FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance and quarterback Cole Payton are among the 30 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

The award, in its 39th season and affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. NDSU has had 10 previous finalists including the 2019 winner, quarterback Trey Lance.

Bryce Lance, a senior from Marshall, Minn., is the first player in NDSU history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He ranks eighth in the FCS and leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 1,001 receiving yards this year including seven TDs, four 100-yard games, and a career-high 159 yards against Southeast Missouri State. Lance had 1,071 receiving yards and a conference-record 17 TD catches last year. He has been invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Payton, a senior from Omaha, Neb., leads the FCS with a 197.4 passer rating, 12.3 yards per attempt and 16.7 yards per completion, and he is second nationally with a 74.1 completion percentage that is second best in MVFC history. He is eighth in FCS for total offense (284.1 ypg) and had three of the top six single-game offensive performances in NDSU history, including 380 total yards and four TDs in a win at No. 2 South Dakota State. Payton went 157 of 212 passing for 2,618 yards and 15 TDs in the regular season, and he is NDSU's second leading rusher with 130 carries for 791 yards and 13 TDs.

Lance and Payton are two of five finalists from the Missouri Valley Football Conference joining Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard, Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams,and South Dakota running back LJ Phillips Jr.

No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (12-0) will host either Illinois State or No. 16 seed Southeastern Louisiana in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at noon Saturday, Dec. 6. Tickets are on sale at GoBison.com/tickets.