Gibson all-Pac-10; Bump honored for 4th time

WASHINGTON STATE junior receiver Brandon Gibson, the Pac-10 leader in receiving yards and yards-per-catch this season, today was named first-team All-Pac-10 following a vote of conference head coaches. For the second straight season, Cougar quarterback Alex Brink was voted all-conference second team and for the fourth straight year Michael Bumpus earned second-unit or honorable mention honors.

Tight end Jed Collins also was a second-team selection. He had 52 receptions this season, setting the single-season record for a Cougar tight end. He caught a career-high 10 passes against both Arizona and Stanford.

Brink threw for 3,818 yards this season, the most in the Pac-10 and the second-highest single-season total in school history. He completed 305-of-503 passes for a completion-percentage of 61 percent, the fourth-best in WSU history. The senior also threw 26 touchdown passes, which ranks tied for third on the single-season list.

Gibson caught 67 passes for nine TDs this season and led the league in receiving yards, with 1,180. He ran away with the title for yards-per-catch, with an average of 17.6 -- almost a full yard more than the next-highest player.

Gibson, the pride of Puyallup, said he will seek an evaluation from NFL scouts on where he might be drafted this spring if he decides to bypass his senior season.

Despite his statistical windfall this season, Gibson wasn't the Cougars' top receiver, in terms of total catches. That milestone belonged to the senior slotback Bumpus, who nabbed 70 balls -- second-most in the Pac-10. He was named honorable mention all-conference, capping an honor-filled career for him. He was second-team all-conference in 2006 and in 2004 and honorable mention in 2005.

In addition to Bumpus, senior safety Husain Abdullah, sophomore outside linebacker Andy Mattingly and junior middle linebacker Greg Trent were each named honorable mention. Those three were the Cougars' top three tacklers this season.

A week ago, WSU freshman cornerback Chima Nwachukwu was named honorable mention Freshman All-American by Scout.com.