By Chris Huston 9.1.15

Heisman Opener History

Heisman Opener History

The 2015 college football season gets underway on Thursday and so does the quest for the Heisman Trophy.

When the first weekend of games are over, there will be lots of buzz about the great individual performances that took place. Maybe some talk of this player or that helping or hurting himself in his race for the most prestigious trophy in sports.

But we all know it will be too early for all of that (right?) so let’s break out the history so we can have a little bit of perspective when Monday comes.

Here are all the pertinent facts and figures you need to know about how past Heisman winners have performed in season openers.

Come back after the weekend and ask: How did my favorite Heisman candidate stack up?

Wins, Losses, Ties & Rankings

Heisman winners who did not win the opening game
Date Player Opponent Score
9/8/12 Johnny Manziel Florida L 17-20
9/22/56 Paul Hornung at SMU L 13-19
9/17/65 Mike Garrett Minnesota T 20-20
9/27/52 Billy Vessels at Colorado T 21-21
9/30/50 Vic Janowicz SMU L 27-32
9/28/35 Jay Berwanger at Nebraska L 7-28
Heisman winners vs. ranked teams in openers*
Date Player Opponent Score
9/8/12 Johnny Manziel #23 Florida L 17-20
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III #14 TCU W 50-48
9/5/09 Mark Ingram #9 Virginia Tech+ W 34-24
9/13/97 Charles Woodson #8 Colorado W 27-3
9/27/95 Eddie George #23 Boston College W 38-6
9/5/92 Gino Torretta at #16 Iowa W 24-7
9/12/87 Tim Brown at #7 Michigan W 26-7
8/29/83 Mike Rozier #4 Penn State+ W 44-6
9/6/82 Herschel Walker #11 Clemson W 13-7
9/11/76 Tony Dorsett at #11 Notre Dame W 31-10
9/13/75 Archie Griffin at #12 Michigan St. W 21-0
9/12/70 Jim Plunkett at #4 Arkansas W 34-28
9/21/68 O.J. Simpson at #15 Minnesota W 29-20
9/16/67 Gary Beban #9 Tennessee W 20-16
9/26/53 John Lattner at #6 Oklahoma W 28-21
9/30/50 Vic Janowicz #10 SMU L 27-32

* – AP ranking at time of contest
+ – Neutral site
Note – From 1961-67, preseason AP polls featured just a top 10.
Note – Prior to 1948, the first AP poll came out within the first two weeks of October.

Individual Statistics in Openers

Most Passing Yards
Date Player Opponent Yards
9/5/92 Gino Torretta at Iowa 433
9/2/89 Andre Ware at UNLV 390
9/1/90 Ty Detmer at UTEP 387
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III TCU 359
9/2/13 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 356
9/1/84 Doug Flutie West Carolina 330
8/26/00 Chris Weinke BYU 318
9/2/02 Carson Palmer Auburn 302
9/1/07 Tim Tebow W. Kentucky 300
9/2/06 Troy Smith N. Illinois 297
Highest Passer Rating (min. 10 att)
Date Player Opponent Rating
9/1/07 Tim Tebow WKU 282.94
9/2/13 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 252.23
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III TCU 250.58
9/4/10 Cam Newton Arkansas St. 246.61
8/30/14 Marcus Mariota South Dakota 231.64
9/2/06 Troy Smith W. Kentucky 211.39
9/17/66 Steve Spurrier Northwestern 197.25
9/18/71 Pat Sullivan Chattanooga 191.80
9/1/84 Doug Flutie West Carolina 191.37
8/28/04 Matt Leinart Virginia Tech 178.44
Highest Completion Percentage (min. 10 att)
Date Player Opponent Rating
9/2/12 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 92.5% (25 of 27)
9/18/71 Pat Sullivan Chattanooga 81.2% (13 of 16)
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III TCU 77.8% (21 of 27)
8/30/08 Sam Bradford Chattanooga 77.3% (17 of 22)
9/8/12 Johnny Manziel Florida 76.7% (23 of 30)
9/1/07 Tim Tebow W. Kentucky 76.4% (13 of 17)
9/2/06 Troy Smith N. Illinois 72.0% (18 of 25)
9/2/02 Carson Palmer Auburn 71.9% (23 of 32)
9/1/90 Ty Detmer at UTEP 71.7% (33 of 46)
9/1/84 Doug Flutie West Carolina 70.9% (22 of 31)
Most Touchdown Passes
Date Player Opponent TDs
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III TCU 5
9/2/89 Andre Ware at UNLV 5
9/1/84 Doug Flutie West Carolina 4
9/2/12 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 4
Most Rushing Yards
Date Player Opponent Yards
9/17/85 Bo Jackson ULL 290
9/21/68 O.J. Simpson Minnesota 236
9/5/98 Ricky Williams New Mexico St. 215
9/12/81 Marcus Allen Tennessee 210
9/20/69 Steve Owens at Wisconsin 189
9/3/94 Rashaan Salaam NE Louisiana 184
9/11/76 Tony Dorsett at Notre Dame 181
9/10/88 Barry Sanders Miami (OH) 178
9/4/10 Cam Newton Arkansas St. 171
9/24/55 Howard Cassady Nebraska 170
Highest Per Carry Average (min. 10 att)
Date Player Opponent Avg.
9/17/85 Bo Jackson ULL 12.60
9/6/80 George Rogers Pacific 11.76
9/4/10 Cam Newton Arkansas St. 11.40
9/30/44 Les Horvath Missouri 11.00
9/10/88 Barry Sanders Miami (OH) 9.88
9/12/81 Marcus Allen Tennessee 9.55
9/11/76 Tony Dorsett at Notre Dame 8.22
9/24/55 Howard Cassady Nebraska 8.09
9/3/94 Rashaan Salaam NE Louisiana 7.66
9/4/99 Ron Dayne Murray State 6.75

Most Touchdowns Rushing
Date Player Opponent TDs
9/5/98 Ricky Williams New Mexico St. 6
9/12/81 Marcus Allen Tennessee 4
9/7/85 Bo Jackson ULL 4
9/20/69 Steve Owens at Wisconsin 4
9/21/68 O.J. Simpson Minnesota 4

Most Touchdowns Running & Passing
Date Player Opponent Total TDs
9/22/62 Terry Baker Iowa State 6 (3 rush, 3 pass)
9/2/89 Andre Ware at UNLV 6 (5 pass, 1 rush)
9/5/98 Ricky Williams New Mexico St. 6 (6 rush, 0 pass)
9/1/84 Robert Griffin III TCU 5 (5 pass, 0 rush)
9/4/10 Cam Newton Arkansas St. 5 (3 rush, 2 pass)
9/2/12 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 5 (4 pass, 1 rush)
Most Receptions
Date Player Opponent Receptions
9/7/91 Desmond Howard at Boston College 7
9/21/68 O.J. Simpson Minnesota 6
All-Purpose Yards
Date Player Opponent Yards
9/10/88 Barry Sanders Miami (OH) 321
9/21/68 O.J. Simpson Minnesota 293
9/17/85 Bo Jackson ULL 290
9/12/81 Marcus Allen Tennessee 231
9/3/94 Rashaan Salaam NE Louisiana 224
Total Offense
Date Player Opponent Yards
9/5/92 Gino Torretta at Iowa 451
9/2/11 Robert Griffin III TCU 397
9/2/89 Andre Ware at UNLV 396
9/1/90 Ty Detmer at UTEP 384
9/2/12 Jameis Winston at Pittsburgh 381

Other Records of Note
Most Completions — 33, Ty Detmer, at UTEP, 9/1/90

Most Attempts — 51, Gino Torretta, at Iowa, 9/5/92

Most Passes Intercepted — 3, Jim Plunkett, at Arkansas, 9/12/70

Threw no touchdown passes — Johnny Manziel vs. Florida, 9/8/12; Eric Crouch vs. TCU, 8/25/01; Charlie Ward, vs. Kansas, 8/28/93; Gary Beban vs. Tennesse, 9/16/67.

Fewest passing yards by a quarterback (min. 10 attempts) — 107, Gary Beban vs. Tennessee, 9/13/67 (9 of 20 passing).

Most rushing attempts — 40, Steve Owens at Wisconsin, 9/20/69.

Fewest Rushing Yards by a running back (min. 10 carries) — 20, Herschel Walker vs. Clemson, 9/6/82 (20 yards on 11 carries).

No rushing touchdowns by a running back — Mike Rozier vs. Penn State, 8/29/83; Herschel Walker vs. Clemson, 9/6/82; Charles White at Texas Tech, 9/8/79; Frank Sinkwich at Kentucky, 9/19/42.

Kickoff returns for touchdowns — Barry Sanders, 100 yards vs. Miami (OH), 9/10/88; Desmond Howard, 93 yards at Boston College, 9/7/91.

Interceptions — Charles Woodson vs. Colorado, 9/13/97;  Davey O’Brien vs. Centenary, 9/24/38

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