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Four Tartans Named D3football.com All-South Region and ECAC All-Stars; Sam Benger Named ECAC South Offensive Player of the Year

Four Tartans Named D3football.com All-South Region and ECAC All-Stars; Sam Benger Named ECAC South Offensive Player of the Year
Posted: Dec 06, 2016

From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics

For the second straight season, the Carnegie Mellon University football team had four members named to the D3football.com 2016 All-South Region Team. Heading the squad for the Tartans is junior running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) as a repeat first team selection. Benger was also named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Tartan to garner the award.

Senior placekicker Gabe Renna (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) was named to the D3football.com Second Team while senior defensive end Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and junior punter Tyler Kohman (Pataskala, Ohio/Columbus Academy) received third team accolades. Renna, Khoury and Kohman all join Benger on the ECAC South First Team as well.

Benger, the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and University Athletic Association (UAA) Offensive Player of the Year First Team selection, rushed for 1,671 yards and 26 touchdowns. The junior ranked second nationally in rushing touchdowns and scoring with 170 points, both are school records. His 1,671 rushing yards ranked third best in Division III with his 151.9 yards rushing per game ranking fifth. Benger became Carnegie Mellon's career rushing leader in the Tartans' win over Case Western Reserve and currently has rushed for 4,333 yards in his career.

Renna, a first team All-PAC and UAA Special Teams Player of the Year, converted all 47 of his point-after-attempts this season and made 11-of-13 field goals (.846) with a long of 42 yards. His .846 percentage was tops in the PAC and UAA and 10th nationally. The senior kicker converted 48 consecutive PATs to end his career dating back to last season, which is the second longest streak in PAC history. Renna ended his career as the program's PAT recorder holder, as he converted 109-of-113 (96%).   

Khoury, a first team All-PAC and UAA Defensive Player of the Year, became the school's all-time sack leader this season while he finished his career with 29.5 sacks. His 12.5 sacks this season led the PAC and UAA and ranked fifth nationally. Khoury totaled 16.0 tackles for a loss of 90 yards and ended the season with 55 total tackles, 31 solo, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. This marks Khoury's second appearance on the all-region squad as he was named a first-team honoree a year ago.  

Kohman, who led the UAA and was second in the PAC with an average of 42.9 yards per punt, also ranked seventh nationally. The junior was a first team All-PAC and All-UAA honoree, as he recorded 13 punts of 50 yards or more including a career-best 61-yarder. Kohman placed 19 of his 53 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

The four were selected in balloting by South Region sports information directors and D3football.com staff and were chosen from 229 nominations by Division III South member schools. All four are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 16, in D3football.com's pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl XLIV.