Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen and Arkansas State quarterback Fredi Knighten were among 30 players named Thursday to the watch list for the Manning Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top college quarterback.
Allen was one of three SEC quarterbacks on the watch list, joining Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and Missouri’s Maty Mauk. Knighten and Georgia Southern’s Kevin Ellison are the two Sun Belt Conference players on the list.
Allen, of Fayetteville, passed for 2,285 yards with 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions last season and completed 56 percent of his passes. Knighten, a graduate of Little Rock’s Pulaski Academy, passed for 3,277 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, rushed for 779 yards and 11 touchdowns and completed 62.3 percent of his passes.
The Manning Award is the only postseason honor for quarterbacks that takes into account the players’ bowl performance. A list of 10 finalists will be released Nov. 25 and the winner will be announced Jan. 13.
VOLLEYBALL
UAM hires new coach
Arkansas-Monticello has hired Kelly Burdeau as its new head coach.
Burdeau will be the fourth head coach since the UAM program began in 2005, after serving the past two seasons as head coach for NCAA Division II Brevard (N.C.) College. She was also an assistant coach at Brevard in 2008.
Burdeau replaces Peter Cruz, who led the Cotton Blossoms to a 15-15 record last season.
GOLF
UCA’s Angles named All-America scholar
Former University of Central Arkansas golfer Pep Angles was named a Division I All-America scholar this week.
Angles, a three-time Southland Conference player of the year, was one of 206 players in NCAA Division I to be selected. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years, participate in 50 percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2.
Angles, the Southland men’s golf student-athlete of the year the past two years, qualified for two consecutive NCAA Regionals. Angles had a 3.51 grade-point average in management information systems.
Maumelle Classic begins today
Noah Tullos of Paragould returns to defend his 2014 title today when the Maumelle Classic tees off at Maumelle Country Club.
Tullos won last year’s event in a three-man playoff over Austin Harmon of Benton and D.J. Godoy of Hideaway, Texas. The three will be paired together for a 12:51 p.m. tee time.
Other contenders in the 107-player field include multiple Arkansas State Golf Association player of the year Wes McNulty of White Hall, Bryon Shumate of Fort Smith, Tyler Reynolds of Little Rock and Kevin Walker of Sherwood.
Not playing this year is 2012 and 2013 champion Matt Mabrey of Little Rock, who is ineligible after turning professional just before playing in the U.S. Open last month.
“For two years, Matt Mabrey brought the course to its knees because he handled it with his length,” Maumelle Country Club professional Cary Maddox said. “He left his mark off the course, too, by bringing people in to play here. It was nice to see him do that.”
The three-day tournament concludes Sunday. A cut of 25 percent will be made after Saturday’s round.