CLEVELAND, Ohio – Allegheny linebacker Nick Murgo was named the North Coast Athletic Conference's Newcomer of the Year, highlighting a list of four Gators to earn All-Conference accolades for the 2014 season.
Murgo, a freshman linebacker, becomes the first player in Allegheny program history to earn the conference's Newcomer of the Year Award. In addition to Murgo, who was also an Honorable Mention All-NCAC selection, senior left tackle Jesse Battaglia was voted onto the Second Team, and the receiving tandem of senior Andrew Niklaus and junior Tyler Smith were each Honorable Mention All-NCAC picks.
Murgo burst onto the scene as a rookie, starting all 10 games at middle linebacker and leading the Gators with 107 tackles (60 solo/47 ast), good for second in the NCAC. His 10.5 tackles for loss also led the team, and ranked sixth in the NCAC, while he finished with eight or more tackles in nine of 10 games, including seven contests with 10 or more stops, highlighted by a 15-tackle performance at Wooster on Oct. 11. He also totaled two sacks and forced two fumbles on the year, while his 107 tackles are the most in a single-season for an Allegheny player since Andy Schleihauf recorded 117 in 2009.
Battaglia earns All-NCAC honors for the second time in his career, after also earning Second Team plaudits as a sophomore in 2012. An iron man on the offensive line, he started all 10 games at left tackle, and ends his career by making 30 consecutive starts. He graded out by the Gator coaching staff as the team's Offensive MVP in two different games this season (Nov. 1 at Kenyon/Oct. 25 vs. DePauw), while also earning the team's Special Teams Player of the Game award on Sept. 27 at Wabash. Battaglia helped anchor a Gator running game that posted 10 rushing touchdowns on the year, the most for the team since 2010. In addition to his excellent work on the field, Battaglia was also honored as a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Scholar Athlete Award, given to players who display exemplary performance both on the field and in the classroom.
Niklaus earns his first All-Conference honor after leading Gator receivers with 53 catches for 540 yards and two touchdowns. It marked just the seventh time in program history that a player recorded 50 or more catches, and the first time since Jake Vite hauled in 58 grabs in 2009. Niklaus made at least three receptions in all 10 games this season, highlighted by a nine-catch, 163-yard day in the Gators' win over Hiram on Sept. 20. It was the first of two 100-yard days for Niklaus on the year, as he also made seven receptions for 102 yards at Wooster on Oct. 11. He finished his career with 134 receptions, third most in program history, while he amassed 1,255 yards with four touchdowns.
Smith was the Gators' most versatile performer on the season, posting 1,060 all-purpose yards. He caught 42 balls for 451 yards and two touchdowns, ran 13 times for 88 yards and one score, and finished second in the NCAC with 509 kick return yards. In the Gators' week two win at Hiram, he amassed a season-high 72 rushing yards on seven carries with a touchdown, before posting his first career 100-yard receiving game on Oct. 4 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, when he made four grabs for an even 100 yards. Known for his big-play ability, Smith produced three kick returns of 35 yards or longer, three runs of 30 or more yards, and recorded the Gators second-longest run from scrimmage with a 52-yard scamper in the Hiram victory. For his three-year career, Smith leads all active Gators with 1,717 all-purpose yards (803 return/484 receiving/414 rushing).
Joining Murgo as the conference's major award winners, Denison wide receiver DuShawn Brown was voted the NCAC Mike Gregory Award winner for Offensive MVP, while Wabash defensive tackle Cody Buresh was given the Hank Critchfield Award as the NCAC's Defensive Player of the Year. Joe Fincham was voted the conference's Coach of the Year after guiding Wittenberg to its second consecutive NCAC championship, and a 9-1 regular season record.