College Sports

Clemson RB Etienne, LB Simmons lead AP All-ACC teams

Posted December 10, 2019 6:00 am

By JOEDY McCREARY

Clemson running back Travis Etienne (9) escapes the tackle attempt by Virginia cornerback Heskin Smith (23) and Virginia linebacker Jordan Mack (4) during the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. Etienne scored a touchdown on the play. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn) The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Third-ranked Clemson once again dominated the Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams and individual awards released Tuesday.

The five-time ACC champions swept the top offensive and defensive player of the year awards and placed 12 players on the two teams as determined by a vote of 14 sports writers who cover the conference.

Led by unanimous selections Travis Etienne at running back and Isaiah Simmons at linebacker, eight Tigers made the first team. Clemson earned its fifth straight berth in the College Football Playoff a day after routing Virginia in the league title game.

Etienne repeated as the offensive player of the year while Simmons was chosen as the defensive player of the year.

Etienne rushed for 1,386 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Tigers while Simmons had 93 tackles, seven sacks, a fumble and two interceptions while winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker.

Louisville coach Scott Satterfield is the coach of the year while North Carolina freshman quarterback Sam Howell is the newcomer of the year.

Satterfield took a team that last season went 2-10 without a conference win and led the Cardinals to a 7-5 record, a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division and a berth in the Music City Bowl against Mississippi State.

Howell threw for an ACC-best 3,347 yards with 35 touchdowns while leading UNC to its first bowl game since 2016. The Tar Heels will face Temple in the Military Bowl.

Joining Etienne and Simmons as unanimous picks were Louisville offensive tackle Mehki Becton, Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba, Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman.

The 2019 Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, as selected by a panel of 14 sports writers who regularly cover the league for newspapers or broadcast outlets. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; 'œu-'ť denotes unanimous selections:

First team

Offense

QB - Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, 6-6, 220, soph., Cartersville, Georgia

u-RB - Travis Etienne, Clemson, 5-10, 210, jr., Jennings, Louisiana

RB - AJ Dillon, Boston College, 6-0, 250, jr., New London, Connecticut

u-T - Mehki Becton, Louisville, 6-7, 369, jr., Highland Springs, Virginia

T - Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson, 6-2, 315, sr., Powder Springs, Georgia

G - John Simpson, Clemson, 6-4, 330, sr., North Charleston, South Carolina

G - John Phillips, Boston College, 6-6, 305, sr., Phoenix, New York

C - Jimmy Morrissey, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 305, r-jr., Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania

TE - Brevin Jordan, Miami, 6-3, 245, soph., Las Vegas

WR - Tee Higgins, Clemson, 6-4, 215, jr., Oak Ridge, Tennessee

WR - Sage Surratt, Wake Forest, 6-3, 215, r-soph., Lincolnton, North Carolina

All-purpose player - Joe Reed, Virginia, 6-1, 215, sr., Charlotte Court House, Virginia

u-K - Nick Sciba, Wake Forest, 5-9, 190, soph., Clover, South Carolina

Defense

u-DE - Gregory Rousseau, Miami, 6-6, 260, r-fr., Coconut Creek, Florida

DE - Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest, 6-5, 275, r-jr., Roanoke, Virginia

u-DT - Jaylen Twyman, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 290, r-soph., Washington

DT - Marvin Wilson, Florida State, 6-5, 311, jr., Houston

u-LB - Isaiah Simmons, Clemson, 6-4, 230, jr., Olathe, Kansas

LB - Chazz Surratt, North Carolina, 6-3, 230, jr., Denver, North Carolina

LB - Shaq Quarterman, Miami, 6-1, 240, sr., Orange Park, Florida

LB - Rayshard Ashby, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 237, jr., Chesterfield, Virginia

CB - Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech, 6-2, 207, r-soph., Maiden, North Carolina

CB - A.J. Terrell, Clemson, 6-1, 190, jr., Atlanta

S - Paris Ford, Pittsburgh, 6-0, 190, r-soph., Pittsburgh

S - Tanner Muse, Clemson, 6-2, 230, sr., Belmont, North Carolina

P - Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse, 5-9, 199, r-sr., Valrico, Florida

Second team

Offense

QB - Bryce Perkins, Virginia, 6-3, 215, sr., Queen Creek, Arizona

RB - Cam Akers, Florida State, 5-11, 212, jr., Clinton, Mississippi

RB - Javian Hawkins, Louisville, 5-9, 182, r-fr., Titusville, Florida

T - Charlie Heck, North Carolina, 6-8, 315, sr., Kansas City, Missouri

T - Ben Petrula, Boston College, 6-5, 310, jr., Freehold, New Jersey

G - Gage Cervenka, Clemson, 6-3, 325, sr., Greenwood, South Carolina

G - Zion Johnson, Boston College, 6-3, 310, jr., Bowie, Maryland

C - Sean Pollard, Clemson, 6-5, 310, sr., Jackson Springs, North Carolina

TE - Noah Gray, Duke, 6-4, 240, jr., Leominster, Massachusetts

WR - Tutu Atwell, Louisville, 5-9, 153, soph., Miami

WR - Dazz Newsome, North Carolina, 5-11, 190, jr., Hampton, Virginia

All-purpose player - Hassan Hall, Louisville, 6-0, 198, soph., Atlanta

K - Christopher Dunn, N.C. State, 5-8, 180, soph., Lexington, North Carolina

Defense

DE - Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 260, r-jr., Chesapeake, Virginia

DE - Victor Dimukeje, Duke, 6-2, 265, jr., Baltimore

DT - Tyler Davis, Clemson, 6-2, 295, fr., Apopka, Florida

DT - Larrell Murchison, N.C. State, 6-3, 291, sr., Elizabethtown, North Carolina

LB - Max Richardson, Boston College, 6-0, 230, r-jr., Duluth, Georgia

LB - Jordan Mack, Virginia, 6-2, 230, sr., Lithonia, Georgia

LB - Michael Pinckney, Miami, 6-1, 230, sr., Jacksonville, Florida

CB - Derion Kendrick, Clemson, 6-0, 190, soph., Rock Hill, South Carolina

CB - Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh, 6-0, 190, r-sr., Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

S - Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State, 6-4, 215, jr., Concord, North Carolina

S - Andre Cisco, Syracuse, 6-0, 203, soph., Valley Stream, New York

P - Trenton Gill, N.C. State, 6-4, 217, r-soph., Hillsborough, North Carolina

Coach of the year - Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Offensive player of the year - Travis Etienne, Clemson

Defensive player of the year - Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Newcomer of the year - Sam Howell, North Carolina

Voting panel: Matt Baker, The Tampa Bay Times; Rick Bozich, WDRB-TV, Louisville, Kentucky; Lauren Brownlow, WRAL.com, Raleigh, North Carolina; Bennett Conlin, The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Virginia; Matthew Connolly, The State of Columbia, South Carolina; Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach (Florida) Post; Jerry DiPaola, (Pittsburgh) Tribune Total Media; Joe Giglio, The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina; Zach Klein, WSB-TV, Atlanta; Nate Mink, The Post-Standard of Syracuse, New York; Conor O'Neill, Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal; Michael Vega, The Boston Globe; Steve Wiseman, The Herald-Sun of Durham, North Carolina; Norm Wood, The Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2019, file photo, Miami tight end Brevin Jordan (9) celebrates a Miami take away in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, in Tallahassee, Fla. Jordan was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2019, file photo, Miami quarterback N'Kosi Perry (5) is sacked by Virginia Tech linebacker Rayshard Ashby during the second half of an NCAA college football game, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Ashby was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2019, file photo, Miami quarterback Jarren Williams (15) is pressured by North Carolina's Chazz Surratt (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C. Chazz Surratt was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2019, file photo, Clemson's Tremayne Anchrum (73) sets to block while B.T. Potter (29) prepares to kick a filed goal during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wofford, in Clemson, S.C. Anchrum was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2019, file photo, Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba (4) kicks a field goal to tie the game against Syracuse as time runs out in the second half of an NCAA college football game, in Syracuse, N.Y. Sciba was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2019, file photo, Virginia wide receiver Joe Reed (2) runs against Louisville during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky. Reed was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2019, file photo, Clemson's A.J. Terrell intercepts a pass for a touchdown during the first half the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Alabama, in Santa Clara, Calif. Terrell was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this July 17, 2019, file photo, Clemson's John Simpson speaks during the Atlantic Coast Conference NCAA college football media day, in Charlotte, N.C. Simpson was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2019, file photo, Miami linebacker Shaquille Quarterman (55) tackles Pittsburgh wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis (18) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, in Pittsburgh. Quartermanwas selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2019, file photo, Pittsburgh's Paris Ford (12) celebrates with Damar Hamlin after Ford scored a touchdown after an interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Duke, in Durham, N.C. Ford was selected to The Associated Press All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.