Four Terps named first-team All-ACC

After a two-win 2009 season, it wasn't surprising the Terrapin football team had a mere two preseason All-ACC selections — wide receiver Torrey Smith and linebacker Alex Wujciak.

But after a resurgent 8-4 campaign this season, more honors were expected. And with yesterday's unveiling of the all-conference teams, the Terps got them. Six players garnered All-ACC honors, including four first-team selections.

Punt returner Tony Logan, safety Kenny Tate, Smith and Wujciak were selected to the first team, while defensive tackle Joe Vellano was picked for the second team, and offensive lineman Paul Pinegar garnered an honorable mention.

The four first-team selections, which tied the Terps for the most in the conference with Clemson, are the most the Terps have had since 2003, when they also had four.

Smith was voted to the team for the second year in a row just days after a dominant performance in a win against N.C. State during which he broke several program records. His four receiving touchdowns were a Terp record and gave him a record-breaking 12 for the season. His 5,183 all-purpose yards are the most ever by a Terp, and Smith is only the second receiver in school history to have a 1,000-yard season.

Wujciak's selection was his third in a row. He was the fourth-leading tackler in the ACC with 9.3 per game in his senior season, and third among active Football Bowl Subdivision players with 10.2 per game for his career. He is the first Terp to make the team in three consecutive years since linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (2003-05).

Tate developed into a defensive force in his junior year, ranking first in the conference with 0.33 forced fumbles per game. He provided one of the most memorable plays of the year in the Terps' season opener, stopping Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs short of the goal line in the game's final minute to preserve the Terps' 17-14 victory.

Logan was such a threat returning punts that opposing teams started kicking away from him. He returned two punts for touchdowns, tying the program's single-season record. His 18.8-yard return average was first in the ACC and third in the nation. His 563 return yards were second in school and conference history.

Vellano became an interior force after seeing little action as a redshirt freshman, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks, while Pinegar proved invaluable to the Terps as a versatile lineman on an offensive line decimated by injury.

schneider@umdbk.com