Six Canes Named to the ACSMA All-ACC Teams
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Six University of Miami football student-athletes were selected to the 2015 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) selected the All-ACC teams.
Artie Burns (second team), Stacy Coley (third team), Brad Kaaya (third team), Michael Badgley (honorable mention), Joe Yearby (honorable mention) and Deon Bush (honorable mention) were each selected to this year’s team.
Burns received the second team honor after posting a breakout 2015 campaign. The junior cornerback from Miami, Fla., led the ACC with six interceptions and ranked fifth nationally. His six interceptions this season are the most by Hurricane since Sean Taylor’s 10 picks in 2003. Earlier this season, Burns collected interceptions in three-consecutive games and became the first Hurricane to accomplish that feat since Taylor did so in 2003.
Coley earned third team recognition following a junior season, which saw him lead the team with 645 receiving yards. Coley, who battled an injury throughout the first four games of the year, closed out 2015 on a high note. In the final eight games of the regular season, Coley totaled 15.1 yards per catch and averaged 79.2 yards per game. He finished the year with 645 yards receiving, three touchdowns and posted a pair of 100-yard receiving games. The Pompano Beach, Fla. native’s 634 yards in conference games led the league. This is the second ACSMA All-ACC honor for Coley. As a freshman in 2013, Coley was named All-ACC Honorable Mention by the ACSMA.
Kaaya also earned third team honors after he posted another stellar season under center for the Hurricanes. The Los Angeles, Calif. native led the ACC in passing yards per game averaging 274.5 yards through the air. In addition the sophomore signal-caller ranked in the top 50 in seven national statistical categories and is one of just three players nationally to throw for 3,000-or-more yards, 10-or-more touchdowns and have four-or-fewer interceptions. Kaaya closed the regular season with 3,019 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He is just the third player in school history to throw for 3,000-or-more yards in back-to-back seasons. Kaaya’s All-ACC honor is his second of his career. As a freshman in 2014, he was named All-ACC Honorable Mention by the ACSMA.
Badgley received honorable mention recognition after posting a record-breaking year in 2015 where he connected on 25-of-30 field goals and was a perfect 38-of-38 in extra points. Badgley, who joined the team as a walk-on in 2014 and was put on scholarship prior to the 2015 season, led the nation in field goals per game and ranked eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game. His 113 points currently rank second on the all-time single season list for a UM kicker, while his 25 field goals made are a single season school record.
Yearby was named honorable mention following a breakout season where he rushed for 939 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He also scored six rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. He is one of our four players that started in every game this season.
Bush earned honorable mention for the second-consecutive season after he posting a strong senior campaign at Safety. Bush finished sixth on the team in tackles with 47 stops. He also totaled 3.0 tackles for loss and posted five-or-more tackles in six games this season. In addition, he helped anchor the nation’s 29th–best defense against the pass.
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the ACC. Miami is awaiting a bowl selection.
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