KENNESAW, Ga. – The rewards for a Big South Conference championship continued for the Kennesaw State football team on Monday as junior QB Chandler Burks and redshirt freshman LB Bryson Armstrong were named finalists for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year) and STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman of the Year).
 
Burks and Armstrong join head coach Brian Bohannon, who earlier on Monday was announced as a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, presented annually to the National Coach of the Year.
 
Engineering the number one rushing attack in the country (339.0), Burks ranks second in the country and tops the Big South Conference with 15 rushing touchdowns and is 10th nationally in scoring (8.2 ppg.). He has amassed 1,919 total yards (912 rushing, 1,007 passing) to rank fourth in the Big South in total offense, is fourth in the conference in rushing (82.9 ypg.) and fifth in passing (91.5 ypg.).
 
Burks is a four-time Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week selection this season, while Armstrong has garnered Freshman of the Week accolades four times, and earned Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance in a 52-21 victory over Monmouth on Saturday.
 
Armstrong has made an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Owls as he leads KSU in tackles (82), solo tackles (63), tackles for loss (10) tackles for loss yardage (73), sacks (10), fumble recoveries (4), forced fumbles (3), and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3) and blocked kicks (1). His fumble recovery total leads the country, while his sacks per game (0.91) and solo tackles per game (5.7) rank 11th and 15th, respectively.
 
The lists of nominees were pared to finalists for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, and STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award.
 
All four awards and the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be celebrated at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation, scheduled for Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the national championship game.
 
The voting panel consists of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Voting is based on the regular season.
 
Kennesaw State earned its first NCAA Division I FCS Playoff berth and will host Samford Saturday at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Kickoff is 2 p.m.
 
2017 STATS FCS AWARDS
WALTER PAYTON AWARD FINALISTS
(FCS Offensive Player of the Year)
Dominick Bragalone, RB, Jr. - Lehigh; Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sr. - Sam Houston State; Chandler Burks, QB, Jr. - Kennesaw State; Taryn Christion, QB, Jr. - South Dakota State; Case Cookus, QB, So. - Northern Arizona; Keelan Doss, WR, Jr. - UC Davis; Dallas Goedert, TE, Sr. - South Dakota State; Gage Gubrud, QB, Jr. - Eastern Washington; Hayden Hildebrand, QB, Sr. - Central Arkansas; Devlin Hodges, QB, Jr. - Samford; Chad Kanoff, QB, Sr. - Princeton; DeVante Kincade, QB, Sr. - Grambling State; Kyle Lauletta, QB, Sr. - Richmond; Anthony Lawrence, QB, Jr. - San Diego; Josh Mack, RB, So. - Maine; Detrez Newsome, RB, Sr. - Western Carolina; Neil O'Connor, WR, Jr. - New Hampshire; Brandon Parker, OT, Sr. - North Carolina A&T; Troy Pelletier, WR, Sr. - Lehigh; Lamar Raynard, QB, Jr. - North Carolina A&T; Bryan Schor, QB, Sr. - James Madison; Chris Streveler, QB, Sr. - South Dakota, QB; Tommy Stuart, QB, Grad - Duquesne; Roc Thomas, RB, Sr. - Jacksonville State; Justin Watson, WR, Sr. – Penn
 
JERRY RICE AWARD FINALISTS
(FCS Freshman Player of the Year)
Troy Anderson, RB/LB - Montana State; Bryson Armstrong, LB - Kennesaw State; Grant Breneman, QB - Colgate; Davis Cheek, QB - Elon; Jabril Cox, LB - North Dakota State; Kierre Crossley, RB - Central Arkansas; Glenn Cunningham, LB - Fordham; Zane Dudek, RB - Yale; Wesley Dugger, RB - Davidson; Reynard Ellis, LB - Furman; Jaron Grayer, LB - Maine; Pete Guerriero, RB - Monmouth; Gresch Jensen, QB - Montana; Anthony Knighton, DE - Southern Illinois; Torrance Marable, RB - Presbyterian; Franklin "Mac" McCain III, CB - North Carolina A&T; Caylin Newton, QB - Howard; Kaelan Riley, QB - Mercer, QB; Vincent Sellers, S - Tennessee State; Daniel Smith, QB - Campbell
 
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD FINALISTS
(FCS Coach of the Year)
Mike Ayers, Wofford; Al Bagnoli, Columbia; Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State; Rod Broadway, North Carolina A&T; Kevin Callahan, Monmouth; Dave Cecchini, Valparaiso; Curt Cignetti, Elon; Charlie Fisher, Western Illinois; John Grass, Jacksonville State; Will Healy, Austin Peay; Mike Houston, James Madison; Dan Hunt, Colgate; Chris Klieman, North Dakota State; Mike London, Howard; Fred McNair, Alcorn State; Tim Rebowe, Nicholls; Pete Rossomando, Central Connecticut State; Demario Warren, Southern Utah
  
Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
 
Keep up with Kennesaw State Athletics by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook. You also can follow Kennesaw State football at @KennesawSTFB and The Owls fund on Twitter at @TheOwlsFund.
 

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