(Scott Hosch at the podium – @NFFNetwork)
Harvard senior quarterback Scott Hosch and Penn senior linebacker Tyler Drake were unveiled as the Ivy League’s 2015 Football Players of the Year and Asa S. Bushnell Cup recipients in front of a capacity crowd at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on Monday afternoon.
Hosch was named Offensive Player of Year and Drake was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year.
Hosch is the ninth different Harvard player to be honored as a Bushnell Cup recipient, a group that includes current Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who won it in 2004. Other recipients from Harvard are Jim Stoeckel (1973), Carl Morris (2001, 2002), Chris Pizzotti (2008), Gino Gordon (2010), Josue Ortiz (2011), Colton Chapple (2012) and Zack Hodges (2013, 2014). He is the fifth Harvard quarterback to be bestowed this honor, joining Stockel, Fitzpatrick, Pizzoti and Chapple. This marks the 10th time in 15 years that a Crimson player has been selected as a Bushnell Cup recipient.
Drake is the ninth Penn player to be honored as a Bushnell Cup recipient, following Tim Chambers (1984), Tom Gilmore (1985), Rich Comizio (1986), Pat Goodwillie (1994), Jim Finn (1998), Gavin Hoffman (2000), Mike Mitchell (2003) and Jake Lewko (2009). He is the fifth Quaker from the defensive side of the ball, joining Chambers, Gilmore, Goodwillie and Lewko, to be bestowed this honor.
A first-team All-Ivy selection, Hosch (Sugar Hill, Ga.) set the Harvard single-season passing record by tossing for 2,827 yards this fall. His 22 touchdowns was the second most for a single-year in program history and he finished eighth in the school’s records book with 4,255 career passing yards and tied for sixth with 30 career touchdown passes. Hosch totaled 3,033 yards as a senior, good for second most in school history and he finished his career fourth in career completion percentage (.619) and ninth in career total offense (4,567). He was 15-1 as Harvard’s starting quarterback over the last two seasons.
Hosch was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week three times this fall and helped the Crimson pace the Ancient Eight in total offense (474.2), passing offense (303.5) and rushing offense (170.7). Hosch threw for a career-high four touchdowns in the win over Yale. He also threw for third most passing yards in school history (437), going 29-of-40 and two touchdowns vs. Princeton.
For his stellar senior season, Hosch was named one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Year Award.
A unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, Drake (Plantation, Fla.) finished the 2015 season as the Ivy League’s leader in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (12.5), while sharing the League lead in forced fumbles with four. At the conclusion of the regular season, his 8.5 sacks were 12th among all NCAA Football Championship Subdivision players. He also added two interceptions, tied for third on Penn’s defense.
Drake had three games in 2015 where he reached double figures in tackles, including a career-high 15 against Dartmouth and 12 tackles against Fordham and Harvard. His six-tackle, one-sack, one-forced fumble, one-interception effort against Yale earned him Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 26. He registered at least one sack in half of Penn’s games this past season and his four sacks against Fordham were the most by a Penn player since 2003. His 8.5 sacks for the season were also the most since 2003 and second-most by a Penn defender since 1999.
Drake will graduate with 17.5 career sacks, fifth-most in school history. His 80 tackles during the 2015 campaign were the most by a Quaker since 2011 and second most since 2006. A two-time All-Ivy selection, Drake was named one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Hosch and Drake were selected as Bushnell Cup finalists, along with Dartmouth senior linebacker Will McNamara and Penn sophomore wide receiver Justin Watson, in a vote by the League’s eight head coaches.