Year) and former BYU running back Luke Staley are the only players ever to be named the MWC’s top freshman and Offensive Player of the Year in their career. Staley was the voted the 1999 MWC Freshman of the Year and top offensive player in 2001.
NOTABLES
Moore and Ryan Cook were two of the three repeat first-team all-MWC selections in 2005. Cook is the first Lobo center ever to earn first team all-conference honors three times in a career.
Seniors Hank Baskett III, Gabriel Fulbright, Mike Mohoric, Evroy Thompson and junior Robert Turner each earned first team honors for the first time in their careers. Fulbright was a second team selection the last two years, while Baskett and Turner were honorable mention picks in 2004. Mohoric and Thompson were honored by the league for the first time.
UNM has had at least two first team all-MWC offensive linemen each of the last three years – a first for the league. New Mexico offensive linemen have earned first team honors seven times, tying Colorado State for the most in MWC history. All seven awards have come since 2003.
Baskett is the first Lobo WR to earn first team all-conference honors since Pascal Volz in 1997 (WAC). Baskett, Volz, Terance Mathis (1986-87, ’89), Ricky Martin (1978), Preston Dennard (1974 & ’76) and Ace Hendricks (1968) are the only UNM receivers to be named first team all-conference.
Mohoric is the fourth UNM linebacker to earn first team all-MWC honors in the past five years. Gary Davis (2001), Charles Moss (2002) and Nick Speegle (2004) were the other three.
The four first team selections on offense and three first team selections on defense match the most in school history. UNM also had four first team honorees on offense in 1934, ’62, ’71, ’76 and 2003. Three defensive players also earned a spot on the first team defense in 1982, ’83, ’93 and 2004.
Of the 51 first and second-team 2005 all-MWC selections, 31 were seniors, 10 juniors, nine sophomores and one freshman. The first team had 15 seniors, six juniors and four sophomores. Turner (junior) and honorable mention linebacker Cody Kase (sophomore) were the Lobos’ only non-seniors honored by the MWC.
Complete Listing of 2005 All-MWC Football Team & Award Winners in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader