NEW ORLEANS, La. — WKU Football quarterback Bailey Zappe was named a 2021 Manning Award Finalist, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced on Friday. The Victoria, Texas, native is 1-of-10 listed, including the lone Conference USA player and only 1-of-3 from Group of Five programs. The graduate transfer is only the second Hilltopper to earn this distinction, joining Brandon Doughty in 2015.
For the year, Zappe is 442-of 639 passing (69.2%) for 5,545 yards, with 56 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The all-time single-season FBS yardage record is 5,833 by Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons during his 14-game 2003 season, while the single-season FBS touchdown record is 60 by LSU’s Joe Burrow during his 15-game 2019 campaign. A performance by Zappe of 289 passing yards and five touchdowns in the Hilltoppers’ bowl game would eclipse both marks.
With a Conference USA Championship Game-record and career-high 577 yards at UTSA, Zappe became only the sixth quarterback in FBS history to achieve a 5,000-yard, 50-touchdown campaign. In addition, a 45-yard completion in the first quarter to wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley pushed Zappe over Brandon Doughty’s WKU single-season program record of 5,055, which was set during the 14-game 2015 season. Meanwhile, the 577 yards marked the first FBS passing performance of 560 or more yards since UCF’s Dillon Gabriel had 601 at Memphis on October 17, 2020.
Zappe had been honored by the Manning Award throughout the season and was added to the Watch List on October 22. He was a four-time “Star of the Week” and even voted the National Quarterback of the Week following his performance vs. Charlotte, leading the Hilltoppers to a 45-13 Homecoming win.
The other nine semifinalists for 2021 are: Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, Mississippi State’s Will Rogers, Nevada’s Carson Strong, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young.
Among the 10 finalists, Zappe leads in yards by 1,094 (next-closest is Rogers’ 4,451) and touchdowns by 13 (next-closest is Young’s 43). He is third with a 167.55 passing efficiency rating (Stroud leads with 182.24), fourth with a 69.2% completion rate (Rogers leads with 75.1%) and sixth with 8.7 yards per attempt (Stroud leads with 9.8).
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. In college, Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning combined for over 25,000 passing yards and 201 touchdowns while playing in 10 bowl games and earning four bowl MVP awards. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, while both Peyton and Eli were selected No. 1 overall.
“There have been so many quarterbacks who’ve had outstanding seasons. They’re making this year’s competition for the Manning Award as wide-open as I can remember,” Archie Manning said in a press release. “This is definitely a year where we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to see how everyone plays for the full season – right through the bowl games and the playoff – before deciding who will be the winner.”
One of the more unique aspects of the Manning Award is the fact that it takes account of the quarterbacks’ conference championship and bowl performances in addition to the regular season; the winner will be announced in January. Fourteen of the 17 Manning Award winners won bowl games during the season they won the honor. Now in its 18th season, it has never gone to a Group of Five player.
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