Dec. 18, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State seniors Mike Hull (Canonsburg, Pa.) and Bill Belton (Sicklerville, N.J.) each added accolades to their outstanding Penn State careers this week. Hull was named to the All-American second-team for the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), FoxSports.com and The Sporting News. Belton was tabbed as the Touchdown Club of Southern New Jersey's FBS College Player of the Year.
Hull was previously named Associated Press third-team All-American, USA Today second-team All-American and a third-team All-American by Scout. Additionally, Hull earned the Big Ten's Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year honor and was selected first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media, as well as BTN.com and ESPN.com.
Belton was honored Wednesday evening at the club's 47th annual banquet. He is second on the team with 518 rushing yards on 122 attempts (4.2) with a team-high six touchdowns. He is also fourth on the team with 23 catches for 187 yards (8.1). He received one of the Quarterback Club Special Awards at the team's annual awards banquet. Linebacker Gerald Hodges (2011) was Penn State's most recent Touchdown Club of Southern New Jersey Player of the Year.
A member of the preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List for the nation's top running back, Belton registered a 92-yard touchdown run at Indiana, the longest score in Penn State history by one player, and tied for the fourth-longest run in FBS this season (longest by a Big Ten player). Additionally in his return to his native New Jersey, Belton scored the game-winning touchdown at Rutgers, crossing the goal line on a five-yard run with 1:13 to go in the fourth quarter for a 13-10 win.
Hull, who was also Penn State's Team MVP, turned in an outstanding senior season, leading the conference in tackles with 134, which ranks sixth on the program's single-season list. Hull's 11.2 tackles per game average is seventh in FBS. He collected 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three pass break-ups.
The senior linebacker has spearheaded the Penn State defense, which ranks in the Top 10 in FBS in rushing defense (1st, 84.8 ypg), total defense (2nd, 269.8 ypg), scoring defense (8th, 17.7 ppg), pass efficiency defense (2nd, 99.71) and third down conversion pct. defense (6th, .301). The Nittany Lions are tops in the Big Ten in rushing defense, total defense, scoring defense and pass efficiency defense.
Coach James Franklin's Nittany Lions and Boston College will clash in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27 in their 24th all-time meeting and Penn State's 45th bowl appearance. The teams last met in 2004. The New Era Pinstripe Bowl will kick at 4:30 p.m. ET in Yankee Stadium (49,542) and air on ESPN, the Penn State Sports Network and GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State students, Nittany Lion Club and Penn State Alumni Association members have purchased more than 11,000 tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl, including nearly 1,300 student tickets. Penn State's initial allotment was 7,692 tickets. Pinstripe Bowl tickets and information on all the related events can be found at www.pinstripebowl.com.
Penn State season ticket renewals also are underway for the 2015 campaign. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2015 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays, 10 a.m-6 p.m.
Penn State Football is on Twitter (@PennStateFball) and Facebook.