MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Rivals.com recently named their conference all-freshman teams and three Middle Tennessee players made this list. Malcolm Beyah, Alan Gendreau, and Mike Williams made the 26-man team.
Beyah, a wide receiver from Covington, Ga., finished third on the team with 33 receptions for 550 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns. His 16.7-yard per catch average also led the Blue Raiders. The first-year player had a number of memorable plays during the year but none were more spectacular than his improbable grab against FAU. On the games final play, Beyah was on the receiving end of a Joe Craddock Hail Mary to lead the Blue Raiders to victory on national television. The play went down as one of the "Plays of the Year" by ESPN.
Gendreau, a placekicker from Maitland, Fla., enjoyed a solid season by connecting on 10 0f 14 field goals and making all of his 32 extra point attempts. Gendreau, who was second on the team in scoring wtih 62 points, hit eight straight field goals during one stretch to tie the school record.
Williams, an offensive tackle out of Tampa, Fla., was one of four linemen who started every game in 2008. Williams played 904 snaps on the season to share the offensive team lead with Mark Thompson for most snaps played. The pair finished second on the entire team in snaps played behind Ted Riley's 923.