Cole Kelley named to CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Watch List

HAMMOND, La. – For the fifth time this season, Southeastern Louisiana University senior quarterback Cole Kelley was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week in an announcement from the LSWA on Monday.

Kelley, a Lafayette, Louisiana native, was honored after his most prolific performance as a Lion in Saturday’s 55-52 shootout loss at No. 22 UIW. Kelley completed 50-for-68 passes for 647 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 50 yards and three touchdowns. His single-game totals for total offense (697, 2nd), passing yards (4th) and completions (5th) were all among the top single-game performance in program history.

Earlier on Monday, Kelley was one of 34 student-athletes named to the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Year Watch List.

The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous honors in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of the teams.

With that criteria in place, Kelley figures to be one of the primary candidates for the honor. The only player in the nation that ranks in the top five in both passing touchdowns (31, 4th) and rushing touchdowns (12, 5th), Kelley is in line to become the third player to win the Walter Payton Award in consecutive seasons.

The national leader in total offense (441.7 ypg), passing yards (3,634), completion percentage (72.5) and points responsible for (260), Kelley ranks among the national leaders in completions per game (31.6, 2nd), passing efficiency (175.1, 2nd), touchdowns scored (8th) and yards per pass attempt (9.37, 2nd).

No. 13/14 Southeastern will return home to host Northwestern State on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3 and can be heard in the Hammond area on Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM, as well as online at www.kajun107.net.

The SLU-NSU game will also be the Hall of Fame game. Both the 2020 class of Matt Carvell (golf), Maiya Cooper (soccer), Brock Hebert (baseball) and Adonson Shallow (track and field), as well as the 2021 class of Jameson Fisher (baseball), Harry Nunez (football) and Renee Villarreal (tennis) will be inducted in a private ceremony prior to the game and recognized at halftime.

2021 CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Midseason Watch List
Cole Kelley, QB, Southeastern
Cameron Ward, QB, UIW
Lindsey Scott, QB, Nicholls
Darius Hale, RB, Central Arkansas
Breylin Smith, QB, Central Arkansas
Derek Kyler, QB, Dartmouth
Louis Colosimo, QB, Davidson
Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington
Dennis Merritt, RB, Eastern Washington
Davis Cheek, QB, Elon
Quay Holmes, QB, ETSU
Tim DeMorat, QB, Fordham
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Jackson State
Cole Johnson, QB, James Madison
Xavier Shepherd, QB, Kennesaw State
Fred Davis, RB, Mercer
Jason Shelley, QB, Missouri State
Cam Humphrey, QB, Montana
Isaiah Ifanse, RB, Montana State
Matthew McKay, QB, Montana State
Juwan Carter, QB, Norfolk State
Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State
Theo Day, QB, Northern Iowa
Kasim Hill, QB, Rhode Island
Jake Dunniway, QB, Sacramento State
Malik Grant, RB, Sacred Heart
Eric Schmid, QB, Sam Houston State
Carson Camp, QB, South Dakota
Chris Oladokun, QB, South Dakota State
Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State
Nic Baker, QB, Southern Illinois
Xavier Gipson, WR, Stephen F. Austin
Keon Howard, QB, UT Martin
Daniel Smith, QB, Villanova

TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2021-22 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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