June 4, 2008
CLEVELAND - Ten San Diego State football players were named to Phil Steele's 2008 Preseason All-Mountain West Conference team on Monday. Russell Allen earned first-team recognition, while Darren Mougey and Luke Laolagi were second-team honorees. Vincent Brown and Corey Boudreaux were both third-team selections, and Mike Schmidt, Ryan Williams, Vonnie Holmes, Aaron Moore and Mekell Wesley were all named honorable mention picks.
Allen, a junior linebacker, led the Aztecs last season with 119 tackles and also ranked first in the league in tackles per outing (10.6). The Oceanside, Calif., native broke a 36-year old school record with 22 tackles, including 10 solo stops, against Utah on Oct. 13, and was named co-MWC defensive player of the week for his efforts. He ranks third in SDSU single-season history in tackles by a junior and tied for eighth in solo stops (71).
After moving from quarterback to wide receiver, Mougey finished the season ranked third on the Aztecs receiving list. The senior from Scottsdale, Ariz. had 32 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns. He made his first four career catches for 52 yards and a 19-yard touchdown against Washington State in the first game of 2007.
Laolagi, a junior linebacker from Reseda, Calif., was San Diego State's third-leading tackler (94). He had a career-high 13 stops against both New Mexico (Nov. 3) and TCU (Nov. 24). Laolagi also finished with 10 solo tackles, including four for a loss and his first career sack in the Aztecs' comeback win against Wyoming, earning him MWC co-player-of-the-week honors. Laolagi reached double figures in tackles in four games in his first year as a starter.
Brown, a sophomore wide receiver and kick returner, played in all 12 contests as a true freshman in 2007. The native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished fourth on the team in receptions with 31 and in receiving yards with 394. Brown returned 25 kickoffs for 547 yards (21.9 ypr.) and was one of four true freshmen to see action in the opener with Washington State, where he returned six kickoffs for 146 yards with a long of 33 yards. His 146 yards rank sixth in SDSU single-game history. Brown scored his first career touchdown on a 62-yard reception against Portland State. He returned eight kickoffs to tie a school single-game record against No. 24 Cincinnati for 142 yards, and had a career and team season-high nine catches against New Mexico for 58 yards.
A senior defensive back from Orange, Calif., Boudreaux was fourth on the team with 84 tackles, seventh in the MWC in passed defended and 15th in tackles per outing. He finished second on the squad with three interceptions. He had a career-high 13 tackles and added an interception, a tackle for loss, forced fumble and two pass break-ups at Utah, two PBU vs. New Mexico, and a team-high 12 tackles in the win over Wyoming. Boudreaux was granted his sixth-year of eligibility earlier this spring.
Schmidt, a senior offensive linemen from San Diego, Calif., played in all 12 games in 2007. He was in the starting lineup at left guard in the opener against Washington State and at Arizona State, and also a starter versus Portland State, Cincinnati, Colorado State and Utah. Schmidt moved to right guard the last six games of the season. The two-year letterwinner provided protection for senior quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who rushed for a team-high 408 yards and 11 touchdowns and threw for 3,063 yards and 15 scores.
Williams, a 6-6, 245-pound defensive end, spent two years at Ohio State, redshirting his first season before appearing in two contests as a freshman in 2006. Williams played his high school football at Mission Viejo HS in Mission Viejo, Calif., where he led the Diablos to a perfect 14-0 record, a CIF title and a No. 3 national ranking by USA Today in 2004. He was rated the 12th-best defensive end in the country by Rivals.com and the No. 27 recruit in the state of California as a prep. Williams has two years of eligibility remaining and will be able to play for SDSU beginning with the 2008 season.
A senior defensive back, Holmes played in all 12 contests, starting seven times in his first year at SDSU. The Palmdale, Calif. native logged 26 tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions with four. He had an interception in his first career game in the second quarter against Washington State. Holmes is the first SDSU player to have an interception in four straight games since Eric Lewis in 1995. He had a career-high seven tackles and recovered a fumble in the loss to TCU. Holmes finished the season tied for 61st nationally and was third in the MWC in INTs per game (0.3).
Moore, a junior defensive back, played in every game, starting in 11 outings for the Aztecs. Along with Holmes, he tied for first on the team in interceptions with four, and added 59 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. Moore had a career-high eight tackles and one pass break-up against Washington State. He also had a career-best two PBU in the win over the Vikings. His first career interception came against No. 24 Cincinnati. He tied his career-best with eight stops and two tackles for loss in the win over UNLV. Moore also finished the season tied for 61st nationally and was third in the MWC in INTs per game (0.3).
A junior wide receiver and kick returner, Wesley played in all 12 contests in 2007. The Chandler, Ariz. native returned 26 kickoffs for 568 yards (21.8 ypr.) and had a pair of punt returns for 43 yards. Wesley logged two carries for 14 yards in his first start vs. Portland State and his first career kickoff returns against New Mexico, returning three for 60 yards. He was name Mountain West Conference co-Player of the Week, after logging an 89-yard kick-off return for a touchdown at UNLV, SDSU's first since 1997.
The Aztecs ended the 2007 campaign with a 4-8 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in conference play for sixth place finish in the MWC standings.
Phil Steele's 2008 Preseason All-MWC Team (SDSU Only)
First Team Defense
LB - Russell Allen
Second Team Offense
WR- Darren Mougey
Second Team Defense
LB - Luke Laolagi
Third Team Offense
WR - Vincent Brown
Third Team Defense
DB - Corey Boudreaux
Honorable Mention Offense
OL - Mike Schmidt
Honorable Mention Defense
DL - Ryan Williams
DB - Vonnie Holmes
DB - Aaron Moore
Honorable Mention Special Teams
WR - Mekell Wesley