Press release from UC Athletics:
Seven University of Cincinnati football student-athletes earned All-American Athletic Conference honors for the 2014 season, the league office announced Wednesday.
OG Parker Ehinger (Rockford, Mich./Rockford), OT Eric Lefeld (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater), DL Terrell Hartsfield (Raleigh, N.C./Rolesville/Copiah-Lincoln CC) and LB Jeff Luc (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast/Florida State) were named first-team honorees.
K Andrew Gantz (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville) was a second-team pick and QB Gunner Kiel (Columbus, Ind./East/Notre Dame) and LB Nick Temple (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) were honorable mention selections.
UC finished the regular season with a 9-4 mark, winning a share of the American Athletic Conference Championship, its fifth conference title in seven years and 14th all time.
Lefeld earned first-team honors for the third time, the only student-athlete among this year's honorees to do so. He is UC's first three-time first-team all-league selection since OL Jason Fabini was a First-Team All-Conference USA selection from 1995-97.
Ehinger and Lefeld anchored UC's line again in 2014. The Bearcats' offense ranked in the top five in the American in scoring offense (2/35.4), passing offense (2/300.2), rushing offense (4/157.6) and total offense (2/457.8) and surrendered only 16 sacks, second in the league.
Hartsfield totaled a league-leading 8.0 sacks, along with 34 tackles, 9.5 for a loss and three fumble recoveries, including a 27-yarder returned for a touchdown against East Carolina.
Luc led UC with 121 tackles in the regular season, including 9.5 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, four pass break ups and four QB hurries. He ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in tackles and his six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries are tied for the NCAA FBS lead.
Gantz led the Bearcats in scoring with 95 points, going 15-of-18 on field goals and 50-of-52 on extra points, including a 47-yard game winner against East Carolina. Over a six-game span from the Miami (Fla.) game until the UConn game, Gantz made 12-consecutive field goals, tying for the second-longest streak in school history.
Kiel became the fifth UC QB all-time to throw for 3,000 or more yards in a season. He led the American with his 150.78 pass efficiency rating, going 219-of-364 for 3,010 yards and 30 touchdowns. His 30 passing TDs is one shy of tying the school record of 31, set by Ben Mauk in 2007.
A four-year starter, Temple was the third-leading tackler on the team with a career best 108 stops, along with 10.5 tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks and a 27-yard fumble recovery for a TD at SMU. He finished with five double-digit tackle games in 2014.
UC will face Virginia Tech (6-6) in the 2014 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO on Dec. 27, 2014 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
