NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State football program doubled its wins from 2008 to finish with a 6-5 record and winning season for head coach Brock Spack in his first year at the helm. The turnaround was a complete team effort and members of the squad were recognized for their hard work by teammates and coaches at the team's annual awards meeting held at the Kaufman Football Building.
Senior wide receiver Eyad Salem took home the most prestigious honor of the evening, as he was chosen as the team's most valuable player. The Elgin, Ill., native was named a Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection for the second-straight season, after setting new school and conference single-season records with 92 receptions. He also led the conference in receiving yards (943), yards per game (85.7) and receptions per game (8.4) and also ranked fourth in the country in receptions per game and 15th in receiving yards per game.
Freshman Matt Brown and sophomore Eric Brunner took home the Carter Harris Awards as the offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively. A long-time member of the university janitorial department, Harris was an avid football fan and donated a trophy in the fall of 1933 to be awarded each year to the most valuable player on the team. Since 1984, the award has been given to the offensive and defensive player of the year.
Brown, a second-team All-MVFC selection, took over as the starting quarterback after Drew Kiel suffered an injury in the season-opener at Eastern Illinois. From there, the Marion, Ill., native started the final 10 games of the year and set new ISU freshman records for completions (226), attempts (352) and passing yards (2,369) in a season. Brown also led the conference in passing yards per game (215.4), ranked third in pass efficiency (127.6) and his completion percentage of 64.2 was the second-highest single season mark in school history.
Brunner had a breakout season on the defensive line for the Redbirds and ranked fifth on the team with 47 tackles, including 23 solo stops. The Greendale, Wis., native also added 1.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and was credited with a team-high seven quarterback hurries. He recorded a career-high nine tackles against Western Illinois, but played his best game of the season against No. 9 Northern Iowa when he tallied seven tackles and five hurries in the come-from-behind win over the Panthers.
Senior placekicker Zach Kutch was tabbed as the special teams player of the year for the Redbirds. A first-team All-MVFC selection and two-time MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week during the season, Kutch set a new ISU and Valley single-season record with 22 field goals made during the season. The Milton, Fla., native earned his first weekly honor after setting a new school and league record with six field goals made against Western Illinois. The second weekly honor came after he nailed a pair of 50+ yard field goals in an upset win over No. 9 Northern Iowa, making him the first player in school history and just the fifth in league history to hit two field goals from 50 yards or more in the same game.
Junior defensive tackle Mike Piton was honored with the Fred Cleland Award, an honor given to the player that showed inspiration and strength throughout the season. The award is named in honor of Cleland, a former Illinois State football player who passed away during surgery to repair a dislocated neck two days after being injured during a fall scrimmage prior to the start of the 1970 season.
Piton injured his left knee early in the season, but still managed to play in all 11 games and started four contests on the defensive line. The Palos Hills, Ill., native finished the season with 23 total tackles, including nine solo stops, and recorded two sacks and three quarterback hurries. He saved his best performance for last, as he collected a season-high five tackles and a sack in the upset win over No. 9 Northern Iowa.
Rounding out the honors were awards for the offensive and defensive scout team players of the year. Freshman fullback/tight end Jordan Neukirch and freshman defensive lineman Chike Osude took home the honors in the respective categories for their hard work and efforts in practice to prepare their teammates for the upcoming week's opponent.
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