Frisco, TX
They were attached to nearly every All-America team, but it was Sam Houston State quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe who was announced the recipient of the Walter Payton Award over South Dakota senior quarterback Chris Streveler Friday at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet hosted by Embassy Suites. Streveler was looking to become the first player from the Missouri Valley Football Conference to win the award, considered the Heisman Trophy of FCS football.
Briscoe joins Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards as the only two-time winners of the award. Briscoe was last year’s recipient when he threw for 57 touchdowns in 13 games. He was the nation’s top passer this season with 5,003 yards and 45 touchdowns, and led the Bearkats to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs.
Briscoe received 40 first-place votes and 360 points to lead the voting by a national panel of 151 sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season. Streveler received 36 first-place votes and 290 points. The other finalist in a field of 25 candidates was UC Davis junior wide receiver Keelan Doss who finished with 189 points.
Streveler became a front runner for the award after leading South Dakota to a 6-0 start which included wins against Bowling Green (FBS) and three nationally-ranked FCS teams. The Coyotes climbed to No. 4 in the national rankings and spent seven weeks inside the top-10. South Dakota went on to compete in the FCS playoffs for the first time and beat Nicholls in the first round before falling to Briscoe’s Bearkats in the round of 16.
In leading the nation’s No. 2 offense, Streveler set 20 program records and five MVFC records including new marks for passing yards (4,134) and total offense (4,854). He accounted for 43 touchdowns – 32 passing and 11 rushing – and led the nation in total offense while taking on one of the toughest schedules in the country. In essentially 12 games, Streveler faced eight top-25 opponents and one FBS foe. Five opponents were ranked in the top 10.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Streveler became the first Coyote named MVFC Offensive Player of the Year. He has since been named a first-team All-American by nearly every publication including Associated Press, Phil Steele, Walter Camp and HERO Sports. Phil Steele named Streveler FCS Offensive Player of the Year in mid-December. Streveler is now inked into the second-team quarterback slot on the STATS FCS All-America Team.
It didn’t affect the voting, but certainly worth mentioning is Streveler’s postseason performance. He passed for 378 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-31 road win at Nicholls in the Coyotes’ FCS playoffs debut. In the round of 16 against Sam Houston State, he passed for a USD and FCS playoff record 520 yards and accounted for six touchdowns (5 pass, 1 run). His 571 yards of total offense in that game is also an FCS playoff game record.
Streveler started 23 games in two seasons at South Dakota after spending three years and earning a degree at University of Minnesota. He passed for 6,081 yards and 54 touchdowns, both third-most in Coyote history. He also rushed for 1,543 yards and 20 scores.
This year, Streveler completed the eighth-most prolific season in FCS history in terms of total offense. He is the only quarterback in the nation who ranks in the top 10 in each of the following categories: passing yards (2nd, 4,134), total touchdowns (3rd, 43), touchdown/interception ratio (3rd, 4:1), completion percentage (8th, 65.7 percent), and pass efficiency rating (8th, 156.5). In 481 pass attempts and 168 rushes, he committed just eight turnovers.
About the Award
The Walter Payton Award, presented on the eve of the national championship game, is named for the legendary College and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back who starred at Jackson State University in the early 1970s. It has been presented every year since 1987.
Voting Results
1. Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sam Houston State: 40-19-16-15-6-360
2. Chris Streveler, QB, South Dakota: 36-16-8-5-12-290
3. Keelan Doww, WR, UC Davis: 10-11-14-19-15-189
4. Devlin Hodges, QB, Samford: 5-16-20-11-8-179
5. Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond: 14-5-10-19-8-166
6. Taryn Christion, QB, South Dakota State: 6-12-7-10-7-126
7. Dominick Bragalone, RB, Lehigh: 3-9-9-8-13-116
8. Bryan Schor, QB, James Madison: 7-6-8-8-7-106
9. Hayden Hildebrand, QB, Central Arkansas: 8-6-4-6-5-93
10. Brandon Parker, OT, North Carolina A&T: 5-9-7-1-8-92
11. Josh Mack, RB, Maine: 0-7-8-6-8-72
12. Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State: 3-5-4-3-4-57
13. Gage Gubrud, QB, Eastern Washington: 1-4-4-8-6-55
14. (Tie) Lamar Raynard, QB, North Carolina A&T: 5-2-2-2-3-46
14. (Tie) Roc Thomas, RB, Jacksonville State: 1-3-8-2-1-46
16. Anthony Lawrence, QB, San Diego: 0-5-3-3-10-45
17. Chad Kanoff, QB, Princeton: 0-3-2-9-7-43
18. Chandler Burks, QB, Kennesaw State: 2-2-3-3-6-39
19. Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona: 1-3-5-1-4-38
20. Justin Watson, WR, Penn: 2-1-0-5-3-27
21. DeVante Kincade, QB, Grambling State: 2-2-0-2-2-24
22. (Tie) Neil O'Connor, WR, New Hampshire: 0-2-2-1-2-18
22. (Tie) Troy Pelletier, WR, Lehigh: 0-2-1-2-3-18
24. Detrez Newsome, RB, Western Carolina: 0-1-2-2-2-16
25. Tommy Stuart, QB, Duquesne: 0-0-1-0-1-4
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point.
Courtesy: GoYotes.com
- Sports
- College
- {{Title}}
- TX
- Frisco
DISCLAIMER: The views of the author are not necessarily those of this station, its owners, officers, agents or employees.