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Punter Mitch Wishnowsky, kicker Matt Gay lead Utes' All Pac-12 honorees

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes punter Mitch Wishnowsky (33) punts on the run as the Utah Utes host the San Jose State Spartans, NCAA football at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Saturday September 16, 2017.

  | Dec. 5, 2017, 8:34 p.m.
| Updated: Dec. 6, 2017, 2:17 a.m.

Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky and kicker Matt Gay earned first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors to lead a group of 10 Utah players recognized by the conference Tuesday. Wishnowsky, last year’s Ray Guy Award winner and a finalist for this year’s award, was the only two-time first-team selection on this year’s team.

Utes selected to the second team were wide receiver Darren Carrington II, guard Salesi Uhatafe, cornerback Julian Blackmon and punt returner Boobie Hobbs.

Center Lo Falemaka, linebacker Kavika Luafatasaga, defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei and defensive tackle Filipo Mokofisi were honorable mention honorees.

Wishnowsky finished the regular season ranked second in Football Bowl Subdivision in percentage of punts downed inside the 20-yard line (21.74 percent) and sixth in FBS (second in the Pac-12) in net yards per punt (42.20).

Gay, one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, finished the regular season leading the nation with 27 field goals, a Utah single-season record. Those 27 field goals include eight field goals of 50 yards or longer. Gay, an Orem resident and former Utah Valley soccer player, made 27 of 31 field goal attempts to post the 11th-best field goal percentage in FBS (.871).

Carrington, who joined the Utes in fall camp as a graduate transfer from Oregon, led the team with 66 receptions for 918 yards and six touchdowns — all career highs. He ranked second in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game (83.5), and his 6.0 receptions per game ranked fourth in the conference.

Carrington recorded four games of at least 100 yards receiving, including three consecutive 100-yard games to start the season.

Uhatafe, a four-year starter who moved to left guard this season, started all 12 games for the Utes and served as the anchor of their inexperienced offensive line. Blackmon led the Utes in passes defended (eight) and was tied for the lead in pass breakups (six) and interceptions (two) during the regular season. Hobbs was tied for ninth in FBS and first in the Pac-12 in punt returns (23) with a 10.7 yard-average (16th best in FBS, third in Pac-12).

Lotulelei earned his fourth all-conference recognition (three honorable mention), while Mokofisi landed on the honorable mention group for the second year in a row. Luafatasaga and Falemaka were first-time selections.

Stanford tight end Dalton Schultz, a Bingham High graduate, earned first-team honors. He pulled in 20 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns while also blocking for the conference’s leading rusher, Bryce Love.

ALL PAC-12 TEAMS <br>First-team offense • Sam Darnold, So., USC, QB; Ronald Jones II, Jr., USC, RB; Bryce Love, Jr., Stanford, RB; N’Keal Harry, So., Arizona State, WR; Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington, WR; Dalton Shultz, Sr., Stanford, TE; Tyrell Crosby, Sr., Oregon, OL; Nate Herbig, So., Stanford, OL; Kaleb McGary, Jr., Washington, OL; Cody O’Connell, Sr., Washington State, OL; Coleman Shelton, Sr., Washington, OL. <br>First-team defense • Rasheem Green, Jr., USC, DL; Hercules Mata’afa, Jr., Washington State, DL; Harrison Phillips, Sr., Stanford, DL; Vita Vea, Jr., Washington, DL; Uchenna Nwosu, Sr., USC, LB; Cameron Smith, Jr., USC, LB; Kenny Young, Sr., UCLA, LB; Isaiah Oliver, Jr., Colorado, DB; Taylor Rapp, So., Washington, DB; Justin Reid, Jr., Stanford, DB; Marvell Tell, Jr., USC, DB <br>First-team specialists • Matt Gay, Jr., Utah, PK; Mitch Wishnowsky, Jr., Utah, P; Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington, RS; Brenden Schooler, So., Oregon, AP/ST; Michael Pittman Jr., So., USC, AP/ST. <br>Second-team offense • Josh Rosen, Jr., UCLA, QB; Royce Freeman, Sr., Oregon, RB; Myles Gaskin, Jr, Washington, RB; Deontay Burnett, Jr., USC, WR; Darren Carrington II, Sr., Utah, WR; Will Dissly, Sr., Washington, TE; David Bright, Sr., Stanford, OL; Toa Lobendahn, Jr., USC, OL; Cole Madison, Sr., Washington State, OL; Kolton Miller, Jr., UCLA, OL; Salesi Uhatafe, Sr., Utah, OL. <br>Second-team defense • Greg Gaines, Jr., Washington, DL; Jalen Jelks, Jr., Oregon, DL; Christian Rector, So., USC, DL; JoJo Wicker, Jr., Arizona State, DL; Keishawn Bierra, Sr., Washington, LB; Ben Burr-Kirven, Jr., Washington, LB; Troy Dye, So., Oregon, LB; Julian Blackmon, So., Utah, DB; Chase Lucas, Fr., Arizona State, DB; Jojo McIntosh, Jr., Washington, DB; Quenton Meeks, Jr., Stanford, DB; Jalen Thompson, So., Washington State, DB; Jaleel Wadood, Sr., UCLA, DB. <br>Second-team specialists • Erik Powell, RSr., Washington State, PK; Jake Bailey, Jr., Stanford, P; Boobie Hobbs, Sr., Utah, RS: Matt Lopes, Sr., USC, AP/ST. <br>Honorable mention • Jacob Alsadek, Sr., Arizona, OL; Shun Brown, Jr., Arizona, RS; Nate Eldridge, So., Arizona, OL; Colin Schooler, Fr., Arizona, LB; Khalil Tate, So., Arizona, QB; Nick Wilson, Sr., Arizona, RB; Chad Adams, Sr., Arizona State, DB; DJ Calhoun, Sr., Arizona State, LB; Sam Jones, Jr., Arizona State, OL; Demario Richard, Sr., Arizona State, RB; Christian Sam, Jr., Arizona State, LB; Tashon Smallwood, Sr., Arizona State, DL; Manny Wilkins, Jr., Arizona State, QB; Devante Downs, Sr., Cal, LB; Patrick Laird, Jr., Cal, RB; James Looney, Sr., Cal, DL; Patrick Mekari, Jr., Cal, OL; Rick Gamboa, Jr., Colorado, LB; Jeromy Irwin, Sr., Colorado, OL; Phillip Lindsay, Sr., Colorado, RB; Steven Montez, So., Colorado, QB; Evan Worthington, Jr., Colorado, DB; Ugo Amadi, Jr., Oregon, DB; Jake Breeland, So., Oregon, TE; Jake Hanson, So., Oregon, OL; Arrion Springs, Sr., Oregon, DB; Calvin Throckmorton, So., Oregon, OL; Manase Hungalu, Sr., Oregon State, LB; David Morris, Fr., Oregon State, DB; Jesse Burkett, Sr., Stanford, OL; A.T. Hall, Sr., Stanford, OL; Walker Little, Fr., Stanford, OL; Bobby Okereke, Sr., Stanford, LB; Cameron Scarlett, Jr., Stanford, RS; Brandon Simmons, Sr., Stanford, AP/ST; Jet Toner, So., Stanford, PK; JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Jr., Stanford, WR; Darren Andrews, Sr., UCLA, WR; Jordan Lasley, Jr., UCLA, WR; Scott Quessenberry, Sr., UCLA, OL; Najee Toran, Sr., UCLA, OL; Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, Sr., UCLA, DL; Chris Brown, Jr., USC, OL; Stephen Carr, Fr., USC, TB; Josh Fatu, Sr., USC, DL; Chris Hawkins, Sr., USC, DB; Iman Marshall, Jr., USC, DB; Steven Mitchell Jr., Sr., USC, WR; Tyler Petite, Jr., USC, TE; Brandon Pili, Fr., USC, DL; Tyler Vaughns, Fr., USC, TB; Lo Falemaka, Sr., Utah, OL; Kavika Luafatasaga, Sr., Utah, LB; Lowell Lotulelei, Sr., Utah, DL; Filipo Mokofisi, Sr., Utah, DL; Salvon Ahmed, Fr., Washington, TB; Tevis Bartlett, Jr., Washington, LB; Jake Browning, Jr., Washington, QB; Myles Bryant, So., Washington, DB; Nick Harris, So., Washington, OL; Andre Dillard, Jr., Washington State, OL; Luke Falk, Sr., Washington State, QB; Frankie Luvu, Sr., Washington State, LB; Jamal Morrow, Sr., Washington State, RB.