Nov. 27, 2007

OXFORD - Clayton Mullins, whose intensive performance at linebacker helped Miami University's football team earn a share of the Mid-American Conference's East Division title, has been named the MAC's Defensive Player of the Year for 2007.

Heading into Saturday's MAC Championship Game showdown against Central Michigan, the junior from Fairborn leads the conference in tackles with 129 and also paces Miami in tackles for loss with 13.5 for minus 51 yards. Mullins' statistics also include four quarterback sacks, six passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. His hit on Akron quarterback Carlton Jackson in the fourth quarter of the game against the Zips led to Craig Mester's fumble recovery for the game-winning touchdown.

"Clayton has had a tremendous season," said Miami head coach Shane Montgomery. "He has been a very consistent player for us, especially in MAC games. Coming into the season, we expected a lot of him, and he really stepped forward to become one of the leaders on our defensive unit."

Mullins also earned first-team All-MAC honors.

Junior linebacker Joey Hudson (Piqua) was voted to the All-MAC Second Team Defense, junior defensive lineman Joe Coniglio (Rockford, Ill.) was a member of the Third Team Defense, as was junior punter JAKE RICHARDSON (Oxford). Miami junior guard Dave DiFranco (LaGrange) was named to the All-MAC Third Team offensive unit.

Hudson, who was injured in game two at Minnesota, made a courageous comeback and has 90 tackles through Miami's first 12 games.

Coniglio paces the RedHawks in quarterback sacks with 6.5 for minus 42 yards and ranks third with 10.5 tackles for loss for minus 51 yards.

Richardson currently ranks as the nation's seventh-leading punter with an average of 45.0 yards per kick.

And DiFranco, despite playing with an injured ankle for the last four games, has helped anchor Miami's offensive line, grading out at 84 percent this season.

Montgomery was the runner-up to Buffalo's Turner Gill in Coach of the Year balloting.

--MURedHawks.com--