Junior quarterback Case Keenum is back at it again, racking up nominations for prestigious national awards.
Last week, Keenum was named one of three finalists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, along with Florida’s Tim Tebow and Texas’ Colt McCoy – both frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy.’
On Tuesday, Keenum was named one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee in honor of the Manning quarterback family.’
The award, named after Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, is the only quarterback honor that takes into consideration candidates’ bowl performances. The winner will be announced Jan. 14, 2010.
A day later, Keenum was named one of five finalists for the 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. The winner of the award is determined by Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. This year’s list includes last year’s winner, McCoy, 2007 Heisman Trophy-winner Tebow, Alabama running back Mark Ingram and Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.
The winner will be announced next Thursday on the 5 p.m. edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter.
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Sideline standout
With all the attention garnered by Keenum as the field general of UH’s No. 1-ranked offense, it should be no surprise that one of the architects of that offense is recognized.
Wednesday, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dana Holgorsen was named a finalist for FootballScoop.com’s Quarterbacks Coach of the Year. He joins Texas A&M’s Tom Rossley, Central Michigan’s Mike Bajakian and Cincinnati’s Greg Forest as candidates for the award.
Holgorsen arrived at UH along with head coach Kevin Sumlin prior to the 2008 season and has helped engineer an offense that leads the nation in total offense (583.25 yards per game), passing (443.58 yards per game) and scoring (44.92 points per game).
The winner will be announced on or after Dec. 13.
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Best at the net
UH senior Neila Starratt earned the Conference USA Tennis Player of the Month for November. The announcement came Wednesday from C-USA offices. Starratt won the singles championship at the 2009 Alonti Cougar Fall Draw, held Nov. 6-8. She also won a doubles championship with teammate Elena Kazakova, posting a 6-0 record for the month of November.’
Starratt and the Cougars won’t take the courts again until they kick off the 2010 season on Feb. 13, 2010, when they host Sam Houston State.
