Tulane RB and coach take top AAC awards with Cincinnati LB
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Tulane running back Tyjae Spears is the offensive player of the year in the American Athletic Conference, and Green Wave coach Willie Fritz also took a top honor after their first 10-win season since 1998. The American awards were determined by the vote of the league’s 11 coaches, who unanimously chose Fritz as coach of the year. The 18th-ranked Green Wave host No. 22 UCF in the American championship game Saturday. Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., the league leader with 120 tackles, was named the defensive player of the year.