2019 MIAC FOOTBALL AWARDS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Seven Augsburg University football players have earned postseason honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for their performances during the 2019 season, it was announced on Tuesday.

Linebacker Derek Glynn (SR, Lonsdale, Minn./Faribault HS) earned All-MIAC First Team honors, while offensive lineman Aaron Austin (SR, Red Wing, Minn./Goodhue HS) and wide receiver/return specialist Le'Andre Benion (SR, Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) were named to the All-MIAC Second Team. Earning All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors were quarterback Quinn Frisell (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS), running back Quran Al-Hameed (JR, Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS) and defensive lineman Shaquille Young (FY, St. Paul, Minn./Tartan HS). Linebacker Lorenzo Hernandez (SR, New Ulm, Minn./New Ulm HS) was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.

Glynn was an All-MIAC Second Team selection last year and an All-MIAC Honorable Mention pick in 2017, while Austin earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors last year and Frisell earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors in 2017. It's the first conference football postseason honors for Benion, Al-Hameed, Young and Hernandez.

Considered one of the best linebackers in the MIAC, Glynn finished his senior season with 116 tackles (45 solo), one of just two MIAC players with more than 100 total tackles. He leads the MIAC in tackles per-game (11.6) and currently stands ninth nationally among NCAA Division III players in total tackles per-game (as of Nov. 23). Glynn finished with 3.0 tackles for-loss (14 yards), 1.0 sacks (6 yards), an interception, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery this season.

Glynn has recorded double-digit tackle totals in nine of his 10 games this season, and 20 times in his 40-game career. Starting all but one game in his college career, Glynn finished with 348 total tackles (139 solo), with 21.5 tackles for-loss, 8.0 sacks, one interception, seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He also led the MIAC in total tackles in 2017, with 101, and stood fifth in total tackles in the conference in 2018, with 82.

An exercise science major with a 3,78 grade-point average, Glynn was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 6 Football Team for the second straight year in 2019.

Starting all 40 games of his collegiate career for the Auggies, Austin was part of an offensive line that enabled the team to average 268.7 yards per-game (1,004 rushing yards, 1,683 passing yards), while allowing 73 tackles for-loss and 15 sacks.

In Austin's 40 career games, Augsburg produced 11,524 yards of total offense (288.1 yards per-game), including 3,200 rushing yards and 8,324 passing yards, while allowing 319 tackles for-loss and 106 sacks.

Benion shined as a kick returner, averaging 20.8 yards per-return on 23 returns (479 yards) in his only season as an Auggie. Eight of those returns, including a school-record 99-yarder for a touchdown, came against Saint John's on Sept. 5, as he set a school and MIAC single-game record with 212 kickoff return yards, while tying a school and MIAC single-game record with eight kickoff returns. He earned MIAC Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors for his efforts.

A transfer who played last season at Division II Upper Iowa, Benion caught 26 passes for a team-high 312 yards and two touchdowns in 2019, while rushing 14 times for 92 yards.

Battling injuries that limited his playing time to just parts of seven games this season, Frisell completed 116-of-203 passes for 1,266 yards and nine touchdowns against five interceptions this year, averaging 180.9 yards per-game. He had a season-high 322 passing yards with three touchdowns in the Auggies' season-opening 36-26 win at Ripon (Wis.) on Sept. 7.

In 19 career games in parts of three seasons as an Auggie after starting his collegiate career at Itasca Community College, Frisell finished his career with 346 completions in 606 attempts for 4,172 yards (219.6 yards per-game), throwing 38 touchdown passes against just 15 interceptions.

In his first season at Augsburg after playing two seasons at the North Dakota State College of Science, Al-Hameed had a solid rushing campaign for the Auggies, gaining 722 yards (80.2 yards per-game) in nine games, with a team-high eight rushing touchdowns. He ranked third among all MIAC players in rushing yards and yardage per-game, while his eight rushing touchdowns were tied for fifth-most among league players.

In addition to his rushing, he also caught 17 passes for 65 yards, and returned 22 kickoffs for an 18.8-yard average (413 yards). His 1,200 all-purpose yards (133.3 yards per-game) led the team and ranked fourth-best among MIAC players.

Young had a stellar debut season on the defensive line for the Auggies, finishing fourth on the team with 42 tackles (16 solo), with 4.5 tackles for-loss, a sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks.

Both of Young's fumble recoveries came in Augsburg's season-ending 12-9 win at Hamline for "The Hammer" traveling trophy, including a strip, recovery and subsequent lateral which resulted in a 59-yard return to set up Augsburg's first touchdown. 

Hernandez was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team, as part of the conference's sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.

Hernandez finished second on the team this season with 64 tackles (31 solo), with 4.0 tackles for-loss (six yards), an interception and two pass breakups. In 23 career games as an Auggie, Hernandez finished with 154 tackles 959 solo), with 8.5 tackles for-loss, one sack, five passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble. Hernandez is also a member of Augsburg's men's wrestling team.

Under 15th-year head coach Frank Haege, Augsburg finished 2-8 overall, 1-7 in MIAC play in 2019.