Marshall University Athletics
Brenden Knox
Photo by: Eric Espada
Knox Named Team MVP at Marshall Football Banquet
12/13/2019 9:48:00 PM | Football
Thundering Herd running back racks up more honors
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall running back Brenden Knox was named the football team's Most Valuable Player and offensive MVP for the 2019 season, it was announced Friday night at the program's annual Big Green Scholarship Foundation banquet.
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Knox was named Conference USA's MVP earlier this week. He became the second sophomore and second running back to be named C-USA MVP since the award was instituted in 2008. He leads C-USA with 1,284 yards through the first 12 games, an average of 107.0 per game, and has also rushed for 11 touchdowns. His yardage total is the eighth-best in program history and 16th-best among all FBS players this season. Knox was been even better against league foes in 2019, averaging 123.5 yards against C-USA competition with seven scores in eight games. In 17 career games with the Herd, he has 1,862 yards (109.5 per game) and 15 TDs.
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Linebackers Tavante Beckett and Omari Cobb shared the team's Defensive MVP honor. The two finished first (Beckett, 114) and third (Cobb, 107) in the league in tackles. Beckett was named first-team all-conference, while Cobb was selected to the second team. Beckett's 15-tackle game at Charlotte tied for the second-highest single-game total in the conference this season.
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Placekicker Justin Rohrwasser was named the Special Teams MVP. Like Knox, Rohrwasser picked up the conference's Special Teams Player of the Year on Wednesday, the first time a placekicker had won the award since 2005. He has the top field goal percentage in C-USA at .850, connecting on 17-of-20 field goal attempts this season. Rohrwasser is also 33-of-34 on extra-point attempts, giving him 85 points on the year. He produced 15 of his 17 field goals in conference games, while connecting on all 19 PATs in league play.
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Other 2019 Marshall football player awards:
Senior Scholar Award (highest GPA/toughest major) – Tyler Brown, linebacker
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Jim Conard Award (top offensive lineman) – Levi Brown, offensive lineman
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Offensive and Defensive Gridiron Gladiators (relentless, gives everything all of the time) –Cain Madden, offensive lineman and Channing Hames, defensive lineman
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Chad Pennington Award (offensive player on/off field who gives his all) – Armani Levias, tight end
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Tom Stark Award (defensive player on/off field who gives his all) – Chris Jackson, defensive back
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Scout Team Players of the Year (players that gave the opposite side of the ball the best look in practice) – Luke Zban, quarterback (offense) and Elijah Alston, defensive lineman (defense)
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Knox, Cobb, Hames, Levi Brown and Marquis Couch were named team captains Friday, as well.
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Marshall (8-4) will face UCF (9-3) in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 23 in a contest that will air on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. The Thundering Herd is coached by Doc Holliday who led the Herd to his school-record 71st victory over an FBS opponent in a 30-27 overtime victory against FIU on November 30. That triumph broke the previous mark set by Bob Pruett (70, 1996-2004).
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Knox was named Conference USA's MVP earlier this week. He became the second sophomore and second running back to be named C-USA MVP since the award was instituted in 2008. He leads C-USA with 1,284 yards through the first 12 games, an average of 107.0 per game, and has also rushed for 11 touchdowns. His yardage total is the eighth-best in program history and 16th-best among all FBS players this season. Knox was been even better against league foes in 2019, averaging 123.5 yards against C-USA competition with seven scores in eight games. In 17 career games with the Herd, he has 1,862 yards (109.5 per game) and 15 TDs.
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Linebackers Tavante Beckett and Omari Cobb shared the team's Defensive MVP honor. The two finished first (Beckett, 114) and third (Cobb, 107) in the league in tackles. Beckett was named first-team all-conference, while Cobb was selected to the second team. Beckett's 15-tackle game at Charlotte tied for the second-highest single-game total in the conference this season.
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Placekicker Justin Rohrwasser was named the Special Teams MVP. Like Knox, Rohrwasser picked up the conference's Special Teams Player of the Year on Wednesday, the first time a placekicker had won the award since 2005. He has the top field goal percentage in C-USA at .850, connecting on 17-of-20 field goal attempts this season. Rohrwasser is also 33-of-34 on extra-point attempts, giving him 85 points on the year. He produced 15 of his 17 field goals in conference games, while connecting on all 19 PATs in league play.
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Other 2019 Marshall football player awards:
Senior Scholar Award (highest GPA/toughest major) – Tyler Brown, linebacker
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Jim Conard Award (top offensive lineman) – Levi Brown, offensive lineman
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Offensive and Defensive Gridiron Gladiators (relentless, gives everything all of the time) –Cain Madden, offensive lineman and Channing Hames, defensive lineman
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Chad Pennington Award (offensive player on/off field who gives his all) – Armani Levias, tight end
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Tom Stark Award (defensive player on/off field who gives his all) – Chris Jackson, defensive back
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Scout Team Players of the Year (players that gave the opposite side of the ball the best look in practice) – Luke Zban, quarterback (offense) and Elijah Alston, defensive lineman (defense)
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Knox, Cobb, Hames, Levi Brown and Marquis Couch were named team captains Friday, as well.
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Marshall (8-4) will face UCF (9-3) in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 23 in a contest that will air on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. The Thundering Herd is coached by Doc Holliday who led the Herd to his school-record 71st victory over an FBS opponent in a 30-27 overtime victory against FIU on November 30. That triumph broke the previous mark set by Bob Pruett (70, 1996-2004).
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