Walter Payton Award, a Big Joke?

[Appaholic]

If Landers leads his team to the finals, he deserves the award this year...Armanti has a chance next year..

Lucky for Armanti they already voted before the playoffs.

Do they really? I do not like that....same with Heisman....don't think any individual awards should be voted on until end of season, not just regulasr season.....if Armanti wins over Landers and Landers leads his team to the final AFTER leading his team to a win over App....I don't know....they are both deserving...but you're right, I remember Foster winning last year...hell, he didn't even lead his team to the playoffs....sorry, but playoff perfromances have to be considered IMO....

[ASUMountaineer]

Looks like Superman's cape has been officially passed for 2008. Or lets say Armanti "the great" passed his way out-of the Payton race today. Rodney Landers had his usual ho-hum 146yrd rushing and a TD + 3 TDs passing in the semi-finals. A far cry from 4 picks against a team from that conference with "how many teams in the quarters, and semis? Guess there was something to that head-to-head meeting in September. There will be no rematch as Rodney will be playing on Sundays next year. Enjoy the offseason as there is always 2009 for Armanti's army to win it all again.

Wow, and yet ASU has the fans that don't win with grace. Seems had to pass your way OUT OF the Payton voting this weekend since the voting has already happened. You guys have beaten ASU once in 3 tries and have won a third of our National Championships and you're talking sh!t. That's hilarious.

Like Mike Gundy said, "get your facts straight."

[Mountaineer]

Lucky for Armanti they already voted before the playoffs.

Same thing could be said for Jayson Foster last year. If playoffs were included, Edwards would've wrapped that thing up after the wrecking he put on Richmond and Delaware.

However, I don't recall any ASU fans griping over the early voting. Foster had a remarkable regular season and he deserved the Payton, just I think AE is as deserving as anyone this year.

Besides, ASU has never had a Payton winner - we're due.

[AZGrizFan]

Lucky for Armanti they already voted before the playoffs.

Same thing could be said for Jayson Foster last year. If playoffs were included, Edwards would've wrapped that thing up after the wrecking he put on Richmond and Delaware.

However, I don't recall any ASU fans griping over the early voting. Foster had a remarkable regular season and he deserved the Payton, just I think AE is as deserving as anyone this year.

Besides, ASU has never had a Payton winner - we're due.

I'd have gladly traded our Buchanan Award winner for a shot at ASU in Chatty last year...

[Mountaineer]

I'd have gladly traded our Buchanan Award winner for a shot at ASU in Chatty last year...

Yeah, I think everyone would trade the individual awards for the championships. Don't get me wrong, I was bummed Cory missed out on the Buchanan, but the 3 straight more or less made up for it.

Good luck to the Griz. I want to see ya'll and UNI in the final.

[AZGrizFan]

I'd have gladly traded our Buchanan Award winner for a shot at ASU in Chatty last year...

Yeah, I think everyone would trade the individual awards for the championships. Don't get me wrong, I was bummed Cory missed out on the Buchanan, but the 3 straight more or less made up for it.

Good luck to the Griz. I want to see ya'll and UNI in the final.

Just for clarification sake, however, I wouldn't have traded the PLAYER....just the award...

[Mountaineer]

Just for clarification sake, however, I wouldn't have traded the PLAYER....just the award...

Goes without saying.

[Llamaguy]

Just for clarification sake, however, I wouldn't have traded the PLAYER....just the award...

Goes without saying.

Ha,ha! How many trophies did you win for that one???
Oh you became the darlings of ESPN, keep playing teams on ESPN from a real conference and you will lose that label as well.

If you remeber correctly the last two years a CAA team had you beat at your place in the playoffs. JMU couldn't finish. They kicked Appy's ass 38-14 in the second half though in Harrisonburg. Revenge is sweet.

Funny how all you Appy fans were talking how inferior Richmond and the CAA were, to only have them run right over your great defense time after time. Please? There are other good teams in the FCS.

I would say stop living in the past; however, with 2008 done I realize you don't have much else to hang on to. Enjoy the Payton award. bah ha ha ha

[Mountaineer]

Oh you became the darlings of ESPN.

It's been a phenomenal four years. Nothing to feel bad about on my end. Yup, a win at Michigan, three straight national championships, hopefully a Payton Award winner, four consecutive Southern Conference championships. And I've gotten to see my team play 5 seasons worth of games in 4 years. What's not to love?

We've got a great schedule in 2009 and a heck of a team coming back. Kidd Brewer Stadium construction will be finished and we get to see the Cowboys of McNeese State open up a new era at The Rock.

It's f*ckin' awesome to be a Mountaineer.

Things are good, make that exceptional, in Appalachian State land.

Maybe someday the Dukes will be as lucky.

[ASUMountaineer]

Goes without saying.

Ha,ha! How many trophies did you win for that one???
Oh you became the darlings of ESPN, keep playing teams on ESPN from a real conference and you will lose that label as well.

If you remeber correctly the last two years a CAA team had you beat at your place in the playoffs. JMU couldn't finish. They kicked Appy's ass 38-14 in the second half though in Harrisonburg. Revenge is sweet.

Funny how all you Appy fans were talking how inferior Richmond and the CAA were, to only have them run right over your great defense time after time. Please? There are other good teams in the FCS.

I would say stop living in the past; however, with 2008 done I realize you don't have much else to hang on to. Enjoy the Payton award. bah ha ha ha

You are a clown. Listen to you. All you want to do is talk sh!t. Aren't you so cool.

By the way, considering you asked, how many trophies did that revenge get you? That's what I thought. I've never seen a fanbase like JMU's. I've never seen people so concerned about their conference being the best. You guys care so much about the CAA I think it is more important than the school. You sure you're not Alexale23/ JMinU. You both suffer from a lack of smack ability and really have trouble with putting together coherent thoughts.

[grizzaholic]

Ha,ha! How many trophies did you win for that one???
Oh you became the darlings of ESPN, keep playing teams on ESPN from a real conference and you will lose that label as well.

If you remeber correctly the last two years a CAA team had you beat at your place in the playoffs. JMU couldn't finish. They kicked Appy's ass 38-14 in the second half though in Harrisonburg. Revenge is sweet.

Funny how all you Appy fans were talking how inferior Richmond and the CAA were, to only have them run right over your great defense time after time. Please? There are other good teams in the FCS.

I would say stop living in the past; however, with 2008 done I realize you don't have much else to hang on to. Enjoy the Payton award. bah ha ha ha

You are a clown. Listen to you. All you want to do is talk sh!t. Aren't you so cool.

By the way, considering you asked, how many trophies did that revenge get you? That's what I thought. I've never seen a fanbase like JMU's. I've never seen people so concerned about their conference being the best. You guys care so much about the CAA I think it is more important than the school. You sure you're not Alexale23/ JMinU. You both suffer from a lack of smack ability and really have trouble with putting together coherent thoughts.

From reading JMU's fan site that is what I get from it. I understand we are all fans and I am sure egriz is a homerish crowd too, but damn, the CAA is the best conference ever sure does pop up in every thread.

[Mountaineer]

From reading JMU's fan site that is what I get from it. I understand we are all fans and I am sure egriz is a homerish crowd too, but damn, the CAA is the best conference ever sure does pop up in every thread.

The CAA has certainly earned the right to talk based upon results for this year. No doubt they're a good conference, and honestly, I'd love to see ASU there instead of the SoCon (I think we have much more in common with them than the small privates in the Southern).

But yeah, the constant "which conference is best" talk has moved into the way-beyond-tedious category.

[SuperHornet]

Nobody at Weber got screwed.

Cole Bergquist got screwed. He's the best player in the country this year, and nobody outside of the north and west of the BSC saw it.

[AshevilleApp]

Looks like Superman's cape has been officially passed for 2008. Or lets say Armanti "the great" passed his way out-of the Payton race today. Rodney Landers had his usual ho-hum 146yrd rushing and a TD + 3 TDs passing in the semi-finals. A far cry from 4 picks against a team from that conference with "how many teams in the quarters, and semis? Guess there was something to that head-to-head meeting in September. There will be no rematch as Rodney will be playing on Sundays next year. Enjoy the offseason as there is always 2009 for Armanti's army to win it all again.

Thanks Montana!!

[GrizNation]

There are 3 finalist for the Walter Payton Award, and one of them will win it on Dec. 18th


James Madison Quarterback- Rodney Landers

Appalachian State Quarterback- Armanti Edwards

Western Illinois Runningback- Herb Donaldson

Thier Numbers:

JMU QB- 2,905 All purpose yards and 18 tds

APP St QB- 3,517 all purpose yards, and 29 Tds

WIU RB- 1,860 all purpose yards, and 21 TDs Impressive numbers?

Cameron Higgins the Quarterback for the Weber State Wildcats had more yards than all of them, and finished 6th. Cameron Higgins has 4,207 all purpose yards and 36 tds. Those numbers are far superior to all 3 of the finalists listed above. Nobody has done more for thier team this year than Cameron Higgins.

Trevyn Smith the runningback for Weber State, a player not even nominated for the Walter Payton award, has 2,130 all purpose yards, and 27 tds. He leads the nation in rushing tds.

Somebody got Screwed

And they cant use the excuse that Higgins or Smith arent seniors, cause neither is Edwards.

First, you have to get something straight. Landers doesn't have 18TDs; he has 33TDs. Landers also has to play in the toughest conference. Plus, for Landers and Edwards; those all purpose yards might not look too impressive from a QB, but most of those yards come from running the ball.

OK, Once again we have someone stateing that the CAA is the toughest conference. Well, if they are the toughest conference than why is it that the Best of the "so called" toughest conference, got beat by a "CO-Champion of the Big Sky Conference" I can't even say that the Griz are the Best of the big sky. They tied with Weber. I don't think JMU could have even beat Weber State. I do think somebody got screwed, The election commitee must have, judgeing by the nominations. I think the Election commitee got a little something on the side for their picks. Notice that the top three are all from the East, i consider WIU to be east. Only because i don't think they play the West's style of football. Yes, they all had great numbers, but there are many people that can argue with their choices. The Weber QB and RB, are both very capable of holding the title. And to quote "Plus, for Landers and Edwards: those all purpose yards might not look too impressive from a QB, but most of those yards come from RUNNING the ball." They are Quarterbacks, not Runningbacks. All Purpose yards for a QB should look more like the Weber QB. If they wanna run than they should be a runningback. This just shows what happens when you base your entire offense around a QB that likes to run. If he gets hurt YOU ARE SCREWED!!!!! Now you have to change your whole offense. That doesn't work, especially in a big game, you can't expect a backup to come in and get the job done. The injury didn't change the game, just changed the dimeanor on the sidelines. I know i can't spell.

[AshevilleApp]

Goes without saying.

Ha,ha! How many trophies did you win for that one???
Oh you became the darlings of ESPN, keep playing teams on ESPN from a real conference and you will lose that label as well.

If you remeber correctly the last two years a CAA team had you beat at your place in the playoffs. JMU couldn't finish. They kicked Appy's ass 38-14 in the second half though in Harrisonburg. Revenge is sweet.

Funny how all you Appy fans were talking how inferior Richmond and the CAA were, to only have them run right over your great defense time after time. Please? There are other good teams in the FCS.

I would say stop living in the past; however, with 2008 done I realize you don't have much else to hang on to. Enjoy the Payton award. bah ha ha ha

Oh, did I mention? Thanks Montana!!

[GrizNation]

Nobody at Weber got screwed.

Cole Bergquist got screwed. He's the best player in the country this year, and nobody outside of the north and west of the BSC saw it.

Although i do think Cole is a great QB, i don't think he's the best player in the country. He is playing like the best right now, but there have been times where i have seen him play like a high school backup quarterback that couldn't hit a target if his life depended on it. If last weeks Cole shows up in Chatty, it will be a very very long night for the poor little Spiders, but if it is the Cole of old, it could become a very difficult game for the Griz. The one thing the Griz have going for them is a great defense, and an amazing runningback and receiver crew. My nomination for the title would be the Weber State Runningback. I watch him play the griz the first game. He was amazing. I don't believe that Edwards should get it, and out of all the finalists i would choose the WIU RB. Only because the three people are all runningbacks and he has the best numbers. And yes i consider Edwards and Landers runningbacks, they just like to have the ball all the time, so they play QB.

[fbondabrain]

This was the first time I ever saw anyone other than App state and Worford on the east coast play and I will say this; Weber State, Eastern Washington and Montana are far better teams than that sorry JMI with a QB who didnt have the heart to finish the game after a sprained ankle. I dont mean to bash the kid but he has no ticker. I was also very, very disapointed with the quality of football by JMU, Richmond, Villanova. Very one dimensional offenses and horrible defenses. Montana is a good team but there offense is super conservative and if they score over 28 points you can consider your defense pretty damn sorry! Big Sky football's top three or four teams would spank 99% of the east coast and south. Come to the Weber State Montana game in Missoula next year and see what I'm talking about.

[Col Hogan]

This was the first time I ever saw anyone other than App state and Worford on the east coast play and I will say this; Weber State, Eastern Washington and Montana are far better teams than that sorry JMI with a QB who didnt have the heart to finish the game after a sprained ankle. I dont mean to bash the kid but he has no ticker. I was also very, very disapointed with the quality of football by JMU, Richmond, Villanova. Very one dimensional offenses and horrible defenses. Montana is a good team but there offense is super conservative and if they score over 28 points you can consider your defense pretty damn sorry! Big Sky football's top three or four teams would spank 99% of the east coast and south. Come to the Weber State Montana game in Missoula next year and see what I'm talking about.

You've now seen a whole three teams play...and from this, you can make a blanket statement...

You work for the federal government, don't you...

[happyappy99]

Nobody at Weber got screwed.

Cole Bergquist got screwed. He's the best player in the country this year, and nobody outside of the north and west of the BSC saw it.

Although i do think Cole is a great QB, i don't think he's the best player in the country. He is playing like the best right now, but there have been times where i have seen him play like a high school backup quarterback that couldn't hit a target if his life depended on it. If last weeks Cole shows up in Chatty, it will be a very very long night for the poor little Spiders, but if it is the Cole of old, it could become a very difficult game for the Griz. The one thing the Griz have going for them is a great defense, and an amazing runningback and receiver crew. My nomination for the title would be the Weber State Runningback. I watch him play the griz the first game. He was amazing. I don't believe that Edwards should get it, and out of all the finalists i would choose the WIU RB. Only because the three people are all runningbacks and he has the best numbers. And yes i consider Edwards and Landers runningbacks, they just like to have the ball all the time, so they play QB.

I don't get that QBs aren't allowed to run the ball. AE is surely a good QB as he threw for 433 yds against a playoff team. And 367 yds and 5 tds against Wofford - finishing that game with a 338.57 rating. Now he also has had a lot of games with many rushing yards, but if he can do that, why not? He only threw 2 INTs in the regular season, though his 5 against richmond looked bad. I'm not trying to argue whether he should or shouldn't win the Payton, but I just don't see how you can dismiss him as a QB because he's good at running the ball too.

[GrizNation]

Although i do think Cole is a great QB, i don't think he's the best player in the country. He is playing like the best right now, but there have been times where i have seen him play like a high school backup quarterback that couldn't hit a target if his life depended on it. If last weeks Cole shows up in Chatty, it will be a very very long night for the poor little Spiders, but if it is the Cole of old, it could become a very difficult game for the Griz. The one thing the Griz have going for them is a great defense, and an amazing runningback and receiver crew. My nomination for the title would be the Weber State Runningback. I watch him play the griz the first game. He was amazing. I don't believe that Edwards should get it, and out of all the finalists i would choose the WIU RB. Only because the three people are all runningbacks and he has the best numbers. And yes i consider Edwards and Landers runningbacks, they just like to have the ball all the time, so they play QB.

I don't get that QBs aren't allowed to run the ball. AE is surely a good QB as he threw for 433 yds against a playoff team. And 367 yds and 5 tds against Wofford - finishing that game with a 338.57 rating. Now he also has had a lot of games with many rushing yards, but if he can do that, why not? He only threw 2 INTs in the regular season, though his 5 against richmond looked bad. I'm not trying to argue whether he should or shouldn't win the Payton, but I just don't see how you can dismiss him as a QB because he's good at running the ball too.

OK, he had some good games, but even a blind squirell finds a nut every once in a while. He is a good QB, just doesn't have the numbers that a Great QB (4000+ yards) should have. Correct me if i am wrong, but isn't the Walter Payton Award for the Best offensive player of the year. Shouldn't that person at least be the Best Player at their respective position. he didn't even have 3000 yards in the air.

[fbondabrain]

Cole Bergquist is a good ball player but Montana's run game and D are the reason they are playing so well. Cole Bergquist, lets face it, is a very inconsistent passer. He sees the field better when he tucks the ball than when he's looking for receivers. Higgins and Nicholls are far better passers than him AND all three QBs are great scramblers, but Higgins has been battling a knee injury suffered in the Utah game. That guy limped into every game since. So, short story long; the Big Sky Quarterbacks including Hubel and the dude from UNC represent what has to be the best corp of QBs in the country AND aside from Bergquist, they're all coming back. AND like I said East coast and South FCS football is very, very disappointing. If JMI is the best the East coast has to offer than I am confident in saying that the Big Sky is and will be next year, the toughest conference in the country. Want proof? Come to the Weber State Montana game in Missoula next year.

[GrizNation]

Cole Bergquist is a good ball player but Montana's run game and D are the reason they are playing so well. Cole Bergquist, lets face it, is a very inconsistent passer. He sees the field better when he tucks the ball than when he's looking for receivers. Higgins and Nicholls are far better passers than him AND all three QBs are great scramblers, but Higgins has been battling a knee injury suffered in the Utah game. That guy limped into every game since. So, short story long; the Big Sky Quarterbacks including Hubel and the dude from UNC represent what has to be the best corp of QBs in the country AND aside from Bergquist, they're all coming back. AND like I said East coast and South FCS football is very, very disappointing. If JMI is the best the East coast has to offer than I am confident in saying that the Big Sky is and will be next year, the toughest conference in the country. Want proof? Come to the Weber State Montana game in Missoula next year.

Now i don't want the people from the BSC to start in on this "MY CONFERENCE IS THE BEST" competition. I like that people think the CAA is the best, that means we can trash talk each time we beat one of them. I don't necessarily think there is any conference that is the best, or toughest, i just think that on any given day, any team can win, its just how the team has been performing. As of late, the Big Sky Conference is doing very good. Weber beats a tough team with Cal Poly, and than loses to their Co-Champion the Griz, who than go on the the National Championship game. I think that says a lot for the BSC. Maybe had Weber been on the other side of the bracket, say instead of UNI, they would be playing the Griz in the title game instead of Richmond, cause i know that they would beat Richmond given the chance to play them.

[fbondabrain]

Well how many piece of crap teams do I need to watch before I make a decision? I watched the best and they were all BAD! I watched Montana dismantle JMI. And that QBs ankle better be broken in 5 places. Montana's offense is not all that great and they racked up 35 points against JMI in their house. HORRIBLE! I would have to classify UMass as one of those piece of crap teams as well cause you guys couldn't get into the playoffs in a crappy conference. I'm telling you, start saving your welfare checks and come watch a real game in Missoula. that is if you can leave the state.

[dbackjon]

Now i don't want the people from the BSC to start in on this "MY CONFERENCE IS THE BEST" competition. I like that people think the CAA is the best, that means we can trash talk each time we beat one of them. I don't necessarily think there is any conference that is the best, or toughest, i just think that on any given day, any team can win, its just how the team has been performing. As of late, the Big Sky Conference is doing very good. Weber beats a tough team with Cal Poly, and than loses to their Co-Champion the Griz, who than go on the the National Championship game. I think that says a lot for the BSC. Maybe had Weber been on the other side of the bracket, say instead of UNI, they would be playing the Griz in the title game instead of Richmond, cause i know that they would beat Richmond given the chance to play them.

With the very limited inter-conference play, it is hard to say which conference is truly best.

NAU only played on OOC FCS game, against SUU, and won on the road. I don't have time now, but that would be an interesting exercise - look at FCS OOC games.

Weber unfortunately did not play any. Montana swept their three.