Eight Miami Football RedHawks Honored with All-MAC Status
11/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2004
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Heading into Thursday's Mid-American Conference Championship tilt with the University of Toledo, Miami University's MAC East Division Champion football team has been honored by the conference coaches with eight selections to the all-MAC team, the league office announced Monday.
Junior linebacker Terna Nande (Grand Rapids, MI/Creston) and junior defensive end Marcus Johnson (Youngstown, OH/Ursuline) both were first-team honorees, while junior tackle Todd Londot (Utica, OH/Utica), senior cornerback Alphonso Hodge (Cleveland, OH/St. Edward), junior cornerback Darrell Hunter (Middletown, OH/Middletown) and senior safety Matt Pusateri (Dublin, OH/Bishop Watterson) were all selected to the all-MAC second team. Senior running back Luke Clemens (Dayton, OH/Bellbrook) and junior linebacker John Busing (Alpharetta, GA/Chattahoochee) were both honorable mention all-league picks.
Johnson, in his first year as a starting defensive end for the RedHawks, ranked fifth on the team with 49 total tackles while amassing a team-best 12.5 tackles for loss. The junior, who made the move from defensive tackle to defensive end during the offseason, ranks fourth in the MAC and 30th nationally with 7.5 quarterback sacks. He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week after totaling six tackles and a pair of sacks in a Sept. 18 defeat of Ohio and later added a career-best three quarterback sacks in an Oct. 9 defeat of Kent State.
Nande, one of two RedHawk linebackers honored by the league, ranks third on the team with 67 tackles and has been in on four quarterback sacks this year. A physically-gifted athlete who plays both outside linebacker and defensive end in the RedHawk defensive system, Nande enjoyed his best outing in Miami's Nov. 2 defeat of Toledo, amassing seven solo stops and forcing a pair of fumbles. Nande was a second-team all-MAC selection as a sophomore, making him one of two repeat selections from Miami.
Hodge and Hunter, Miami's starting cornerback tandem, are important contributors in the RedHawk defense, which has allowed 221.6 yards passing per game and ranks 27th nationally in total defense. Both two-year starters, Hodge and Hunter are key factors in a defense that requires them to neutralize the opposition's top receivers with little or no help. Hodge accounted for 40 tackles on the year and made five quarterback sacks coming off corner blitzes. Hunter made 26 stops on the year and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Miami allowed only one opposing to quarterback to pass for 300 yards this season. They, along with Pusateri, are the first RedHawk defensive backs to earn all-MAC status since 1998.
Londot, a second-team all-MAC selection as a center last season, earns the honor as the RedHawks' right tackle in 2004. After starting Miami's first five games at center, Londot was moved to right tackle to make better use of his abilities and shore up an offensive front that was struggling. In the six games since the move, Miami has surrendered only nine sacks and is averaging 157.7 yards rushing per game. Londot has started 30 straight games on the Miami offensive line and was on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy.
One of the surest tacklers in program history, Pusateri earns all-MAC status for the first time in an impressive career. A four-year starter for the Red and White, Pusateri ranks among Miami's all-time leaders in tackles and is poised to break Miami's career record for unassisted tackles. This season, the senior ranks second on the team with 71 tackles, including a team-high 47 solo stops, and has totaled two interceptions. He had a season-high 13 stops at Western Michigan on Nov. 20.
Busing, the second Miami linebacker honored, leads Miami in tackles this season, totaling 73, and has been in on 6.5 tackles for loss. A starter in Miami's last 25 games, the big-play junior, who led all linebackers nationally in interceptions last year, has seven career interceptions and four career forced fumbles and has totaled one of each this year. Busing also blocked an extra-point attempt in the RedHawks' Nov. 2 defeat of Toledo. Busing has totaled 10 or more tackles twice this season, including a career-high 15 at Marshall (Sept. 29).
Clemens, a second-team all-MAC pick in 2002, has been a remarkable comeback story for the Red and White, returning from a medical redshirt year in 2003 to lead the team in rushing. With 808 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to date, Clemens has been at his best over the past six games, averaging 102.0 yards rushing per game and tallying nine of his TDs. He is coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, totaling 160 yards at Western Michigan (Nov. 13) and 140 yards in Miami's MAC East-clinching win at Akron on Nov. 20. The senior already ranks among Miami's all-time top five in touchdowns and is within striking distance of the program's top 10 career rushers.
Over the past two seasons, in which the RedHawks have won 15 out of 16 regular-season MAC games, Miami has totaled 15 all-MAC honorees. Miami makes its second straight MAC Championship game appearance Thursday night when it faces MAC West Champion Toledo at Detroit's Ford Field. The game, which will be televised nationally by ESPN, is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
