Award honors the outstanding defensive player

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The gaudy statistics of a Walter Payton Award candidate always jump right out at admirers, but the number that is most important on campus is the victory total. So what the teams of Idaho State quarterback Justin Arias and running backs Chase Edmonds of Fordham, Connor Kacsor of Dayton and DyShawn Mobley of Eastern Kentucky have accomplished this season plays right into the four players being named to the 2014 Payton Award Watch List on Tuesday. The 28th annual Payton Award, presented by The Sports Network, will be bestowed on the outstanding player in the FCS on Dec. 15 at the national awards banquet. The four new additions: Justin Arias, QB, Idaho State, Sr., 6-0, 213, Agoura Hills, California Behind Arias spectacular play, Idaho State has won four straight games to improve to 6-3 and guarantee itself at least a .500 season for the first time since 2003. He ranks No. 1 in the FCS in passing yards (3,092), passing yards per game (343.6) and touchdown passes (29), No. 2 in points responsible for (180) and No. 3 in total offensive yards per game (345.8). Hes a natural leader who plays on an even keel, which has boosted his Big Sky squad to No. 2 in the nation in offensive yards per game (563.2) Chase Edmonds, RB, Fordham, Fr., 5-9, 185, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania One of the few questions surrounding Fordham before the season was could it replace last years Payton Award nominee, Carlton Koonce, at running back? The freshman Edmonds provided the answer in the first game when he rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns and totaled 300 all-purpose yards. He has remained at a high level, rushing for at least 100 yards in each Rams win while the Patriot League squad has gone 8-1 and risen to a No. 9 national ranking. He ranks No. 2 in the FCS in rushing yards (1,322), rushing yards per game (146.9), all-purpose yards per game (193) and points per game (12.7). Hes also nominated for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman of the year. Connor Kacsor, RB, Dayton, Sr., 6-0, 200, Leo, Indiana With a 6-2 record, Dayton is on pace for its best season since winning a share of the 2010 Pioneer Football League title. Despite the Flyers nickname, they have preferred to keep the ball on the ground with their speedy tailback. Kacsor rushed for 301 yards against Georgetown in their season opener and has gone over 200 yards in two other victories. Overall, Kacsor ranks No. 3 in the FCS with 145.6 rushing yards per game, gaining 1,165 yards and 14 touchdowns in the eight games. DyShawn Mobley, RB, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., 5-11, 215, Powell, Tennessee Mobley transferred in from the University of Kentucky earlier this year and has lifted the Colonels from a .500 season in 2013 to Ohio Valley Conference title contention this season. They are ranked No. 16 nationally with an 8-1 record. A big power back, Mobley has seven 100-yard games to lead the OVC in rushing yards (1,061), rushing yards per game (117.9) and touchdowns (14). He ranks ninth in the FCS in rushing yards. Other players on the Walter Payton Award Watch List are quarterbacks Vernon Adams Jr. of Eastern Washington, Bryan Bennett of Southeastern Louisiana, Jacob Huesman of Chattanooga, Michael Nebrich of Fordham, Dakota Prukop of Montana State, John Robertson of Villanova and Alex Ross of Coastal Carolina; running backs Marshaun Coprich of Illinois State, Malcolm Cyrus of Alabama State, Khairi Dickson of Saint Francis (Pa.), Rob Hollomon of Central Connecticut State, DaMarcus James of Jacksonville State, David Johnson of Northern Iowa, Gus Johnson of Stephen F. Austin, Tyler Varga of Yale, Herb Walker Jr. of Morgan State and Zach Zenner of South Dakota State; wide receivers Kenny Cook of Gardner-Webb, R.J. Harris of New Hampshire and Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington; and tight end MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois. Ballots for the Walter Payton Award Watch List will be sent to a national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season. The top three vote- getters will be invited to the national awards banquet. The Sports Network also presents the Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson awards. The Buchanan Award honors the outstanding defensive player in the FCS, the Rice Award goes to the FCS freshman of the year and the Robinson Award is bestowed upon the FCS coach of the year. The 2014 FCS Awards package can be found at http://tinyurl.com/n5ysh8x. Dwight Powell Jersey . -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Kostas Antetokounmpo Jersey . PETERSBURG, Florida – Heading into Thursday nights action, Dioner Navarro had caught 14 innings combined from starters Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle. http://www.mavericksteamofficial.info/ha...vericks-jersey/. Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Custom Dallas Mavericks Jerseys . -- Desperate to stop Tom Bradys latest comeback bid, the Miami Dolphins sought help from a reserve safety making his NFL debut after being signed Tuesday off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. Cheap Dallas Mavericks Jerseys .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects.DETROIT - Hockey great Gordie Howe has lost some function on the right side of his body after having a stroke Sunday in Texas.Howes daughter Cathy said Tuesday night the 86-year-old Detroit Red Wings legend had lost much use of his right arm and right leg. Howe suffered the stroke in Lubbock, where his daughter lives.Well just see what each day brings, she said. Hes tough. Hes not giving up.Howes daughter said his speech is slurred, but hes been looking at family pictures and pictures from his playing days, and hes able to recognize and identify people he played with. His three sons were on the way there to see him.The stroke kind of came out of nowhere, said Howes son Murray, a radiologist.The man known as Mr. Hockey set NHL marks with 801 goals and 1,850 points — mostly with the Red Wings — that held up until Wayyne Gretzky surpassed him in the record book.dddddddddddd. He was revered for his blend of finesse and grit, playing 26 years in the NHL until he retired for good from the league at age 52.With one shift for the Detroit Vipers in the International Hockey League in 1997, he played professionally in a sixth decade at the age of 69.Murray Howe said last year his father was still strong but was struggling a bit with short-term memory loss. This year, around the end of August, he underwent a procedure to help with back trouble. That operation helped significantly.He ended up getting whats called a minimally invasive lumbar decompression, Murray Howe said. He was doing great for a while.Howes daughter said his spirits were still strong after the stroke.Hes as tough now as he was when he played, she said. ' ' '