Junior running back Noel Devine and freshman kicker Tyler Bitancurt represented the Mountaineers on the first-team offense while junior linebacker J.T. Thomas, junior cornerback Brandon Hogan and sophomore safety Robert Sands were on the first-team defense.

WVU senior offensive lineman Selvish Capers, senior quarterback Jarrett Brown, junior defensive lineman Chris Neild, senior linebacker Reed Williams and senior punter Scott Kozlowski were All-Big East second-team selections. (See list, Page 2B.)

Pittsburgh freshman running back Dion Lewis was chosen as the Big East offensive player of the year and rookie of the year, becoming just the second player in conference history to win both awards in the same season.

Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus and defensive tackle Mick Williams were picked defensive players of the year, marking the first time that players from the same team shared that award.

Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard and coach Brian Kelly were repeat winners as Big East special teams player of the year and coach of the year, respectively. Gilyard won for the second straight year while Kelly was honored by his peers for the third consecutive season.

Connecticut's Jasper Howard was named honorary captain of the All-Big East teams. Howard, a standout cornerback, was stabbed to death during an altercation after a school-sanctioned dance in October.

Devine, a junior from Fort Myers, Fla., is second in the conference with a career-high 1,297 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns and ranks 20th in the nation with 108.1 rushing yards per game. He was a unanimous selection for the conference's first team, joining Lewis.

 Bitancurt finished the regular season 13-of-14 on field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards. He hit the winning 43-yard kick to defeat Pitt 19-16 Nov. 27. The freshman from Springfield, Va., has made 92.9 percent of his field-goal attempts and is 10th in the conference in scoring with 6.4 points per game.

Thomas, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is third on the team with 71 tackles, tied for second with two interceptions, has seven tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Hogan led the team with 10 pass breakups while garnering 71 tackles. The Manassas, Va., native is tied for third in the conference with 11 passes defended and has one interception.

Sands, a sophomore from Miami, leads the Big East with five interceptions and 13 passes defended. He is seventh on the team with 57 tackles and has eight pass breakups.

Capers, from Kenner, La., helped WVU pile up 2,202 yards on the ground while limiting opponents to just 19 sacks this season, an average of just over one per game.

Brown, a senior, passed for 2,129 yards with 11 TDs and eight interceptions. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native has passed for 177.4 yards per game and has 423 yards rushing.

Neild, a Stroudsburg, Pa., resident, recorded 32 tackles and sealed WVU's 28-24 victory over Connecticut on Oct. 24 with his last-minute interception. Williams came back from double-shoulder surgery this season. The Moorefield native has 57 tackles, including five for losses, seven pass breakups and two sacks.

Kozlowski averaged 44.8 yards per punt, the best mark in the conference. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native has a long of 63 yards. His 39.1 net average is seventh in the country.