Tag: LSU awards

LSU offensive line named Joe Moore Award finalist

The Tigers’ success had a lot to do with one of the nation’s best offensive lines.

The LSU offensive line was recognized this week, earning a spot as a Joe Moore Award finalist.

The award is annually given to the best offensive line in college football. The Tigers last won it in 2019, one of several trophies LSU picked up on that national title run.

Joining LSU as finalists are Washington, Oregon and Georgia.

The award speaks to the work offensive line coach Brad Davis has done since joining the staff in 2021. He was the only on-field assistant retained after [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took over and that decision has proven to be one of Kelly’s best.

According to PFF, LSU’s offensive line ranks seventh in run blocking grade and the Tigers are among the best in pass blocking efficiency too.

The line anchored a unit that led the country in yards per run and protected [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] as he put up Heisman Trophy-caliber numbers.

The expectations will remain high next year with several key pieces slated to return, including star left tackle [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag].

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Jayden Daniels named AP SEC Offensive Player of the Year

The Heisman finalist has picked up yet another piece of hardware.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] has had a phenomenal season that will likely end with him being named the Heisman winner on Saturday in New York.

In the meantime, Daniels — who is a finalist for essentially every quarterback award and already won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award — picked up some additional hardware as he was named the Associated Press SEC Player of the Year on Tuesday morning.

Daniels was also named a unanimous First Team All-SEC selection alongside his top wideout [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

In 2023, Daniels led the nation in total yards per game, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns while setting an FBS record with a 208 passer rating.

Daniels is still yet to make a decision on whether he will play in LSU’s bowl game, so it remains to be seen if we’ve watched his last game in the purple and gold.

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LSU softball’s Ciara Briggs wins back-to-back Gold Gloves

LSU’s Ciara Briggs defense earned her recognition for the second straight year.

LSU softball center fielder [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag] added to her resume this week with a second consecutive Golden Glove.

The award is given annually by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

In addition to winning the Gold Glove, Briggs is also likely to make back-to-back all-defensive teams. Briggs moved to center field last year after beginning her career as a left fielder in 2021, a season where made the All-SEC Newcomer team.

At the plate, Briggs has totaled 218 career hits in Baton Rouge while scoring 150 runs. She’s appeared in nearly 200 games for Beth Torina’s squad.

Her defense got her on SportsCenter’s top 10 in 2022 when she tumbled over a wall to make the catch.

Earlier this year, she laid out in left-center to make a spectacular diving catch that clinched a win for LSU.

Briggs will have another year of eligibility left should she choose to use it. LSU will lose some significant pieces so getting their star center fielder back would be a huge boost.

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Thatcher Hurd named SEC Pitcher of the Week

After an incredible week on the mound, Hurd has been named the SEC Pitcher of the Week.

After an incredible week on the mound, [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] has been named the SEC Pitcher of the Week.

Hurd had a rough start to his 2023 campaign as he struggled with pitch location in his first start as an LSU Tiger. He gave up four runs on six hits in only two innings of work against Southern on Feb. 21.

The only way he could go from there was up, and that’s exactly what he did. His next start came against the Texas Longhorns in a hostile environment on the road.

Hurd looked a lot better that game going 4.2 innings and giving up no runs on three hits. That momentum carried him into his best week of baseball yet, which earned him SEC Pitcher of the Week honors.

In two starts this week (Butler and Samford) Hurd went 2-0 as he pitched 13 innings and gave up zero runs on 18 strikeouts and 3 walks.

LSU will need him to keep up this type of production as the Tigers enter conference play this weekend against Texas A&M.

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Kim Mulkey named Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year semifinalist

Mulkey has led LSU to a 28-2 record in her second season with the program.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive coaching job in college basketball  — men’s or women’s — than what [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] has done at LSU over the past two seasons.

She has completely turned a moribund program into a consistent winner and one of the nation’s top teams, and she’s been honored accordingly. On Thursday, Mulkey was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Award.

Mulkey led the greatest single-season turnaround by a first-year coach in SEC history last year, and this season, her team started the year 23-0 and sits at 28-2 entering the NCAA Tournament, where it will likely be either a two or three-seed.

A three-time national champion at Baylor, Mulkey has already established herself as a legend of college basketball, and she’s shown she can bring success wherever she goes. Now, she’ll look to add some more hardware to the resume.

LSU will find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday evening.

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LSU’s Dylan Crews named SEC Co-Player of the Week

Dylan Crews is off to a hot start in 2023.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] entered the year with high expectations.

Projected to be the top pick in the 2023 MLB draft, he’s the best player in the country. He’s living up to the hype thus far, earning SEC Co-Player of the Week following LSU’s weekend victory at the Round Rock Classic alongside Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone.

Crews racked up 10 hits and scored nine runs last week. On the year, Crews is second on LSU with 19 total bases with a .565 batting average. His on-base clip of .688 leads the conference, and his 13 runs scored are tied for third.

It’s early, but Crews — as expected — is putting together a nice Player of the Year campaign. The level of competition will heat up once conference play begins, but even SEC teams have struggled to get Crews out during his time at LSU.

LSU and Crews will be back in action as they travel to Texas on Tuesday night to face the Longhorns. Texas is 3-4 on the year but took two of three against Indiana over the weekend.

The Tigers will look to move to 7-1 in a tricky midweek matchup.

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LSU’s Angel Reese selected as a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist

Reese is one of 10 semifinalists for the national award.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] has been stacking up conference awards this season, but with the regular season in the books and the No. 5 LSU Tigers set to begin their postseason run, she may also be in line for some national discussions.

On Monday, Reese was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. She’s one of 10 semifinalists and is joined by fellow SEC athletes Brea Beal and Aliyah Boston, both of whom play for South Carolina.

Reese is also one of just three underclassmen among the semifinalists.

A sophomore transfer from Maryland, Reese has played a major role in the leap forward the Tigers took this winter. She averaged 23.7 points and 16 rebounds during the regular season, in addition to 1.5 blocks and 1.8 steals. She leads the team in all four of those metrics.

Reese’s defensive prowess is apparent from the moment you start watching this LSU team, and it’s no surprise she’s garnering national attention as the No. 5 Tigers finished the season 27-1.

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Harold Perkins named Walter Camp National Player of the Week

Perkins had four sacks and two forced fumbles on Saturday, the first Power Five player to do so since Chase Young.

[autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] had the best game of his young LSU career on Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks as he became the first Power Five player since Chase Young to have four sacks and two forced fumbles in the same game.

It wasn’t the best game for the Tigers as they only pulled out a 13-10 victory in the freezing cold Fayetteville, Arkansas. The offense couldn’t get anything going, but the defense pulled through. For his efforts, Perkins was named the Walter Camp National Player of the Week.

Perkins has made a case that he is the best linebacker in the country regardless of classification. LSU has had a lot of great linebackers through the years, and Perkins is going to add his name to that list.

The win over Arkansas lands LSU a spot in the SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Dec. 3. LSU may control its own destiny for the College Football Playoff, and if the Tigers can win out, they have a good chance to make the final four.

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