Six Bulldogs Receive All-Conference Accolades

Spartanburg, S.C.- Six members of The Citadel Football team received postseason All-Conference accolades announced by the league office on Tuesday. Three players were named first team, including Cass Couey (P), Derek Douglas (DL) and Mike Sellers (OL), while Chris Billingslea (DL) drew second team defense honors. Newcomers Aaron Miller (QB) and Rah Muhammad (LB) were named to the All-Freshman Offense and Defense, respectively.

Couey (Tampa, Fla.) finished the season with 40 punts for a total of 1,719 yards (43.0 yards per punt). He placed the opposition inside their own 20-yard line on 14 different occasions, including five games in which he performed the feat twice. Additionally, Couey booted 10 punts for 50 yards or more, including a season-long 66-yard boot against Wofford. In games against Wofford, Virginia Military and Samford Couey finished with multiple 50-yard punts.

Douglas (Garland, TX) finished the 2011 season with 43 total tackles, including 27 solo, placing himself sixth on the team. He made 14.5 tackles for losses totaling 49 yards, high marks on the team, which included 3.5 sacks for a loss of 29 yards. Douglas flushed the quarterback out of the pocket three times over the course of the season and recovered a unit high three fumbles. His standout performances of the season included a pair of seven-tackle outings against Wofford and Samford.

Sellers (Summerville, S.C.) was the starting center for The Citadel offense in all 11 games this season. He anchored a Bulldog offensive line that finished fourth in the FCS in rushing offense (286.6 yards per game) and 95th in total offense (318.8 yards per game) on the season. The Dogs managed 22 redzone touchdowns in 37 opportunities (59%) and put eight different players into the endzone. Sellers paved the way for two players, Darien Robinson and Ben Dupree, to place themselves in the top-100 rushers in the FCS.

Billingslea (Fort Mill, S.C.) made his impact on both The Citadel defense, finishing with 53 tackles (22 solo), as well as the special teams unit (two blocked kicks). Fourth on the team in total tackles, Billingslea was one of three players to record double-digit tackles for loss, finishing with 11 tackles for losses of 32 yards. Two of those tackles for loss were sacks. Billingslea's top performance of the season came against Wofford, where he finished with 10 tackles (three solo) and two for losses of three yards. On two occasions, against Furman and Appalachian State, he finished with seven tackles.

Miller (Clover, S.C.) was the lone representative for The Citadel on the SoCon's All-Freshmen Offensive Team. His breakout performance came against Chattanooga on Oct. 1, when he carried the ball 17 times for 62 yards and was the catalyst to The Citadel's 28-point come-from-behind victory over the Mocs. Two weeks later, against Appalachian State, Miller reached the endzone a career-high three times as The Citadel rallied within seven points of the Mountaineers before falling 49-42. Against fourth ranked Georgia Southern, Miller scored a second quarter touchdown and keyed a fourth quarter drive that gave the Dogs an opportunity to attempt the game-winning field goal as time expired.

Muhammad (Gadsden, Ala.) made two starts in his first season on The Citadel defense. He tallied 21 tackles, nine solo, and made one stop behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of three yards. Among his 21 tackles were a pair of four tackle outings against Western Carolina and Samford. Muhammad saved his best individual performance for the season finale against (14) South Carolina, when he recorded five tackles and intercepted quarterback Connor Shaw in the first half which eventually led to a Citadel touchdown.

For more information on Bulldog Football, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.