By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Those around the Tennessee Tech football program always know what kind of player they have in freshman quarterback Bailey Fisher.
Now writers and voters across the country will be looking over his numbers and making a decision on the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award as Fisher was named one of 20 finalists for the award on Monday.
The Jerry Rice Award, named after the legendary Pro Football Hall of Famer and Mississippi Valley State wide receiver, honors the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision. Voting runs through Noon Eastern on Saturday, and is open to a national panel of 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
Fisher ended the 2018 campaign with 1,681 yards and 11 touchdowns on 139-of-268 passing, with seven interceptions. He averaged 168.1 yards per game and 12.1 yards per completion. On the ground, he was Tech's No. 2 rusher, picking up 346 yards and two touchdowns on 106 carries, averaging 34.6 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry.
He led the Golden Eagles in total offense with 2,027 yards, averaging 202.7 yards per game.
Fisher played in just 10 games after an injury suffered against UT Martin sidelined him for the final game-and-a-half. Still, he ended up with the best season in program history for a true freshman quarterback, trailing just Lee Sweeney's 2006 season as a redshirt against all freshmen QBs. Sweeney threw for 2,292 yards, 17 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in that season after transferring from a season at Louisville.
Fisher's best games were very impressive – against Eastern Illinois, the freshman threw for 383 yards and four touchdowns, then, on Homecoming against Murray State, Fisher threw for 248 yards and ran for 76 yards as he accounted for three touchdowns to end Tech's 11-game losing streak.
Following the completion of the FCS regular season, Fisher ended 81st in completion percentage (0.519), 59th in completions per game (13.9), 84th in passing efficiency (112.2), 79th in passing touchdowns (11), 65th in passing yards, 66th in passing yards per game, 55th in passing yards per completions, 123rd in points responsible for (78), 105th in points responsible for per game (7.8), 133rd in rushing yards per carry, 52nd in total offense and 82nd in yards per pass attempt.
Among FCS freshmen, Fisher was third in passing yards and total offense.
The other finalists for the award include: Christian Benford (CB, Villanova), Ty Brock (QB, Sam Houston State), Julius Chestnut (RB, Sacred Heart), Jack Cook (QB, Dayton), Jon Copeland (QB, Incarnate Word), Josh Davis (RB, Weber State), Mohammed Diakite (CB, Penn), Andrew Edgar (WR, Illinois State), Juwon Farri (RB, Monmouth), Ulonzo Gilliam (RB, UC Davis), Malik Hamm (DE, Lafayette), Robby Hauck (S, Montana), Quay Holmes (RB, East Tennessee State), Adrian Hope (LB, Furman), Noah Larson (LB, North Dakota), Skyler Perry (QB, Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Xavier Smith (WR, Florida A&M), Caleb Snead (WR, Campbell) and Jareem Westcott (RB, Stetson).
