TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has been added to the Manning Award Watch List, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced on Thursday. Fifita is joined by 21 other quarterbacks who played their way onto the watch list over the first half of the season.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances in its balloting.

Through the first seven games of the Wildcats season, Fifita has thrown for 1,829 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding three rushing touchdowns to his tally. Twice this year he has thrown for five touchdowns in a game, and in his latest outing at Houston he completed 24-of-26 passes to tie the program's single game record for completion percentage. Fifita, in his fourth year with Arizona, has steadily climbed the program's career leaderboards and currently ranks third all-time in both passing touchdowns (61) and passing yards (7,784).

Fifita and the Wildcats enjoy their second bye of the season this week before returning to action at Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 1.