ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Carlos Wiggins was named Second Team All-Mountain West in a vote of the league’s coaches and selected media members, and three other Lobos earned honorable mention honors as the Mountain West released the 2015 All-Conference team and individual honor winners on Tuesday afternoon.
While Wiggins was the only first or second teamer for the Lobos, Dakota Cox, Eden Mahina and Nik D’Avanzo were all named honorable mention. While UNM’s one first or second teamer tied for the lowest total in the conference and UNM’s four honorees overall were tied for the ninth-most in 12-team Mountain West, it sort of fits the Bob Davie mantra of winning as a team, as the Lobos really didn’t have a dominating superstar, but rather a lot of solid pieces that fit together perfectly to the tune of a 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the league, tying for UNM’s most conference wins since 1997.
Wiggins was second in the conference in kickoff return average at 28.8 yards, and he was the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week after his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Hawai’i, his Mountain West record fifth kickoff return touchdown. Wiggins averaged a conference leading 32.0 yards per return in Mountain West games, nearly six yards better than anyone else in the league.
Cox certainly would have been the league’s comeback player of the year had such an award existed, as he ranks 13th in the league in tackle with 89, a total that leads the Lobos. He also has 11 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks, both numbers being career-highs. The two time captain did all of that after returning from a torn ACL after basically nine months.
D’Avanzo’s 48 tackles is seventh-best among all Mountain West defensive linemen, and he and Cox have combined to help the Lobos to become one of the nation’s most improved defenses in terms of yards and posts allowed. His career-high tying nine tackles against Utah State were a key in UNM’s 14-13 win over the Aggies that started UNM’s late-season run.
Mahina earned honorable mention as a center despite never having played the position before. A guard by trade, he moved into the center spot due to other injuries and has helped UNM allow the seventh-fewest sacks in the NCAA as well as block for the nation’s ninth-best rushing attack.
Boise State led the way with 10 first and second team picks and 13 overall, including the Freshman of the Year in Brett Rypien. San Diego State’s nine first and second team picks were second overall in the league, although they led with 14 overall. SDSU had the Offensive Player of the Year (Donell Pumphrey), the Defensive Player of the Year (Demontae Kazee), Special Teams Player of the Year (Rashaad Penny) and Coach of the Year (Rocky Long).
New Mexico finished 7-5 and will learn which bowl it will play in on Sunday evening, December 6. The Lobo ticket office will have information on tickets as soon as the bowl is announced.
Wiggins Earns Second Team All-Mountain West Honors
