LOGAN, Utah – Just four days after being named a Walter Camp Football Foundation First-Team All-American, Utah State kickoff return specialist Savon Scarver has landed on another All-America Team.
The sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev., was selected a Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) First-Team All-American, it was announced Monday afternoon by the organization.
“Once again, I am honored to be named a first-team All-American,” Scarver said. “I am grateful that all my hard work and dedication isn’t going unnoticed. I appreciate and thank all the people that support me.”
For the second year in a row, an Aggie has earned All-American honors from the FWAA as defensive back Jalen Davis was a second-team selection in 2017. In fact, only three Aggies have ever earned All-American accolades from the FWAA as Merlin Olsen was recognized at tackle in both 1960 and 1961.
Scarver is the lone representative from the Mountain West to be recognized by the FWAA, while Utah’s Matt Gay (placekicker) and Chase Hansen (linebacker) were both tabbed to the second team.
The postseason honors continue to pile up for Scarver, who was one of two Aggies to earn first-team all-Mountain West honors this season. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore wide receiver/kick returner leads the nation in kickoff returns (34.2 ypr) and is tied for second with a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Scarver has returned 21 kickoffs for 719 yards, including four returns of 50-or-more yards. His two kickoff returns for touchdowns (100 yards vs. New Mexico State and 96 yards at Wyoming) rank as the second-most in a single-season in school history, behind Kevin Robinson (three in 2007). In fact, Scarver and Robinson are the only Aggies in school history to have multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns in a single season.
For his career, Scarver has three total kickoff returns for touchdowns, which is also second all-time in school history behind Robinson (four from 2004-07). Scarver’s career kickoff return average of 28.6 yards is the third-best in Utah State history.
Scarver has played in all 12 games for the Aggies this season, recording eight catches for 147 yards and one touchdown. He has also rushed the ball once for 14 yards.
Scarver and the Aggies will face North Texas in the 13th-annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 15, at noon, at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
For Utah State, this will be its second appearance in the New Mexico Bowl as it posted a 21-6 win against UTEP in 2014. Only New Mexico (4) and Colorado State (3) have made more appearances in the Albuquerque-based bowl than USU (2).
Utah State and North Texas will be meeting for the eighth time in series history as USU holds a 4-3 advantage. USU posted a 4-1 record against UNT when both teams were members of the Big West Conference from 1996-2000 and USU went 0-2 against the Mean Green when both programs were members of the Sun Belt Conference from 2003-04.
Utah State, which is ranked No. 23 in this week’s Amway Coaches poll, finished the regular season at 10-2, including a 7-1 mark in the Mountain Division of the MW to tie for first.
