Aug. 8, 2007

University of South Carolina senior quarterback Blake Mitchell has been named to the Manning Award Watch List, as announced by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Manning Award is given annual to college football’s top quarterback.

Mitchell, a 6-3, 217-pounder from LaGrange, Ga., enters his final campaign ranked seventh in the Carolina record books with 4,245 career passing yards. He is the SEC’s top returning quarterback in career completion percentage (61.2 percent), which is also the best mark in school history. He has started 17 games during his career at South Carolina, posting 11 victories. He earned MVP honors in the 2006 Liberty Bowl win over Houston by completing 19-of-29 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, and will be presented to the recipient following the holiday bowl season. It is the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates’ bowl performances.

The winner will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings.

The first three winners of the Manning Award were Southern California’s Matt Leinart, Texas’ Vince Young and LSU’s JaMarcus Russell. All three players went on to become first round draft picks in the NFL.

Finalists for the award will be announced prior to the beginning of the bowl season.