#UACFOOTBALL -- Finalists for four Stats Perform National FCS Awards presented by FedEx Ground were announced and United Athletic Conference (UAC) Football garnered eight selections on the prestigious listings. Potential award winners were announced for the Eddie Robinson Award, Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award and the Jerry Rice Award.

A group of 20 finalists for the 2023 Eddie Robinson Award, which is given annually to the national coach of the year in Division I FCS college football, included Austin Peay's Scotty Walden and Tarleton State's Todd Whitten. Walden guided his Govs squad to the UAC Championship with an undefeated 6-0 mark in the league's inaugural season. APSU, who finished the regular season 9-2 including a current nine-game win streak, also earned the AQ bid into the FCS Playoffs. The Texans, under Whitten's guidance, posted an 8-3 (4-2 UAC) record this season and ended the campaign with four consecutive wins. Whitten guided Tarleton State to winning records in each of its four NCAA DI transitional seasons capped by their program best showing this year.

Given annually to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football, the 2023 Walter Payton Award finalist list featured 30 names including UAC standout quarterbacks Mike DiLiello (Austin Peay) and Parker McKinney (EKU). DiLiello, who leads the Govs into FCS playoff action Saturday, currently ranks third among FCS quarterbacks with 3,057 passing yards, fourth in total offense with 3,256 yards, and fourth in total points responsible for with 192 points courtesy of his 27 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. He also is sixth nationally in passing efficiency (163.50). McKinney, tabbed as a Payton Award finalist for a second straight season, put together another record setting campaign surpassing 3,000 yards passing for the second year in a row (3,033 yards) while also tallying 20 touchdowns and averaging 275.7 yards per game through the air with a passing efficiency rating of 134.1

The 30 finalists for the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football, featured a pair of UAC defensive stalwarts in David Walker (Central Arkansas) and Logan Blake (EKU). Walker, one of the three national finalists for the award last season, continued his strong play this season finishing with 57 tackles (33 solos), 18 TFL (68 yards), 8.5 sacks, 1 FF, 3 QBH and 1 PBU in 11 games for the Bears. A graduate transfer linebacker for the Colonels, Blake led the EKU defense with 132 tackles (71 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions along with 3 pass breakups and was named UAC Defensive Player of the Week three times.

Utah Tech's Beau Sparks and Stephen F. Austin's Aaron Sears were among the 22 finalists for the 2023 Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the national freshman of the year in Division I FCS college football. Sparks, a rookie wide receiver from El Paso, Texas, caught at least five passes in nine of 11 games played and closed the regular season as the UAC leader in receptions (74) and receptions/game (6.73 rpg) while being tied for fourth in touchdown receptions (7) and fifth in receiving yards (723). A redshirt-freshman cornerback from Tyler, Texas, Sears tallied 55 tackles (26 solos), 1.5 TFL and 3 PBU in eight games for the Lumberjacks. Both Sparks and Sears collected UAC Freshman of the Week accolades twice during the 2023 campaign.

All award winners, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 6 and honored at the FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.