App State’s Lamb, Troy’s Silvers on Manning Award Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced its preseason Watch List on Monday. The list includes 30 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2016 season. The winner will again be selected by a voting panel, which includes national media and each of the Mannings, after the bowls.



Two Sun Belt quarterbacks were among those on the prestigious list, Appalachian State’s Taylor Lamb and Troy’s Brandon Silvers.



Entering his third year as the Mountaineers starting quarterback, Lamb already owns 23 career starts and ranks among Appalachian State’s all-time leaders in passing yards (ninth - 4,768 yards), completions (eighth - 351), touchdown passes (third - 48) and total offense (seventh - 5,687 yards). He owns a nearly 3-to-1 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio in his career (48 touchdown passes, 18 interceptions) and has also rushed for 919 yards and nine touchdowns in just two seasons.



As a sophomore, Silvers ranked third in the Sun Belt with 216.2 passing yards per game, 20 touchdown passes, a 61.2 completion percentage and a 137.50 quarterback rating in 11 starts. His seven interceptions were the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts. A 2015 All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention team member, he threw for 249 yards or more in six of his 11 games. As a freshman, he broke Sam Bradford’s (Oklahoma) NCAA record for completion percentage by a freshman as he completed 70.5 percent of his passes (191-of-271).



The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting.



“We once again have a great group of quarterbacks returning to college football this fall,” said Archie Manning. “While this Watch List has many of the best returning players, we look forward to making midseason additions as teams settle on definite starters and as young players step up and make names for themselves. I’m really looking forward to getting the season rolling to see which guys will rise to the top and become Manning Award finalists.”

