Six Eagles Earn All-ACC Coaches Honors

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Six members of the Boston College football team earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, voted on by the league's head coaches. Seniors Steven Daniels and Connor Wujciak earned first-team accolades while classmate Justin Simmons was named to the second team, junior Matt Milano collected third-team honors and senior Mehdi Abdesmad and sophomore Harold Landry picked up honorable mention.

The BC finished the regular season tops in total defense (254.4 yards/game), yards per play (4.07), touchdowns allowed (19), rushing yards per carry (2.4), tackles for loss (115) and tied for the least third-down conversions allowed (42). The Eagles also ranked second for rushing yards allowed (83.3 yards/game), eighth for passing yards allowed (171.2 yards/game), second for first downs allowed (13.8 per game), fourth in points allowed (15.3 points/game) and second in third-down conversions (24.1).

Wujciak, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive end from West Caldwell, N.J., racked up 31 tackles, including 11 for a loss of 43 yards and 4.5 sacks for a loss of 38 yards while starting all 12 games at nose tackle. He combined on at least one tackle for a loss in eight games, including the final five, and registered two TFLs three times. Wujciak was also named All-ACC First Team by the league's media and All-New England by the local media.

Daniels, a 6-foot, 243-pound linebacker from Cincinnati, Ohio, led the Eagles with 82 tackles on the season after starting all 12 games. He tallied 51 unassisted stops, 16 tackles for a loss of 73 yards, six sacks for a loss of 51 yards and an interception with a return of 18 yards at Clemson. After the regular season, he ranked sixth in the ACC in tackles for loss and tied for 20^th in the nation, tied for 13^th in the league for his sack total and ranked 16^th for tackles. Daniels recorded a career-high 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards and one sack at Duke. He tied for sixth on BC's single-season list for tackles for a loss. Daniels also earned All-ACC Second-Team accolades from the media, picked up All-New England honors and was named the top defensive player in New England with the George H. "Bulger" Lowe Award by the Greater Boston Gridiron Club.

Simmons, a 6-foot-3, 201-pound safety from Stuart, Fla., started all 12 games at free safety and finished the season third on the team with 67 tackles, including 49 solo stops. He was second in the ACC with five interceptions, tying for 13^th in the nation. He also ended the season tied for second with three fumble recoveries. In the three-point loss then fourth-ranked Notre Dame, Simmons caused three turnovers – a forced fumble and recovery and two interceptions – to go along with eight tackles. He earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors for his performance. He recorded a season-high nine tackles, including eight solo stops, at Clemson and intercepted a pass, returning it a career-long 28 yards. Simmons also earned All-ACC Second-Team accolades from the media contingent last week.

Milano, 6-foot-1, 218-pound linebacker from Orlando, Fla., started all 12 games and ended the season with 60 tackles, including 17.5 for a loss of 81 yards and 6.5 sacks for a loss of 45 yards. He ranked fourth in BC record books for single-season TFL total and tied for 13^th in the nation and ranked fifth in the ACC. His sack total also tied for 11^th in the league. He blocked two punts on special teams. Milano recorded a career-high nine tackles at Duke, including eight unassisted and three for loss. He registered at least one tackle for loss in 10 games, and more than one eight times. He also picked up All-ACC honorable mention accolades from the league's media.

Abdesmad, a 6-foot-7, 286-pound defensive lineman from Montreal, recorded 49 tackles, including 25 unassisted, in 12 games at The Heights. After returning from a knee injury that allowed just seven appearance in 2013 and 2014, Abdesmad returned to form with 15 tackles for a loss of 59 yards and 5.5 sacks for a loss of 34 yards. He finished the regular season tied for eighth in the conference for TFLs and 15^th for sacks. In the season-opening victory against Maine, Abdesmad recorded 1.5 sacks for a loss of nine yards, 2.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards and finished the day with four tackles, including three solo stops. He helped lead the BC defense to allow just seven rushing yards and 91 total yards and earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

Landry, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman from Fayetteville, N.C., finished the 2015 season with 60 tackles, including 48 solo stops. He was seventh in the league with 15.5 tackles for a loss of 69 yards and logged 4.5 sacks. He also forced three fumbles, which tied for third in the conference and 22^nd in the nation. Landry earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after the 14-0 loss to then-No.9/6 Florida State, recording a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stop, and a career-high 4.5 tackles for a loss of 27 yards. He also tallied 1.5 sacks for a loss of 18 yards and helped the BC defense hold the FSU offense to just one touchdown on the game-opening drive. After the 83-yard drive, Landry and the BC defense allowed just 134 total yards for the rest of the night, including only 20 rushing yards in the second half.

Under the auspices of the ACC, the league's 14 head coaches voted for an All-ACC football team, as well as Players of the Year, Rookies of the Year and a Coach of the Year award. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players and ballots were worth three points for each first-team, two points for each second-team and one point for each third-team selection.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was named Conference Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Duke safety Jeremy Cash was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Clemson's Dabo Swinney earned Coach of the Year honors. Pittsburgh players Jordan Whitehead and Qadree Ollison shared Rookie of the Year honors and Whitehead picked up Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades and Ollison Defensive Rookie of the Year. Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd was the lone unanimous first-team pick on the Coaches All-ACC team.

For the complete list of Coaches All-ACC Teams, click here.

Boston College Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Mehdi Abdesmad

Steven Daniels

Harold Landry

Matt Milano

Justin Simmons

Connor Wujciak

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