Both players remain candidates for the Payton and Buchanan Awards Spt_payton_zc_10-30

Muhammad Abdulqaadir and Alexis Moreland both remain candidates on the Payton and Buchanan award lists that were released Wednesday.

Both of the Salukis have been on every list since the preseason.

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The Payton Award, I-AA football’s version of the Heisman Trophy, is given to the top offensive player, while the Buchanan Award is given to the best defensive player in the I-AA ranks.

Abdulqaadir, thought of as the early-season frontrunner, remains on the list despite numbers less than what has been produced by the other Payton candidates. Abdulqaadir missed two games due to a bruised knee and has also shared the ball with fellow senior Tom Koutsos.

Abdulqaadir has produced 725 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground for the undefeated No. 3 Salukis. With three games left on the schedule, he should eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both of his two seasons at SIU.

Moreland leads the SIU defense, which is the top-ranked in the Gateway, with 62 tackles on the season. The junior recorded 13 tackles against Southwest Missouri State last Saturday.

Jamaal Branch, RB, Colgate

The 6-foot, 210-pound back has rushed for 1,296 yards and 18 touchdowns this season for undefeated Colgate. The junior is averaging 162 yards a game and is on pace to rush for around 1,800 yards.

Alvin Cowan, QB, Yale

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The 6-2 Texan has thrown for 1,614 yards this season for the 4-2 Bulldogs. The junior signal caller has also put up 14 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions.

Terrance Freeney, RB, Northern Iowa

The short but powerful sophomore has produced 941 yards and 11 scores on the ground for his hometown squad. The Panthers have three games left on their schedule, the last being against the Salukis and their top-run defense.

Bruce Eugene, QB, Grambling State

The super-sized quarterback (6-1, 245) has thrown for more yardage than any other Payton nominee. The junior has already amassed 2,485 yards passing and has thrown for 22 touchdowns to 11 interceptions for the 6-2 Tigers.

Vick King, RB, McNeese St.

King, a 5-10, 206-pound back out of Louisiana, has rushed for 870 yards and 10 touchdowns for 6-1 McNeese St. The Cowboys are currently ranked No.1 in Division I-AA in both the Sportsnetwork/CSTV and ESPN/USA Today polls.

Boomer Grigsby, LB, Illinois State

The 6-0, 245-pound muscle-bound linebacker may better now than during his phenomenal sophomore season, which made him a finalist for the Buchanan Award. He has been the bright spot for the Redbirds who have lost four straight and currently sit at 3-8 overall.

The junior from Canton has notched 136 tackles, three sacks and has recorded 11 tackles for loss. Grigsby is on pace to record nearly 170 tackles.

Roderick Royal, LB, McNeese State

Royal, a preseason first-team All-American, has only added to his billing with his play for the No.1 Cowboys. The senior has racked up 60 tackles, five of which were for loss, and three sacks.

Lee Russell, LB, Western Illinois

The senior linebacker has totaled 89 stops with 14 being for loss. He has also picked up two sacks. Russell’s nose for the ball has led him to recover four fumbles and he has a team-high five breakups in pass defense.

Jared Allen, DE, Idaho State

Allen has been a menace rushing the quarterback and has picked up a staggering 14.5 sacks this season for the 5-3 Bengals. He is third on the squad with 59 tackles, but 19 of his stops have come for loss.