OJ Mau Earns Spot On Pair of Prestigious FCS All-America Teams
December 17, 2015 | Football
BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb nose guard OJ Mau earned third-team honors on a pair of prestigious FCS All-America squads this week, landing honors from STATS and the Associated Press.
Mau (Masefau, American Samoa / Fagaitua HS) graduated from Gardner-Webb on Monday, December 14 with his undergraduate degree in sociology and on Tuesday was named to the STATS FCS All-America Team for the first time in his career. He earned Associated Press honors on Wednesday.
Mau is the first three-time FCS All-America since the program moved to Division I in 2000 and is the first defensive linemen to earn All-America honors three times in program history (Since 1970).
The 6-foot-2, 319-pound nose guard enjoyed a career-best season in 2015, tying his previous career mark with 60 total tackles and setting new highs with 14.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 11 starts in middle of a strong defensive unit.
He also blocked the second field goal of his career in the win over No. 15 Liberty on October 10 and registered a strong five quarterback pressures on the year.
Mau earned first-team All-Big South Conference honors for the third season in a row in 2015 and was one of the nation's most dominant at his position. He was a finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row and also earned a spot on the 2015 CFPA FCS Defensive Performer of the Year Watch List in November.
Mau's exploits anchored a unit that ranks No. 13 nationally in total defense (300.5 ypg), No. 4 in third down conversion defense (25.9 percent), No. 3 in red zone touchdowns allowed (9), No. 7 in passing defense (151.5 ypg), No. 7 in first down defense (15.0 per game), No. 19 in red zone defense (69.0 percent), No. 23 in scoring defense (20.6 ppg) and No. 24 in tackles for loss per game (7.4). GWU held four opponents under 100 yards rushing in 2015, including each of the last two games of the season. Six teams failed to rush for more than 150 yards on the season against the Runnin' Bulldogs.
It marked the second time during Mau's three years as a full-time starter that Gardner-Webb finished ranked in the top-15 nationally in total defense. GWU ranked fifth in 2013 in that category.
Mau has now been selected to at least one postseason FCS All-America squad in each of the past three seasons.
He is the first three-time All-America selection on the defensive line in program history. Gabe Wilkins (1992-1993), Harold Wells (2003, 2004) and Brian Johnston (2006, 2007) each earned All-America honors twice on the defensive line. Wilkins (Green Bay Packers, 4th Round) and Johnston (Kansas City Chiefs, 7th Round) went on to be drafted by NFL teams following their senior seasons.
Gardner-Webb opens its 2016 season on the road on September 3 at Elon.
