Why Armanti Edwards Should Win the Walter Payton Award

For the average college football fan that concentrates his or her time and energy on the bowl subdivision, there are few names and teams that people notice and understand from the championship subdivision.

Without question, the most-recognized team is Appalachian State and the face of FCS football is Mountaineer quarterback Armanti Edwards.

Those two things aren’t part of the supplemental statistical package the media is provided with when voting on the Sports Network’s ballot for the Walter Payton Award.

The truth is that all the magnificent stats don’t tell the whole story.

I can truly say I haven’t seen Dominic Randolph (quarterback of Holy Cross) or Cameron Higgins (quarterback of Weber State) play a single game this season; however, I’m inclined to think it wouldn’t change my mind, having seen Edwards.

Edwards, who became the only player in college football history to pass for 9,000 yards and rush for 4,000 yards in a career earlier this season in a win over Furman, won’t be able to include that career statistical information to enhance his status for winning the award, but it is amazing to consider what Edwards has done in just nine games this season for the Mountaineers.

Entering the first-round matchup with South Carolina State on Saturday, Edwards has already totaled over 3,000 yards of total offense two starts shy of a full regular season (3,079 yards).

As a passer, Edwards has connected on 189-of-261 passes for 2,504 yards, 10 TDs, and only three interceptions, while rushing for 575 yards and a team-leading 16 rushing scores on 101 rush attempts this season.

Edwards’ leading competition to become the first player in FCS history to win back-to-back Payton Awards appears to be Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph (3,903 yards total offense, 37 TDs).

Randolph plays for Holy Cross in the Patriot League, which is one of the weaklings compared to the competition the SoCon provides each Saturday. The point can be proved by observing Furman’s 42-21 win at Colgate last season, which ended up being the league’s champion in ‘08, while Furman stumbled to a 7-5 finish and well out of the playoffs.

Also, even against a tough Southern Conference slate, Edwards has rarely seen the fourth quarter this season for the Mountaineers, even against SoCon competition, as the Mountaineers have been dominant yet again in league play.

Stats are relative to the competition which you play. Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh, and Fordham are reasonable opponents, but nowhere near the competition that Samford, Elon, Chattanooga, and Furman provide.

There’s no doubt Randolph is one of the most-talented QBs to ever play at the FCS level, but the award only takes in regular season performances, and when Holy Cross faces Villanova on Saturday, he’ll put up numbers, but I doubt it will be enough to give Holy Cross a legitimate shot at a victory against the speed and athleticism of the Wildcats’ defense.

Edwards, who has a tough assignment of his own with South Carolina State on Saturday, may not see his season last past Saturday, either; however, I don’t think he will be surprised by the rise in competition he’ll see Saturday from SCSU, whereas Holy Cross and Randolph might.

After all, the Crusaders will be making only their second playoff appearance in program history on Saturday and first appearance in the postseason in 26 years.

Randolph is certainly an outstanding player and a credit to his program. He will play at the next level and could be the next Joe Flacco with his size, ability, and pro arm.

Holy Cross can’t help what conference it plays in, but Edwards also couldn’t help the fact he didn’t play in two games this season, which would have made a big difference, and might have made this point moot had he started all 11 games.

To Edwards’ credit, as I’m sure is the same case with Randolph, he’s humble and focused on one trophy this time of year, and that’s the one that will have "Appalachian State Mountaineers" engraved on it, rather than one that says "Armanti Edwards."