CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Miami’s Cam Ward and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord were named as finalists for the Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, on Thursday.
 
The winner will be announced after the College Football Playoff National Championship in January. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes the candidates’ bowl performances into consideration in its balloting.
 
Ward set the Miami program single-season record for passing yards and touchdowns this season. An All-ACC First-Team selection, Ward leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and Total QBR (88.0) and ranks second in all of FBS in passing yards (4,123), passing yards per game (343.6), total offense per game (359.9), points responsible for (254), and points responsible for per game (21.2). He also ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (171.1) and yards per pass attempt (9.48), all of which rank in the top two in the ACC.
 
The West Columbia, Texas, native has also been named the ACC’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. Ward was also a two-time Maxwell Award Player of the Week (September 4 and October 22) and three-time Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Player of the Week (September 25, October 9, and October 23). He was also named the Davey O’Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week on September 4, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week on September 24, and the Associated Press National Player of the Week on October 7.
 
McCord leads the country in passing yards (4,326), passing yards per game (360.5) and completions per game (30.58). He also ranks fourth nationally with 29 passing touchdowns, while ranking 11th with 194 points responsible for. His passing touchdowns, passing yards and completions are each the most in a season in Syracuse history. In just one season at Syracuse, McCord is tied for seventh in passing completions. In the Orange’s win over UConn, McCord threw for 470 yards, which is the second-highest single-game total in Syracuse history.
 
All the Manning Award winners follow in the footsteps of the Mannings themselves. 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.