SMU lands 10 on All-AAC teams

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Ten Mustangs Earn All-Conference Honors

IRVING, Texas (The American/SMU) – Ten Mustangs picked up American Athletic Conference postseason honors, led by first-team selection Danny Gray, league officials announced Wednesday.

In addition to Gray's selection, eight student-athletes were named to the second team and one to the honorable mention list. The 10 selections are the most for the Mustangs as part of The American, and most All-Conference honorees since the 11 in 2012.

Among the picks are two-time selections Ulysses Bentley IV and Hayden Howerton, who were first- and second-team selections, respectively, in 2020.

Danny Gray | Wide Receiver | First Team
He currently leads the team with 803 yards and nine TDs off 49 receptions in only 10 games. His TD total ties for 10th at SMU and is 24th nationally. After a pair this season, Gray now has three career 100-yard receiving games.

Gray was one of six student-athletes added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List on Oct. 27, and has accepted an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl, while also earning Reese's Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 27), AAC Weekly honors (Sept. 27) and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Honorable Mention honors (Sept. 28). He was also listed on the preseason NFLPA College Bowl Big Board.

Alan Ali | Offensive Line | Second Team
Ali has helped the Mustangs to top-20 national rankings in first down offense (10th 298), scoring offense (11th, 38.4), total offense (13th, 465.9) passing offense (16th, 304.5) and sacks allowed (16th, 1.33).

He opened the season on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board and the College Gridiron Showcase Watch List.

Hayden Howerton | Offensive Line | Second Team
Howerton, who is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, is now SMU's career leader in games played, 59, and games started, 53. He has helped the Mustangs to top-20 national rankings in first down offense, scoring offense, total offense, passing offense and sacks allowed.

He opened the season on the College Gridiron Showcase Watch List and was a Pro Football Focus All-AAC First-Team Selection.

Grant Calcaterra | Tight End | Second Team
Calcaterra has four TDs off 38 receptions and 465 yards in 2021, and has accepted an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Calcaterra started the year on Mackey Award, Reese's Senior Bowl and College Gridiron Showcase Watch Lists, and was mentioned on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board.

Tanner Mordecai | Quarterback | Second Team
Mordecai broke the SMU and AAC single-season passing TDs records with his 39 so far in 2021. He ranks in the top 10 nationally and leads the conference in passing TDs, points responsible for (5th, 248), completions per game (7th, 25.67), passing yards (10th, 3,628) and passing yards per game (10th, 302.3), while his total offense is 11th (319.2).

He has at least four TDs in five of 12 games and has passed for 300+ yards in eight, while also posting 10 consecutive games with 2+ TDs, which ties for second for a Mustang. His seven TDs against ACU broke the SMU single-game record.

The Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award semifinalist earned back-to-back AAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after wins at La. Tech and against UNT, and earned his third after the win over Tulane and fourth after the UCF game. He was also a member of the Manning Award Watch List.

Ulysses Bentley IV | Running Back | Second Team
With 11 games played in 2021, Bentley IV is second on the team with 610 rushing yards and four TDs off 96 carries. He registered his sixth career 100-yard rushing game and seventh career game with 100+ all-purpose yards during the regular season, and open the year on Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, CFPA Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch Lists.

Elijah Chatman | Defensive Line | Second Team
Chatman is second on the team with nine TFLs and leads the team with a pair of forced fumbles, which ranks 19th nationally. He also adds 2.5 sacks, three QB hurries and a forced fumble.

Chatman was named to the AAC Weekly honor roll on Nov. 15 after registering five tackles, including career-highs of three TFLs and two sacks against UCF.

Delano Robinson | Linebacker | Second Team
Robinson leads the Mustangs with 78 tackles (35 solo) in 2021, and has three TFLs, a sack and one interception. He has led or co-led the Mustangs in tackles in 13 of the last 21 games.

Bryan Massey | Return Specialist | Second Team
Massey ranks second nationally in kickoff return TDs with a pair and is third nationally, while leading the conference, in kickoff returns at 34.3 ypr. His two TDs tied both the SMU single-season and career records.

He went 100 yards for the score against Houston and was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for his efforts, while his 95-yard return for a TD against Navy earned him American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Massey has 686 KO return yards on 20 attempts this season.

Rashee Rice | Wide Receiver | Honorable Mention
Rice is currently leading the team with nine TDs off 64 receptions and 670 yards. His TD total ranks 24th nationally and third in the AAC, and is tied for 10th all-time on SMU's program list. Rice had a five-game TD streak stretching from ACU (Sept. 4) to USF (Oct. 2).

He was a member of the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

The Mustangs finished the 2021 regular season 8-4 overall and 4-4 in conference play and are awaiting a bowl selection announcement.

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

I notice the all-offensive team has 11 players and the all-defensive team has 13 players.

I thought the whole point was that you pick 11 of each.

They could have handed nice participation trophies to the other three.

[Water Pony]

An impressive group of SMU members of the All-AAC Team.

Well done, Mustangs!

[Terry Webster]

I notice the all-offensive team has 11 players and the all-defensive team has 13 players.

I thought the whole point was that you pick 11 of each.

They could have handed nice participation trophies to the other three.

Maybe there were ties?

[SMU Pom Mom]

I notice the all-offensive team has 11 players and the all-defensive team has 13 players.

I thought the whole point was that you pick 11 of each.

They could have handed nice participation trophies to the other three.

I'm not understanding your math.

[ALEX LIFESON]

And finished 4-4.