By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – A total of 12 Illinois State football players were named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference teams Monday by the league office, highlighted by five MVFC First-Team selections that included MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Marshaun Coprich.
Coprich became just the fourth player in the 31-year history of the Missouri Valley Football Conference to be named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. The Victorville, California, native led the MVFC in rushing yards (1,720), touchdowns (20), yards per game (156.4), all-purpose yards per game (169.0) and scoring (11.1) in 2015 and has rushed for over 100 yards in nine of ISU’s 11 games. Coprich’s statistics also rank No. 2 overall in the FCS in rushing yards, yards per game and touchdowns.
Joining Coprich on the first team were senior quarterback Tre Roberson, junior center Mark Spelman, junior wide receiver Anthony Warrum and senior middle linebacker Pat Meehan.
Roberson is the first Redbird in school history to earn back-to-back first-team honors at quarterback and just the sixth in the history of the MVFC to repeat as a first-team selection at the position. Roberson ranked No. 1 the MVFC with a pass efficiency rating of 154.2 and accounted for 24 total touchdowns (15 pass, 9 pass) despite playing half of the season with a thumb injury. He finished the season with 1,723 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air and rushed for 630 yards and nine scores on the ground.
Spelman started all 11 games at center for the Redbirds, who ranked No. 3 in the MVFC in scoring (35.3) and total offense (418.5). He was named MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 24 and is a key member of the offensive line that led the way for Coprich, who led the MVFC in rushing yards (1,720), touchdowns (20), yards per game (156.4), all-purpose yards per game (169.0) and scoring (11.1 points per game).
Warrum earned All-MVFC honors for the first time in his career and ranks No. 1 in the MVFC in receiving touchdowns (13), No. 2 in yards per game (93.7) and No. 3 in receiving yards (1,031). He is just the seventh player in ISU history to record over 1,000 yards in a season and had five 90-plus receiving yard performances in 2015. Warrum also had three games with at least three touchdown receptions and set career-bests with 241 yards and three touchdowns at South Dakota State.
For the second time in as many years, Meehan earned All-MVFC First-Team honors at linebacker for the Redbirds. He started all 11 games at middle linebacker and led the team with 86 total tackles, which ranks No. 11 in the MVFC at 7.8 tackles per game. He also added two tackles-for-loss, an interception and posted three double-digit tackle efforts, including a season-high 13 tackles in a win over Western Illinois.
Four Redbirds were also selected to the All-MVFC Second Team. Senior defensive linemen Teddy Corwin and David Perkins were joined by junior fullback Brady Tibbits and junior offensive lineman Kyle Avaloy. Senior linebacker Alex Donnelly, sophomore safety Alec Kocour and sophomore defensive lineman Dalton Keene were also named All-MVFC Honorable Mention selections in the annual vote.
Additionally, Indiana State long snapper Josh Appel, a Normal West High School graduate, was named All-MVFC First-Team.
The No. 2 seed Redbirds (9-2, 7-1 MVFC) earned a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs, and will host fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Western Illinois (7-5, 5-3 MVFC) at Hancock Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday in the second round of the playoffs.
