University of Connecticut Athletics
Football Lands Four on All-BIG EAST Teams
12/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
STORRS, CONN. (Dec. 5, 2007) - Four University of Connecticut football players were named to the All-BIG EAST teams on Wednesday in a vote of the league's eight coaches. Linebacker Danny Lansanah and offensive lineman Donald Thomas made the first team while running back Andre Dixon and kick returner Tyvon Branch made the second.
The Huskies finished 9-3 overall on the year and 5-2 in BIG EAST play, sharing the league championship with West Virginia. UConn will represent the league on Dec. 29 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. against ACC entry Wake Forest.
Lansanah led the Huskies with 116 tackles on the year and 13.5 tackles for loss. He also made a pair of sacks, intercepted four passes, broke up three more and recovered a fumble. One of those interceptions was of Brian Brohm on Louisville's failed last-gasp drive that cemented UConn's 21-17 win over the Cardinals on Oct. 19. He also returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown against Syracuse in another BIG EAST conference game.
Thomas started all 12 games at right guard and did not allow a sack in 2007. After befriending Lansanah on the campus' rec basketball courts, Thomas joined the team as a walk-on during his sophomore year and later earned both a scholarship and starting role through hard work.
Dixon quickly made up for lost time after missing the first two games of the year. He gained 809 rushing yards on 160 carries (5.1 average) with three scores while also catching 24 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. Amongst his season highlights was a 209 all-purpose yardage effort in the win over USF and a 170 all-purpose yard night in a thrilling win over Louisville where he also scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:32 left in the game. Dixon's 280 receiving yards are the most by a UConn running back since Chad Martin had 319 in 1998.
Branch comfortably led the BIG EAST in kickoff returns this year with a 28.0 yard average. He returned two kickoffs for a touchdown, both of them from 97 yards out, becoming the first Husky to ever have two kickoff return touchdowns in the same season. More than just a return specialist, Branch started all 12 games in the UConn secondary and made 79 tackles on the year.
