PROVO -- BYU wide receiver Austin Collie and tight end Dennis Pitta have been named to the watch list for the 2008 Fred Biletnikoff Award. Since 1994, the Biletnikoff Award has been presented annually to the nation’s outstanding college football receiver by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.
Collie, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound junior is currently leading the nation in receiving, averaging 112.8 yards per game. He is second in total receiving yards (902) and eighth in receptions per game (7.5).
In eight games, the All-America candidate has 60 receptions and is averaging just over 15 yards per catch. Collie has recorded six-straight games with more than 100 yards receiving — a new Mountain West Conference record.
“It’s an honor for me and Dennis to be named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award,” said Collie. “The recognition is a compliment to the success we are having as a team and to the rich football tradition at BYU.”
Pitta, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior is among the top tight ends in the country. Among tight ends, Pitta is currently third in the nation in receiving yards (645) and fourth in both receptions per game (6.3) and receiving yards per game (80.6).
Also a candidate for the John Mackey Award (nation's top tight end), Pitta has 50 receptions and is averaging 12.9 yards per catch over eight games.
The prestigious Fred Biletnikoff trophy will be awarded during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing Dec. 11. The Biletnikoff winner is selected by a panel of prominent journalists, commentators, announcers and former players.