MSU's Calhoun first team All-Big Ten for 3rd season

Michigan State senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun made it a trifecta Monday, named All-Big Ten first team by media and coaches for the third straight season.

Calhoun, who has a career-high 8 ½ sacks this season, could not score the second Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honor of his career. That went to Ohio State’s Joey Bosa. Calhoun won the award as a sophomore in 2013.

But Calhoun, who will lead No. 5 MSU (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) against No. 4 Iowa (12-0, 8-0) in Saturday’s Big Ten title game, is the first MSU player to be named to the first team three years in a row since linebacker Greg Jones from 2008-10. The one first-team selection is the lowest total for an MSU defense since Jones was the only one in 2010.

The Big Ten named defensive and special teams winners Monday, with the offensive awards due out today – MSU’s Connor Cook and Aaron Burbridge among top contenders.

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MSU’s other players honored Monday included sophomore defensive tackle Malik McDowell (second team, media and coaches); junior linebacker Riley Bullough (second team media, third team coaches); senior linebacker Darien Harris (third team coaches); and junior defensive back Demetrious Cox (third team coaches).

Senior defensive tackle Joel Heath, senior defensive end Lawrence Thomas and sophomore linebacker Jon Reschke all earned honorable mention. And Harris was MSU’s winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

The Spartans were honored offensively in a different way Monday. The Joe Moore Award for the top offensive line in the nation named six finalists, and the MSU and Iowa offensive lines both made the cut and the final six. The other finalists were Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame and Stanford, for an award that will be announced Dec. 11.