Youngstown State DE Derek Rivers, OT Justin Spencer and TB Martin Ruiz were named preseason first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference, the league announced on Monday. In the preseason poll, the Penguins were tabbed to finish fourth in the MVFC in 2015.
Besides the first-team trio, DE Terrell Williams and WR Andrew Williams were honorable-mention preseason all-league selections.
Rivers was a first-team All-MVFC honoree as a sophomore last season while Ruiz was a second-team pick for the second consecutive campaign. Spencer was an all-newcomer team honoree after starting all 12 games on the line as a redshirt freshman in 2014. Terrell Williams was a second-team all-conference pick last season while Andrew Williams was an honorable-mention recipient.
Rivers had 14 sacks, the third-most by a player in school history and the most by a Penguin in the regular season in 2014. Of his 14 sacks, 10 came in Missouri Valley Football Conference action. He had 50 tackles on the season, 41 of which came in league play.
Ruiz rushed for 1,320 yards on 265 carries and had 10 touchdowns. In eight MVFC contests, he had 866 yards on 177 attempts and scored four TDs. On eight occasions he went over the 100-yard mark, including five times in MVFC play.
Terrell Williams had the best season of his career finishing with 51 total tackles and 10 sacks playing opposite Rivers. Or note, all 10 of his sacks came in eight MVFC contests as he registered sacks in six contests.
Andrew Williams led the team with 54 catches for 976 yards and six touchdowns. Of his 54 catches, 47 came in conference play and covered 776 yards. In eight league games he averaged 97 yards per game and 16.5 yards per reception. He became a go-to target with six-or-more receptions in each of the final six games of the year.
Spencer started all 12 games at right tackle as a redshirt freshman. He was the team's offensive lineman of the game on four occasions earning the honor against Duquesne, Saint Francis (Pa.), Southern Illinois and South Dakota. He was just one three offensive lineman to make the MVFC Offensive Newcomer team a year ago.
Four-time defending FCS Champion North Dakota State was picked first with 389 points and 32 of 40 possible first-place votes. FCS national finalist Illinois State was tabbed second with 366 points and the remaining eight first-place votes.
Ahead of YSU in third place was UNI with 300 points while just behind the Guins was South Dakota State at 251. Indiana State was sixth (190), Southern Illinois was seventh (143), Western Illinois was eighth (139), Missouri State was tabbed ninth (91) and South Dakota rounded out the poll (66).
The Penguins play host to the preseason No. 1, No. 2, No. 5 and No. 9 teams while making visits to the No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 10 squads. YSU will not play UNI for the second straight year before the schedule changes in 2016 and the Panthers return to the Guins' schedule.
Season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale at the YSU Athletic Ticket Office in Stambaugh Stadium Stadium. The six-home game slate features those contests against National Champion North Dakota State, national finalist Illinois State and playoff qualifier South Dakota State. More information is available by calling (330) 941-1978.
2015 Valley Football Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes) ...................Points
1. North Dakota State (32) ......................389
2. Illinois State ( 8 ) ...................................366
3. UNI .....................................................300
4. Youngstown State ...............................265
5. South Dakota State ............................251
6. Indiana State ......................................190
7. Southern Illinois ..................................143
8. Western Illinois ...................................139
9. Missouri State .......................................91
10. South Dakota .......................................6
2015 Missouri Valley Football Preseason Team
Name, School Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown / High School
QB- Tre Roberson, ILS 6-0 205 Sr. Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence Central
RB- Marshaun Coprich, ILS 5-9 205 Sr. Victorville (Calif.) Oak Hills
Martin Ruiz, YSU 5-11 195 Jr. Tampa (Fla.) Robinson High
FB- Andrew Bonnet, NDSU 6-3 250 Sr. Council Bluffs (Iowa) Underwood High
WR- Lance Lenoir, Jr., WIU 6-0 190 Jr. Crete (Ill.) Crete Monee High
Jake Wieneke, SDSU 6-4 210 So. Maple Grove (Minn.) High
TE- Braden Lehman, UNI 6-7 245 Sr. Iowa City (Iowa) Regina High
OL- Robert Booker, MSU 6-3 312 Sr. Ozark (Mo.) High
Joe Haeg, NDSU 6-6 299 Sr. Lake Shore (Minn.) Brainerd High
Jacob Ohnesorge, SDSU 6-3 280 So. Waunakee (Wis.) High
Justin Spencer, YSU 6-5 295 So. Indiana (Pa.) High
Matt Zobrist, WIU 6-3 290 Jr. Troy (Ill.) Triad High
LS- Joshua Appel, INS 6-2 250 Jr. Normal (Ill.) West High
PK- Michael Schmadeke, UNI 5-10 165 Sr. Waterloo (Iowa) Columbus High
DL- Isaac Ales, UNI 6-3 260 Sr. Muscatine (Iowa) High
Teddy Corwin, ILS 6-5 260 Sr. St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet Jesuit High
Cole Langer, SDSU 6-2 285 Jr. Dell Rapids (S.D.) High
Derek Rivers, YSU 6-5 240 Jr. Kinston (N.C.) High
LB- T.J. Lally, SDSU 6-0 225 Sr. Chicago (Ill.) Marmion Academy
Brett McMakin, UNI 6-4 228 Jr. Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley West
Pat Meehan, ILS 6-1 225 Sr. Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East
Connor Underwood, INS 6-3 240 Sr. Washington (Ill.) Community High
DB- Deiondre' Hall, UNI 6-2 190 Sr. Blue Springs (Mo.) High
Tim Kilfoy, UNI 6-1 212 Sr. Davenport (Iowa) Assumption High
Mark Sewall, INS 6-0 210 Sr. Western Springs (Ill.) Lyons Township
Travis Starks, INS 5-10 190 Sr. Chicago (Ill.) St. Rita of Cascia
P- Ben LeCompte, NDSU 5-10 200 Sr. Barrington (Ill.) High
RS- Je Ryan Butler, SDSU 5-11 185 Sr. Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos De Niza High
Honorable Mention:
QB Carson Wentz (NDSU); RB Calan Crowder (MSU); TE Luke Albers (NDSU); TE Jamar Brown
(INS); WR Andrew Williams (YSU); WR Eric Shufford (USD); LS James Fisher (NDSU); OL Zack
Johnson (NDSU); OL Jeremy Kelly (NDSU); OL Sam Ellifrits (MSU); OL Ethan Wirth (SIU); DL Drew
Iddings (USD); DL Terrell Williams (YSU); LB Chase Allen (SIU); LB Dylan Cole (MSU); DB C.J.
Smith (NDSU); RS LeMonte Booker (INS).
Total picks
(First Team denoted in parentheses), includes honorable mentions, by school:
Illinois State - 4 (4); Indiana State - 6 (4); Missouri State - 4 (1); North Dakota State - 9 (3)
Northern Iowa - 6 (6); South Dakota - 2; South Dakota State - 5 (5); Southern Illinois - 2
Western Illinois - 2 (2); Youngstown State - 5 (3)
