Nov. 29, 2016
RENO, Nev. - Five members of the Nevada football team earned All-Mountain West accolades as the conference released their postseason awards Tuesday afternoon.
Junior OL Austin Corbett and sophomore DE Malik Reed, both of whom served as team captains this year, landed a spot on the all-conference second team. Junior RB James Butler, junior WR Wyatt Demps and sophomore DB Asauni Rufus earned honorable mention honors this season.
A local product from Sparks, Corbett started in all 12 games this season to lead the Union with second team honors. This is Corbett's second all-conference honor after he earned an honorable mention last season. Corbett paved the way for Butler to run for more than 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season and average 111.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the top 20 in the nation. Corbett led the team in knockdown blocks and was second on the team in cut blocks.
Reed posted a breakout sophomore season on his way to second team honors. The Alabama native led the Wolf Pack with 9.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 sacks, which tied for 10th in the league. Reed's 59 total tackles on the year were fifth-most on the team and ranked second among the league's defensive linemen. Additionally Reed's three fumbles forced tied for the team lead.
Butler earned an honorable mention for a second straight year after he finished the season with 1,336 rushing yards, which is 14th-best in the nation, and a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns. He hit the 3,000-yard mark for his career and his total of 3,313 moved him into eighth all-time at Nevada. He became a more of an all-round back this year, setting career-high numbers by a wide margin in receptions (37), receiving yards (381) and receiving touchdowns (3).
Demps became a premier wide receiver in the Mountain West during his first year as a starter. The California native set career-highs in nearly every statistical category after leading the team in receptions (53), receiving yards (686) and receiving touchdowns (9). His nine touchdown grabs are fourth-most in the conference and the most by a Wolf Pack player in a single season since Marko Mitchell hauled in 10 in 2008.
It took Rufus until the final play of the season to record an interception, but the sophomore DB had been wreaking havoc on opposing offenses all season. Rufus finished the year as the team's second-best tackler with 95, posted his first career sack and blocked an extra point against San Diego State, had two pass breakups, forced three fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Rufus averaged 5.6 solo tackles per game, which is currently in the top 20 in the nation and fourth in the conference.
