Is E. Ward 2nd most accomplished QB in FCS?

[bostonspider]

Eric Ward is now 14-5 in his career versus Top-25 opponents -- winning 10 of those games away from UR Stadium.. He has played the Spiders into consecutive trips to the semi-finals, including last years national championship. Besides Armanti Edwards, is there anyone else whose accomplishments match up? Why is Eric not talked about / respected more?

[AppAlum2003]

Fantasy Football has made the game about numbers, numbers and... numbers. Baseball used to be the numbers sport, but football is slowly catching up.

Ward has had a great career and good numbers. He's got my respect (not that it's really worth much.)

[mcveyrl]

Eric Ward is now 14-5 in his career versus Top-25 opponents -- winning 10 of those games away from UR Stadium.. He has played the Spiders into consecutive trips to the semi-finals, including last years national championship. Besides Armanti Edwards, is there anyone else whose accomplishments match up? Why is Eric not talked about / respected more?


Fantasy Football has made the game about numbers, numbers and... numbers. Baseball used to be the numbers sport, but football is slowly catching up.

Ward has had a great career and good numbers. He's got my respect (not that it's really worth much.)

I think there are a few factors:

1) Edwards' presence. Everything else is an afterthought to the media, particularly at the QB position.

2) Both Edwards and Landers were the headline grabbers last year until the finals, so he didn't have time to build up the "hype."

3) Richmond consistently has good defenses and I think he is (probably unfairly) seen as a good "game manager" and not a great QB.

Bottom line, though: he's a winner and a leader and he deserves some respect.

EDIT: The more I think about it, he reminds me a lot of Rascati, but better.

[Dukie95]

Is E. Ward 2nd most accomplished QB in FCS?

Let's see...covering the 4 years that make up the careers of all senior QB in FCS, let's count the national titles.

AE - 3
EW - 1

So yes, I'd say he's the 2nd most accomplished QB in FCS.

[bostonspider]

AE only has 2 titles.

[unigriff]

So true :) in only 1.5 seasons Pat Grace of UNI is 17-4 (.809) overall as a starter. 2 of those losses coming to Nationally ranked BYU in which he was injured in the first half in a 41-17 loss and to now #11 Iowa by one pt. and a one pt loss to eventual National Champ Richmond. While only 3-2 against top 25 in FCS and 0-2 against FBS, Grace is still a top 5 i think. But apples to apples.

[WVAPPmountaineer]

Eric Ward is now 14-5 in his career versus Top-25 opponents -- winning 10 of those games away from UR Stadium.. He has played the Spiders into consecutive trips to the semi-finals, including last years national championship. Besides Armanti Edwards, is there anyone else whose accomplishments match up? Why is Eric not talked about / respected more?

My opinion is yes - I have seen him play twice in person and at least that many on tv - I was impressed when I first saw him 2 years ago + the end of game drives during the playoffs last season were textbook ----

[ElonPride]

How about.....8,487 passing yards, 80 TDs responsible for (passing and rushing), 7 wins versus top 25 through 2 1/2 seasons.....but no SoCon championships or playoff wins.

[PhoenixMan]

How about.....8,487 passing yards, 80 TDs responsible for (passing and rushing), 7 wins versus top 25 through 2 1/2 seasons.....but no SoCon championships or playoff wins.

Thank You ElonPride. All time leader in passing yards, completions, and TD's in SoCon history, with a season and 1/2 left. Maybe "accomplished" brings championships into play, and there isn't anything to metion there. I was getting ready to send a one word post.....Riddle.xbowx

[FUrams7]

John Skelton - Fordham

Skelton's career-record numbers are now 631 completions for 7,740 yards and 53 touchdowns...Skelton entered the game leading the NCAA in total offense and passing yards/game...

Skelton prob has 20 rushing TD's as well.. but dont have # on hand..

1) Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross .......... 918
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 800
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 740
4) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 652
5) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 613
Passing Yards:
1) Dominc Randolph, Holy Cross ........... 10,965
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 9,961
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 8,267
4) Cameron Higgins, Weber St. .............. 8,003
5) Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St. ..... 7,857
6) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 7,552
7) Noah Shepard, South Dakota ............. 7,528
8) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 7,522
9) Bradley George, Texas St. ................... 7,484

[ElonPride]

John Skelton - Fordham

Skelton's career-record numbers are now 631 completions for 7,740 yards and 53 touchdowns...Skelton entered the game leading the NCAA in total offense and passing yards/game...

Skelton prob has 20 rushing TD's as well.. but dont have # on hand..

1) Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross .......... 918
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 800
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 740
4) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 652
5) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 613
Passing Yards:
1) Dominc Randolph, Holy Cross ........... 10,965
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 9,961
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 8,267
4) Cameron Higgins, Weber St. .............. 8,003
5) Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St. ..... 7,857
6) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 7,552
7) Noah Shepard, South Dakota ............. 7,528
8) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 7,522
9) Bradley George, Texas St. ................... 7,484

What year are the players listed? I'm too lazy to look.....

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Ward has won a National Championship. He has also won on the road at ...

UNI
App State
Wofford
Delaware (twice on the road, once at home)
JMU (twice)
Umass
William and Mary (twice on the road, once at home)
Elon
Duke (twice)

He's also beaten at home...

EKU (twice)
UNH

Not only is he the clear cut #2 ... If he gets another ring this year, he's just as accomplished as AE.

Nuff said.

[AppAlum2003]

Ward has won a National Championship. He has also won on the road at ...

UNI
App State
Wofford
Delaware (twice on the road, once at home)
JMU (twice)
Umass
William and Mary (twice on the road, once at home)
Elon
Duke (twice)

He's also beaten at home...

EKU (twice)
UNH

Not only is he the clear cut #2 ... If he gets another ring this year, he's just as accomplished as AE.

Nuff said.

What top 5 FBS team did he beat to shock the world? xwhistlex

[PhoenixSupreme]

Thank You ElonPride. All time leader in passing yards, completions, and TD's in SoCon history, with a season and 1/2 left. Maybe "accomplished" brings championships into play, and there isn't anything to metion there. I was getting ready to send a one word post.....Riddle.xbowx

I can certainly put Riddle up there considering his raw stats and how instrumental of a turnaround the Elon program has had with him at the driver's seat (and still a junior). But the fact that Elon has never made the playoffs or won a SoCon championship under his tenure really hurts his overall credentials for being considered one of the "Top 5 Most Accomplished QBs in FCS". However that may change if Elon can keep the ship afloat and get that SoCon title and playoff spot.

[mcveyrl]

Ward has won a National Championship. He has also won on the road at ...

UNI
App State
Wofford
Delaware (twice on the road, once at home)
JMU (twice)
Umass
William and Mary (twice on the road, once at home)
Elon
Duke (twice)

He's also beaten at home...

EKU (twice)
UNH

Not only is he the clear cut #2 ... If he gets another ring this year, he's just as accomplished as AE.

Nuff said.


Yea, everybody else is putting their own spin on "accomplished." To me that means wins.

It means you lead your team over Liberty when the season's on the line or you win the Patriot League. No offense to anybody else mentioned because they're obviously great QBs, but haven't even made the playoffs.

[mcveyrl]

What top 5 FBS team did he beat to shock the world? xwhistlex

I hate sticking up for either App or UR, but it's all I got this year. xbawlingx

But I can tell you what Ward didn't do: throw 5 interceptions in a national semi-final. My guess is AE would trade the Michigan win to play that game over.

[SpidersSportsEditor]

Yes, he is the second most accomplished. Edwards' titles, win at Michigan and play-making ability make him No. 1, but Ward is a winner. He makes everyone on his team better. Even with receivers like Grayson and Tre Gray, he spreads the ball around game after game and his efficiency rating is outstanding. He's going to break the Richmond career TD record with one more TD pass.

What people who don't watch him don't take into account is his ability to make something out of nothing. He's quick and strong, so even when he's pressured he's very tough to sack. Most of the time, he scrambles and pick up 4 or 5 yards on what would be 8 yard losses for most QBs. When he doesn't, he throws the ball out of bounds and is patient enough to avoid making mistakes. Even Armanti had a little trouble making those decisions when he played the Spiders last year.

Richmond defense has been pretty good, but can't take anything away from Ward. Without him, no way they win the title and no way they start this season 5-0. If he's not on the radar for the Payton Award, then something needs to be changed.

[crusader11]

John Skelton - Fordham

Skelton's career-record numbers are now 631 completions for 7,740 yards and 53 touchdowns...Skelton entered the game leading the NCAA in total offense and passing yards/game...

Skelton prob has 20 rushing TD's as well.. but dont have # on hand..

1) Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross .......... 918
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 800
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 740
4) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 652
5) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 613
Passing Yards:
1) Dominc Randolph, Holy Cross ........... 10,965
2) Matt Nichols, Eastern Wash. ............. 9,961
3) Scott Riddle, Elon ............................... 8,267
4) Cameron Higgins, Weber St. .............. 8,003
5) Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St. ..... 7,857
6) John Skelton, Fordham ..................... 7,552
7) Noah Shepard, South Dakota ............. 7,528
8) Eric Ward, Richmond .......................... 7,522
9) Bradley George, Texas St. ................... 7,484

By numbers alone, Randolph is the best. Of course, the game is much more than numbers though.

[DLS]

Yes, he is the second most accomplished. Edwards' titles, win at Michigan and play-making ability make him No. 1, but Ward is a winner. He makes everyone on his team better. Even with receivers like Grayson and Tre Gray, he spreads the ball around game after game and his efficiency rating is outstanding. He's going to break the Richmond career TD record with one more TD pass.

What people who don't watch him don't take into account is his ability to make something out of nothing. He's quick and strong, so even when he's pressured he's very tough to sack. Most of the time, he scrambles and pick up 4 or 5 yards on what would be 8 yard losses for most QBs. When he doesn't, he throws the ball out of bounds and is patient enough to avoid making mistakes. Even Armanti had a little trouble making those decisions when he played the Spiders last year.

Richmond defense has been pretty good, but can't take anything away from Ward. Without him, no way they win the title and no way they start this season 5-0. If he's not on the radar for the Payton Award, then something needs to be changed.

xeyebrowx

not even going to acknowledge the slanted comparison but those 5 interceptions had a lot more to do with edwards physical inability to throw than his "bad decision making", that game.

Edwards has overcome so many ridiculous injuries, family issues, and media biases that i fail to see how you can even mention anyone elses name with his now that landers is gone.

sorry to burst your bubble but Armanti Edwards is a future Lifetime movie of the week and ward is just another very good player to come through the fcs.

[GATA]

xeyebrowx

not even going to acknowledge the slanted comparison but those 5 interceptions had a lot more to do with edwards physical inability to throw than his "bad decision making", that game.

Edwards has overcome so many ridiculous injuries, family issues, and media biases that i fail to see how you can even mention anyone elses name with his now that landers is gone.

sorry to burst your bubble but Armanti Edwards is a future Lifetime movie of the week and ward is just another very good player to come through the fcs.

What this guy said.

Eric Ward is a very good football player.

He's not in Armanti Edwards' class. Edwards is a SPECIAL player. Ward is a very good if not great player. The kid is smart, accurate, and clearly he's a pretty good leader. But he doesn't blow anybody away with anything he does on the field the way other great players have in the past. He's just a winner...and I'd take that any day of the week to tell you the truth.

For as good as Jayson Foster was...he never won a title.

[T-Dog]

I'll put him at #2. Not only is Edwards special, but he's got some helluva numbers this year.

77-111 passing (69.4%) for 993 yards for 3 TD's and only one pick (and he tackled the guy who picked him) which makes a 151.13 passer rating. And then add on 266 rushing yards on 43 attempts (5.8 yards per) and 7 TD's and no fumbles lost.

Not to mention this was all in just four games so far, having missed the opener vs ECU and two of those games were in the rain.

[HoyaMetanoia]

Wait until he runs into Georgetown.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

What top 5 FBS team did he beat to shock the world? xwhistlex

None.

He hasn't thrown 3 interceptions to the same player in a playoff game either.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Yea, everybody else is putting their own spin on "accomplished." To me that means wins.

It means you lead your team over Liberty when the season's on the line or you win the Patriot League. No offense to anybody else mentioned because they're obviously great QBs, but haven't even made the playoffs.

xthumbsupx

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

xeyebrowx

not even going to acknowledge the slanted comparison but those 5 interceptions had a lot more to do with edwards physical inability to throw than his "bad decision making", that game.

Edwards has overcome so many ridiculous injuries, family issues, and media biases that i fail to see how you can even mention anyone elses name with his now that landers is gone.

sorry to burst your bubble but Armanti Edwards is a future Lifetime movie of the week and ward is just another very good player to come through the fcs.

You're aware that the post your quoting says Edwards is better in the 2nd line, right?

[Ivytalk]

Have to agree with crusader11 on this one. Randolph is #1 hands down.

[AppAlum2003]

Have to agree with crusader11 on this one. Randolph is #1 hands down.

I thought you Ivy League fellas were supposed to be smart...

Give me AE ANYday.

There are at least 3 times every game where I have to look around to the folks around me and ask "did he REALLY just do that? REALLY?"

[crusader11]

AE is a helluva talent, and may very well be a better college player than Randolph. But, as of right now, Randolph has a much better shot to be successful in the NFL than AE. I mean, does anyone really think AE is good enough to play QB in the NFL. Maybe he could latch on as a DB or slot receiver, but not as a QB.

[Mountaineer#96]

AE is a helluva talent, and may very well be a better college player than Randolph. But, as of right now, Randolph has a much better shot to be successful in the NFL than AE. I mean, does anyone really think AE is good enough to play QB in the NFL. Maybe he could latch on as a DB or slot receiver, but not as a QB.

The title of the thread is "Most accomplished QB in FCS"...... why are you changing the subject to draft day and NFL projected status.

So that means........FCS championships, awards, FCS stats, highlight reels, post season stats, game winning drives, etc.......

[ur2k]

In a big game (could be on the road) who do you want running your offense? I would chose EW but the only other QB you could pick over him is AE.

I'm still not sure all of these other qbs that have gaudy stats could go through the caa south and playoff grinder and come out on top as often as our qb.

[crusader11]

The title of the thread is "Most accomplished QB in FCS"...... why are you changing the subject to draft day and NFL projected status.

So that means........FCS championships, awards, FCS stats, highlight reels, post season stats, game winning drives, etc.......

Fair enough. I was more commenting on IvyTalk's claim that Randolph was hands down #1. Many, many people have never seen him play and I think if you had he might deter your thoughts.

[MacThor]

AE is 9-1 in his playoff career, all but 2 of those games (NC's) were at home.

EW is 7-1 in playoff games, all but 2 were on the road.

So, yes.

[theasushow]

What AE has that Ward doesnt:
1. Led his team to a National Championship as a true freshman, en route to throwing for over 2,000 yards rushing for over 1,000. (5th player in NCAA history and only 2nd freshman to accomplish such a feat)
2.Michigan. This game put him on the map, before Michigan he was just an overachieving freshman, after Michigan he was a national superstar. The image of him diving headfirst into the end zone was in every newspaper in the county it seemed like.
3. ESPN. I remember after his 313 rushing yards against Richmond, Pardon the Interruption specifically had a topic on who was more deserving of the Heisman, Edwards or Tebow, both hosts chose Edwards. The LSU game was a preseason topic by many espn analyst, as it was billed the "battle of the defending champions". we all know the end result, but how often do you see that kind of publicity for a fcs vs. bcs match up? Halloween 2008, where did ESPN wanna be??? The Rock. Why? because of Armanti Edwards. Just 3 weeks ago AE was once again on the Sportscenter top 10 for his superman play against Samford. Lets face it, we all may hate they way espn shines the inferior light on fcs as compared to the bcs, but it IS espn, and it is the measuring stick for success. If it wasnt then we wouldnt see a thread started every time a fcs team gets a mere mention on sportscenter. ASU's playoff success especially has given AE the chance to shine in the national spotlight on espn. Eric Ward just doesnt have that name recognition.
4. The Walter Payton award. (no explanation necessary)
5. The Rock. Were it not for 25,000+ fans there probably wouldnt be the recruits, the money, the publicity, or the success. Would AE be AE if he played in front of 3,000 every saturday? (not that ward does, but you get the point)

Ward is a very solid, awesome college quarterback. Somebody like AE's comes around once every 10-15 years. ASU has been spoiled rotten to have such a incredible QB for 4 years. As great as Ward is, if Richmond wins it all again this year (which is a good possiblity) I still feel like most people will be like..."who is their quarterback again?"

[bluehenbillk]

Ward is a really good QB. That being said he's somewhat overshadowed that most people have thought of UR over the previous 2 seasons as a run-oriented team. You have Hightower in the NFL and Vaughn was really good too. Ward isn't a QB that will see action on Sundays like an Eric Crouch, but that certainly doesn't make him anything less than a great college QB.

[ur2k]

What AE has that Ward doesnt:
1. Led his team to a National Championship as a true freshman, en route to throwing for over 2,000 yards rushing for over 1,000. (5th player in NCAA history and only 2nd freshman to accomplish such a feat)
2.Michigan. This game put him on the map, before Michigan he was just an overachieving freshman, after Michigan he was a national superstar. The image of him diving headfirst into the end zone was in every newspaper in the county it seemed like.
3. ESPN. I remember after his 313 rushing yards against Richmond, Pardon the Interruption specifically had a topic on who was more deserving of the Heisman, Edwards or Tebow, both hosts chose Edwards. The LSU game was a preseason topic by many espn analyst, as it was billed the "battle of the defending champions". we all know the end result, but how often do you see that kind of publicity for a fcs vs. bcs match up? Halloween 2008, where did ESPN wanna be??? The Rock. Why? because of Armanti Edwards. Just 3 weeks ago AE was once again on the Sportscenter top 10 for his superman play against Samford. Lets face it, we all may hate they way espn shines the inferior light on fcs as compared to the bcs, but it IS espn, and it is the measuring stick for success. If it wasnt then we wouldnt see a thread started every time a fcs team gets a mere mention on sportscenter. ASU's playoff success especially has given AE the chance to shine in the national spotlight on espn. Eric Ward just doesnt have that name recognition.
4. The Walter Payton award. (no explanation necessary)
5. The Rock. Were it not for 25,000+ fans there probably wouldnt be the recruits, the money, the publicity, or the success. Would AE be AE if he played in front of 3,000 every saturday? (not that ward does, but you get the point)

Ward is a very solid, awesome college quarterback. Somebody like AE's comes around once every 10-15 years. ASU has been spoiled rotten to have such a incredible QB for 4 years. As great as Ward is, if Richmond wins it all again this year (which is a good possiblity) I still feel like most people will be like..."who is their quarterback again?"

This thread wasn't started to say Eric Ward was better than AE - it was after AE - who is the best? AE has some amazing accomplishments - but as we go on, most richmond fans feel like Eric Ward is very much overlooked.

[theasushow]

This thread wasn't started to say Eric Ward was better than AE - it was after AE - who is the best? AE has some amazing accomplishments - but as we go on, most richmond fans feel like Eric Ward is very much overlooked.

I would agree, outside of Richmond Ward is very underappreciated. I will also say that the publicity AE gets is pretty uncommon for a FCS QB. (once again I still think the michigan win is really what put him in the spotlight)

[proasu89]

Yes!

[Bam]

Yes. I have seen him play twice in person & several times on TV. His career at UR will make him a legend at the school.

[Longrifle]

None.

He hasn't thrown 3 interceptions to the same player in a playoff game either.

That's right, but he also doesn't hold the record for rushing yards in a game by a QB. I seem to recall 313 yards rushing and something like 16 of 18 passing against a team you might be familiar with in a semi-final playoff game.

Past all of the smack talk, I have a lot of respect for Eric Ward, and I think he is a great QB.

[MoBear]

With Rodney Landers gone I would say yes he is the 2nd most accomplished QB on the FCS level right now. Its ashamed that he is coming out with so many other good QB coming out of college right now. I think he could be a good back up in the NFL. But with Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Riley Skinner, Tony Pike, Zac Robinson, Dan LeFevour, & Jarrett Brown coming out of the FBS and with Ryan Perrilloux, Armanti Edwards, Pat Grace, and Dominic Randolph coming out of the FCS the QB class this year will be one of the best ever.

[ur2k]

That's right, but he also doesn't hold the record for rushing yards in a game by a QB. I seem to recall 313 yards rushing and something like 16 of 18 passing against a team you might be familiar with in a semi-final playoff game.

Past all of the smack talk, I have a lot of respect for Eric Ward, and I think he is a great QB.

Yeah, but has AE caught a TD pass in a National Championship game? xthumbsupx

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

That's right, but he also doesn't hold the record for rushing yards in a game by a QB. I seem to recall 313 yards rushing and something like 16 of 18 passing against a team you might be familiar with in a semi-final playoff game.

The thing that chafes Richmond fans is that many ASU fans make the excuse that AE was hurt when Richmond beat them in '08.

I can assure you that Edwards wouldn't have run for 300 yards on Richmond in '07 if Sidbury, Logan or Stephen Howell played.

[Apps03]

The thing that chafes Richmond fans is that many ASU fans make the excuse that AE was hurt when Richmond beat them in '08.

I can assure you that Edwards wouldn't have run for 300 yards on Richmond in '07 if Sidbury, Logan or Stephen Howell played.

Are you criticizing App fans for the saying we would have won if AE was healthy while at the same time saying AE would not have 300 yards if your All-American DE's were healthy?

This little game could go round and round forever. The bottom line is they are both extremely talented quarterbacks who know how to win. They are asked to do different things for their respective teams. The OP asked if he was second best; I would even venture to say they are 1a and 1b right now. xthumbsupx

[Longrifle]

The thing that chafes Richmond fans is that many ASU fans make the excuse that AE was hurt when Richmond beat them in '08.

I can assure you that Edwards wouldn't have run for 300 yards on Richmond in '07 if Sidbury, Logan or Stephen Howell played.

I agree, and I'm not making excuses, but when you know he is not a threat to run, it makes our offense much less potent.

Your offense is much the same. You have to respect Wards ability to pull the ball on the read option, or to improvise when the receivers are covered.

[UNIFanSince1983]

I have to say he is the second most accomplished in FCS right now. Accomplished to me means winning big games, leading you team on big drives, and garnering awards. Gaudy stats are nice, but I don't think anyone can argue that Timmy Chang or Colt Brennan are the most accomplished QBs in FBS ever.

I mean seriously Randolf may be a great player, but he threw the ball 520 times last year. He is the current career leader in attempts by almost 200 attempts. Sounds to me like he is similar to a Colt Brennan and Graham Harrell who were products of systems. I have never seen the kid play just looking at the stats it seems like he gets to throw the ball A TON.

Eric Ward led his team down the field with a minute to go to win in the UNI-Dome, in the semi-finals. He may have had a good running back, and a great defense. But you cannot take away what he did here. To me that shows how great he is. I gained a lot of respect for him then (I also started to hate him quite a bit too). He is currently the second most accomplished QB in FCS without question.