NEW ORLEANS – As one of the nation’s leading passers through the first half of the season, Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was added to the Manning Award Watch List, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced Friday morning (Oct. 23).
The Manning Award is an annual honor recognizing the nation’s top college football quarterback. Created in 2004, the award celebrates the remarkable football legacy of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning while recognizing the outstanding quarterbacks who continue to shape the game at the collegiate level.
Browne has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football, ranking in the Top 20 in passing yards (13th-1,822), passing yards per game (19th-260.3) and completions per game (24th-20.7). Surpassing 300 passing yards in each of the first three contests, Browne joined Jim Everett (1985, twice), Drew Brees (1998, 1999), Kyle Orton (2004), Curtis Painter (2007), David Blough (2018) and Aidan O'Connell (2021, 2022) as the only Purdue quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards in three straight games. He began the season by leading Purdue to a win over Indiana State, finishing the contest with 317 passing yards and three touchdowns in just three quarters of play. After a 329-yard performance against Wake Forest, Browne threw for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns at UCLA.
The Boilermaker quarterback has taken care of the football. He became the first Purdue QB to throw one or fewer INTs through the first six games of a season since at least 1959. Browne surpassed 4,000 passing yards for his career when leading the Boilermakers to a road victory over Illinois, bringing the Cannon Trophy back to West Lafayette. One week later, the Clarkston, Michigan native showcased his ability to run by racking up 81 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, helping propel Purdue to a dominating 41-13 win over Minnesota.
Browne and the Boilermakers are currently on their bye week, preparing for a five-game stretch to close out the regular season. Purdue returns to the gridiron on Halloween, traveling east to face Penn State. Kickoff from Beaver Stadium is set for 4:15 p.m. ET on BTN.
