Thomas Austin Named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week

Oct. 23, 2007

GREENSBORO, NC – Clemson center Thomas Austin was named Offensive Lineman of the Week by the Atlantic Coast Conference for the week of October 22. Against Central Michigan on Saturday, Austin played 69 snaps, grading out at 84 percent and leading the Tigers offense to 656 yards and 70 points. In all, the sophomore from Camden, SC totaled a career-high 14 knockdown blocks as the Clemson running backs piled up 341 yards on the ground. Saturday’s win marked the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers have registered more than 300 yards rushing and passing.

Other ACC Football Player of the Week selections:

OFFENSIVE BACK — Mikell Simpson, Virginia, Running Back, 6-1, 197, So, Harrisburg, Pa. In his first major action of his career, Simpson exploded for 271 all-purpose yards against Maryland on Saturday. In the come-from-behind 18-17 win, Simpson picked up two touchdowns and 119 yards rushing on just 16 carries and caught 13 passes for 152 yards. His second touchdown, a one yard run, put the Cavaliers up 18-17 with 16 seconds remaining, sealing the seventh win in a row for Virginia.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN–Chris Long, Virginia, Defensive End, 6-4, 284, Sr., Ivy, Va. In the win at Maryland on Saturday, Long had 10 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. He also brokeup two Maryland passes and recorded a safety as the Cavalier defense held the Terps to 233 total yards on offense. With the two sacks on Saturday, Long now leads the ACC with 10 for the year.

DEFENSIVE BACK–Colin McCarthy, Miami, Outside Linebacker, 6-3, 223, So., Clearwater, Fla. McCarthy racked up 10 tackles on Saturday as the Hurricanes pulled out a tough win at Florida State. With McCarthy on the outside, the Miami defense held the Seminole offense to just 22 points and forced five turnovers in the game. His 27 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown with just over one minute left gave the Hurricanes a 37-29 lead and their fifth win of the season.

SPECIALIST–Gary Cismesia, Florida State, Placekicker, 5-11, 205, Sr., Parrish, Fla. In a tough loss to the Hurricanes this weekend, Cismesia came up big for the Seminoles, nailing five field goals and two PATs to keep the game close to the very end. With the five field goals, Cismesia tied his own career-high and the Florida State single-game record. He is now 13-for-16 this year, and is the league’s second-leading scorer in 2007.

ROOKIE–Josh Adams, Wake Forest, Running Back, 6-0, 180, RS-Fr., Cary, N.C. At Navy on Saturday, Adams rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries as the Demon Deacons picked up their fifth-straight victory. Adams has now posted back-to-back 100 yard rushing performances to push his season total to 495 yards on the ground, a new school record for rushing yards by a redshirt freshman. With an average of 82.5 yards per game, he now places fifth in the ACC in rushing.