Iannotti and Wirth named All-MVFC

Iannotti and Wirth named All-MVFC

By Brent Meske, @brentmeskeDE

The Missouri Valley Football Conference announced the All-MVFC teams, which included 10 SIU football players. 

Senior quarterback Mark Iannotti and senior right tackle Ethan Wirth were named to the first-team, giving SIU at least two All-MVFC selections for the 16th-straight season. 

Iannotti had 3,911 yards of total offense this season, which was an MVFC regular-season record. He also set the all-time SIU single season records with 3,195 passing yards, 273 pass completions and eight games of more than 250 yards of offense. He also tied for second all-time at SIU with 24 touchdowns in the season. 

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With 3,195 yards, Iannotti also became one of two SIU quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. The senior averaged more yards a game, on his own, than 47 Football Championship Subdivision teams did. 

Iannotti is on the STATS Offensive Player of the Year watch list. 

Wirth, a four-year starter, has won the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week award twice in his career. The most recent was after SIU’s 48-47 loss to Indiana in which the Salukis had 673 yards of offense. 

SIU allowed the second-fewest sacks this season, 12, while throwing the most passes, 427.

Five Salukis were named to the second-team All-MVFC including junior inside linebacker Chase Allen, junior wide receiver Billy Reed, freshman running back Daquan Isom, senior tight end Adam Fuehne and sophomore safety Kenny James. 

Allen finished the year with 120 tackles, which was third in the MVFC and the most by an SIU player since safety Alexis Moreland had 134 in 2002.

Allen was named the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week after a 38-31 overtime win against Youngstown State. Allen played in the second half and recorded 10 tackles and blocked two kicks. His three blocked kicks this season led the MVFC and was fifth nationally. 

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Reed finished third in the MVFC with 56 receptions and fourth with 73.2 receiving yards per game. He set the single-game SIU record with 14 catches in a 42-21 loss against Illinois State. 

Isom was named second-team as a return specialist after being named MVFC Newcomer of the Week twice this season. He finished the year ranked eighth in all-purpose yards a game, 158.2, which was second among freshmen. He led the MVFC with an average kick return of 23.4 yards. 

Fuehne had 351 receiving yards on 25 receptions and two touchdowns as starting tight end in all 11 games this season. His most productive game was the season-opening loss to Indiana when he had 130 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

James finished with 107 total tackles, which was fourth in the MVFC. His 10.7 tackles per game ranked 18th nationally. James returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season and forced two fumbles. 

The Salukis also had three honorable mention All-MVFC players including senior outside linebacker Brandon Williams, junior guard Jake Notario and senior punter Derek Mathewson. 

Williams was named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after a 34-13 win against then-No. 10 Liberty. he recorded seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, one blocked kick and one forced fumble. He finished the year ninth in the MVFC with 10 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. 

Notario started 10 games as right guard and blocked for the best scoring and passing offense in the MVFC. 

Matthewson finished the year 14th nationally, averaging 43.1 yards a punt. It was third for the MVFC. The average is fifth all-time at SIU. 

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