FRISCO, Texas -- The Eastern Washington University football program liked its odds to win yet another Walter Payton Award, but in the end, it was the lone non-EWU finalist taking home the honor, as Sam Houston State redshirt junior Jeremiah Briscoe captured the award that has become known as the Heisman Trophy of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level.

With voting conducted at the conclusion of the regular season, it was Briscoe, who threw an FCS single-season record 57 touchdowns this year, edging Eagle teammates Cooper Kupp and Gage Gubrud to capture the 30th-annual Walter Payton Award. Briscoe finished with 569 votes, while Kupp, the 2015 Walter Payton Award winner, finished second with 372 votes and Gubrud rounded out the trio of finalist with 362 votes.

Despite being unable to lock down the program's fourth Walter Payton Award winner, Eastern Washington was still able to make history at the STATS FCS Awards ceremony, as Kupp and Gubrud became the first pair of teammates to be voted as finalists for the prestigious honor.

"I don't look at this as a shutout for Eastern Washington, but as rather a unique and special opportunity to have two of the three finalist," said head coach Beau Baldwin after the announcement. "I'm very proud as a coach with the season both players had. They are not only great football players, but great young men. It was a pleasure to be here (in Frisco), and this will be a moment that I'll carry with me for a long time. Having coached two of the three finalist for the Walter Payton Award in the same season is something that may never happen again in my coaching career."

Kupp finished with a Big Sky Conference record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 scores in the 2016 season, and accounted for two more scores passing, one rushing and one on a punt return. Including his rushing, passing and return yards, he finished the season with 2,047 yards (157.5 per game) and 21 touchdowns.

Kupp led EWU to 41 victories overall in four seasons – 28-4 in the Big Sky Conference -- while Gubrud led EWU to a 12-2 record in his debut as a starter. He passed for a FCS record 5,160 yards, accounting for 53 touchdowns and 5,766 yards of total offense.

This is the 30th anniversary of the Payton Award, whose past winners have included Eastern quarterback Erik Meyer (2005), Eagle quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (2011) and Kupp (2015). Kupp was also last year's winner of the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director's Association (he repeated as winner of that award in 2016), and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC.

The dynamic duo for the Eagles and Briscoe were selected among a group of 25 finalists who were on the voting list for the award. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries participated in the voting.

Besides the Walter Payton Award, STATS also presented the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), the Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), the Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and the Doris Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Kupp won the Jerry Rice Award as a freshman in 2013.

Gubrud and Kupp were honored on Nov. 22 as the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive MVPs, the first time in league history two players from the same team were selected by the coaches to share the award. Both were unanimous selections as first team selections in the league, with Kupp also becoming just the fourth player in league history to earn first team all-league all four seasons.

Kupp was a consensus FCS All-American for the fourth-straight season, but now sets his sights on the NFL Draft on April 27-29 in Philadelphia, Pa. The NFL Combine is Feb. 28-March 6 in Indianapolis, Ind., and he has also been invited to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala., at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time on the NFL Network.

In fact, Kupp is training in Irvine, Calif., and was unable to make it to Frisco for the presentation. Baldwin and Gubrud will represent Kupp at the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Saturday when he will be recognized as the FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year.

With Kupp and Gubrud leading the way, Eastern finished the year ranked second in FCS in total offense with an average of 529.6 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 547.3 per outing. For the second-straight season Eastern was the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 yards per game), and was third in third down conversions (52.1 percent), third in completion percentage, third in scoring offense (42.4), and third in passing efficiency (168.2).

Eastern came up just shy of breaking the school record for offense per game of 533.5 set in 2013 when EWU finished with a total of 8,002 (Eastern finished 2016 with 7,414 yards). However, the Eagles did break the previous school record for passing offense of 368.4 set in 2011 (their total of 5,614 yards also broke the Big Sky & EWU records of 5,247 set in 2013). In addition, the Eagles set Big Sky and EWU records in 2016 for passing completions (421), attempts (620), first downs passing (238), first downs overall (372), extra-point kicks made (75), and Big Sky wins (8), as well as breaking a school record for completion percentage (.679).

Eastern had four of the top 22 single game offensive performances in school history during the 2016 season, including a high of 659 versus Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, 2016, to rank fifth. Eastern had at least 500 yards in nine of 14 games, with performances of 596 against Montana State (22nd all-time at EWU), 606 versus Washington State (19th) and 627 against UC Davis (10th). Eastern had at least 381 yards passing in 10 outings, including a high of 520 against Montana State to come six away from the school record.

More on Cooper Kupp . . .

The 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., broke one all-division collegiate record, 15 FCS records, 11 Big Sky marks and 26 EWU records during his illustrious 52-game career (all as a starter). He and Gubrud finished in the top three in the voting for the Walter Payton Award presented this year by STATS, and that duo were also co-MVPs of the Big Sky Conference.

Kupp earned first team All-America honors on all seven teams announced, including recognition as the FCS Athletic Director's Association Wide Receiver of the Year. He was previously honored for the fourth-straight year on teams selected by the American Football Coaches Association, STATS and Associated Press, and for the third time by the Walter Camp Football Foundation (2013-2015-2016). He was also honored by Hero Sports and College Sports Madness with first team All-America accolades.

Kupp missed 1 1/2 games earlier in the season and almost a half at both Portland State on Nov. 18 and Central Arkansas on Dec. 3 with shoulder injuries. But he still finished with a Big Sky Conference record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 scores.

Kupp led FCS in receiving yards per game (130.8), was second in receptions per game (9.0), and tied teammate Shaq Hill for the FCS lead in receiving touchdowns (17). Kupp had a Big Sky record 117 catches (sixth in FCS history) for 1,700 yards (fourth in FCS history) in just 13 games played this season, already ranking first and second, respectively, in school history. He finishes his career with the 1-2-3-5 season marks in receptions, and 2-3-4-6 in yards.

His all-division record of 6,464 career receiving yards was set after a pair of early catches in the first quarter against Richmond on Dec. 10. He surpassed the NAIA record of 6,177 by Chris George of Glenville State from 1991-94 after surpassing NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III records earlier this season. His yardage, 428 receptions, 73 touchdown catches, 124.3 average yards per game and 1.40 average TDs per game were all FCS records.

Kupp averaged a TD reception for every 5.9 catches in his career. He scored at least once in 43 of 52 games he played, with 30 performances of at least eight catches (16 with 10 or more) and a FCS record of 31 with at least 100 receiving yards.

More on Gage Gubrud . . .

Gubrud, a 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School, joined Kupp as co-Offensive MVP of the league and has already gone on to win five All-America honors. His debut season saw him break three NCAA Football Championship Subdivision records, seven league marks and 15 EWU records.

He and Kupp finished in the top three in the voting for the Walter Payton Award presented this year by STATS. Besides being honored on the STATS All-America team, he was a first team selection by Hero Sports, and as a second team selection by the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and College Sports Madness. In addition, Hero Sports also selected him to its Sophomore All-America squad.

Gubrud passed for 5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns and a .677 completion percentage, and also rushed for a team-leading and EWU quarterback record 606 yards (4.5 per carry) and five more scores. He finished as the FCS leader in total offense at 411.9 per game, passing yards (5,160) and passing yards per game (368.6), and was second in points responsible per game (22.9), total points responsible for (320) and passing touchdowns (48). He was also third in completion percentage (.677) and third in passing efficiency (166.6).

Besides his FCS record for passing yards, his 11 games with at least 300 yards passing and 12 with at least 300 yards of total offense are also FCS records. Gubrud broke EWU and Big Sky Conference single season records set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2013 for passing yards, as well as for total yards of offense, with Gubrud finishing with a total of 5,766. His average of 411.9 yards of offense per game was also a league and school record.

Gubrud has just 13 career starts (11-2 record), but he already owns six of the top eight single game total offense performances in school history (1-2-3-5-6-8) and five of the top 14 passing performances (1-3-6-13-14). In addition, he had an impressive string of 222 passes without an interception, going four full games from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 without a pick. He had a school-record 551 yards of total offense in the first start of his career, a 45-42 season-opening victory over Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference.