BA Named Manning Award Finalist

NEW ORLEANS – The SEC leader with 29 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 165.18, Arkansas senior quarterback Brandon Allen has been named one of 12 finalists for the Manning Award, announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, the Manning Award trimmed its list of 40 semifinalists down to 12 finalists. It is the only quarterback award that takes the candidates’ bowl performances into consideration in its balloting and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 11.

The only three-time winner of the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week this season, Allen was at his best down the stretch, setting a program record with six touchdown passes against Auburn in a four-overtime win before breaking it two weeks later with seven touchdown passes against Mississippi State, which is the most by an FBS quarterback this season and equaled an SEC record. Allen finished the month of November with 14 touchdown passes, good for third-most in the nation during that time, and the most by an SEC quarterback since 2012.

Allen’s 19 touchdown passes during Arkansas’ 5-1 record over the second half of the season helped him surpass Ryan Mallett as Arkansas’ career leader with 63 touchdown passes, a mark that is tied for 20th all-time in SEC history. Adding to his resume, Allen became the third player in Arkansas history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season thanks to a trio of 400-yard games, a program-best.

The Fayetteville native will make his 34th consecutive start when Arkansas’ takes part in the 41st bowl game in program history. Allen will enter the game second in Arkansas history in pass completions (563), second in attempts (990), third in completion percentage (56.9) and fourth in yards (7,148).

Manning Award Finalists (12)

Brandon Allen, Sr., Arkansas

Trevone Boykin, Sr., TCU

Connor Cook, Sr., Michigan State

Brandon Doughty, Sr., Western Kentucky

Kevin Hogan, Sr., Stanford

Chad Kelly, Jr., Ole Miss

Paxton Lynch, Jr., Memphis

Baker Mayfield, Jr., Oklahoma

Dak Prescott, Sr., Mississippi State

Keenan Reynolds, Sr., Navy

Greg Ward Jr., Jr., Houston

Deshaun Watson, So., Clemson