MISSOULA — Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott has been named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.
The Walter Payton Award is presented to the FCS national offensive player of the year. The 35 finalists were announced Tuesday.
Mellott, a senior from Butte, has played all 12 games for the Bobcats this season, completing 68.7% of his passes for 1,980 yards, 22 touchdowns and just one interception. On the ground, he's rushed for 633 yards and 11 touchdowns.
RELATED: Montana State's Brody Grebe a finalist for Buck Buchanan Award
With Mellott at the helm, Montana State went 12-0 for the first time in program history, won the outright Big Sky Conference championship and clinched the No. 1 seed for the FCS playoffs. The Bobcats will play Tennessee Martin or New Hampshire in a second-round game on Dec. 7.
Mellott is one of four Big Sky Conference players listed as finalists for the Walter Payton Award. The others are UC Davis quarterback Miles Hastings, UC Davis running back Lan Larison and Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III.
Hastings (3,745 passing yards and 32 touchdowns) and Larison (1,321 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, 755 receiving yards and six touchdowns) led the Aggies to the No. 5 seed in the FCS playoffs. They will play Illinois State or Southeast Missouri in a second-round game on Dec. 7.
For Eastern Washington, Chism caught 120 passes for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The winner of the Walter Payton Award will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
